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Key people at Bareways GmbH.
Bareways GmbH is a Lübeck, Germany-based software company that develops AI-driven mapping and routing solutions integrating geospatial data, live weather, and terrain conditions for personalized and off-road navigation. The company provides its technology through APIs and mobile SDKs to automotive manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, fleet operators, and logistics firms, processing data covering over one million kilometers of unpaved roads globally. Operating with a dedicated team of 15 full-time employees, including 13 engineers, the enterprise focuses on safe travel, e-mobility, and specialized routing beyond traditional urban navigation systems. The business is backed by a seven-figure seed venture funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds and Baltic Business Angels, with additional support from MBG SH and the ESA BIC Northern Germany startup incubation program. Bareways GmbH was originally founded in 2019 by co-founders Moritz von Grotthuss and Sascha Clement.
Key people at Bareways GmbH.
Bareways GmbH is a Lübeck, Germany-based software company founded in 2019 that develops AI-powered navigation and mapping solutions focused on challenging terrains, particularly unpaved rural roads.[1][2][5] It builds high-quality, customizable maps, routing engines, and Location AI services—including a Travel AI Assistant—for safe travel, scenic experiences, e-mobility, fleet management, and off-road applications, serving carmakers, mobility brands, tourism, and developers via APIs, SDKs, and cloud-based tools.[2][3][5][6] The platform aggregates real-time data from vehicle sensors, satellites, weather, and points of interest to enable robust route planning, vehicle-specific predictions, and immersive experiences, solving the problem of unreliable navigation in rural or adverse conditions where standard maps fail.[1][5][6]
Targeting automotive OEMs, rental services, shared mobility, hospitality, and overlanding enthusiasts, Bareways has gained traction with premium carmakers using its full navigation suite for years and is exhibiting at events like IAA MOBILITY 2025, indicating sustained growth in the mobility sector.[3][5]
Bareways was founded in 2019 by Moritz von Grotthuss (CEO) and Sascha Klement in Lübeck, Germany, leveraging their prior success in founding gestigon—a gesture control solutions provider for automotive markets—sold to Valeo Group in 2017.[1] The idea emerged from a personal incident: Moritz got stuck on a steep, snowy road in the Thuringian Forest, highlighting the lack of integrated apps warning about such risks by combining weather, terrain, and sensor data—data siloed across systems without common interfaces.[7]
Early traction came from assembling a core team of image processing, machine learning, and automotive experts, plus funding from automotive investors, family offices, and business angels.[1] Their first mobile app for unpaved road navigation launched in 2020, evolving into a broader Location AI platform with carmaker partnerships and custom projects.[1][3][5]
Bareways rides the wave of Location AI in next-gen mobility, blending geospatial data with AI amid rising demand for connected, autonomous, and experiential travel in underserved rural/off-road areas.[5] Timing aligns with EV adoption, shared mobility growth, and adventure tourism, where standard navigation (e.g., Google Maps) lacks terrain/vehicle-specific insights—Bareways fills this by fusing public/open data with real-time sources.[1][6]
Market forces like carmaker pushes for branded infotainment, e-mobility range optimization, and climate-impacted weather variability favor its predictive routing.[2][3] It influences the ecosystem by partnering with OEMs for in-vehicle AI assistants, enabling safer rural access, eco-friendly routes, and tourism personalization—potentially accelerating off-grid autonomy from military to consumer applications.[1][5]
Bareways is poised to expand its Location AI suite with deeper OEM integrations, Travel AI enhancements for tourism/hospitality, and custom projects in e-mobility/fleet analytics, building on carmaker validations and IAA 2025 presence.[3][5] Trends like AI-native vehicles, real-time satellite proliferation, and experiential travel will amplify its edge, potentially scaling to global off-road standards or autonomous systems. As rural mobility barriers erode, Bareways could redefine safe, immersive navigation—from personal mishaps to worldwide ecosystems—cementing its role as the go-to for terrain-smart mobility.[1][7]
