Bikemap

Bikemap is a Vienna, Austria-based digital route planning and navigation platform that allows cyclists to discover, create, and share biking routes globally. Operating on a freemium model supported by premium subscriptions, in-app advertisements, and B2B data partnerships, the company serves over seven million registered users across more than 100 countries. The software hosts a database of over 11 million user-generated cycling routes tailored for recreational riders, daily commuters, and mountain bikers. It provides mobile applications featuring real-time voice navigation, offline maps, Apple Watch integration, and advanced 3D route previews. Employing between 20 and 50 people, Bikemap has raised $1.16 million in total funding from venture capital firms and angel investors, including Speedinvest, Ponooc, Austria Wirtschaftsservice, and Andreas Mihalovits. The startup was officially incorporated in 2014 by founders Christof Hinterplattner, Matthias Natmessnig, and Peter Eich.

Bikemap is a community-driven cycling platform that builds mapping, route‑planning, and navigation tools for cyclists worldwide, backed by a sizeable user‑generated route database and a consumer app offering turn‑by‑turn navigation and offline maps[1][2].

High-Level Overview

Bikemap’s product is a route platform and mobile app that lets cyclists discover, create, record and share cycling routes, plus use bike‑specific navigation and offline maps; the platform claims millions of users and hundreds of millions of recorded kilometers across millions of routes[1][2].
The company serves recreational and commuting cyclists, cycling clubs, event organizers and organisations (including local governments and businesses interested in sustainable mobility) by providing route discovery, navigation and analytics tools[2][1].
Bikemap addresses the problem of fragmented or poor bicycle routing and the lack of a global, bike‑focused route database by aggregating user‑generated routes, offering bike‑optimized navigation, and enabling offline use for reliability on rides[1][2].
Growth momentum: Bikemap reports large scale usage metrics (millions of users, millions of routes, hundreds of millions of kilometers tracked, and millions of app downloads), and is listed as a portfolio company of VC Speedinvest, indicating venture backing and product/market traction[1][5][2].

Origin Story

Bikemap traces its roots to an idea started by passionate cyclists in 2007 and formalized as the company known today around 2014 (founding date reported on the company site as 2014)[1].
Founders were cyclists motivated to share and discover high‑quality routes; the platform evolved as an open, user‑generated route collection that grew rapidly through community contributions and mobile app adoption[1][3].
Early traction: the site emphasizes fast organic growth in user submissions (thousands of new routes daily) and reaching a global footprint across 80–100+ countries as key milestones in its early evolution[1][5].

Core Differentiators

• Large user‑generated route catalogue: Claims of millions of unique routes and extensive global coverage give Bikemap scale in route availability for cyclists[1].
  - Bike‑focused navigation features: Mobile app with turn‑by‑turn navigation and offline maps tailored to cyclists rather than generic car navigation[2][1].
  - Community network effects: Active community creating and enriching routes (reported thousands of new routes per day), improving route quality and variety over time[1][5].
  - Partnerships & investor backing: Inclusion in Speedinvest’s portfolio signals VC support and access to investor network resources for growth and Go‑To‑Market[5].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

• Riding the active mobility and micro‑mobility trend: Increased interest in cycling for health, commuting and sustainability boosts demand for bike‑specific mapping and navigation tools[1].
  - Timing: Urbanization, climate concerns and city policies promoting cycling create favorable market forces for tools that make cycling safer and more convenient[1][2].
  - Data network externalities: As Bikemap’s route database grows, its value to individual users and institutional partners (planners, event organizers) increases, strengthening competitive position[1].
  - Ecosystem influence: By providing route data and a consumer app, Bikemap supports cycling communities, informs local mobility planning, and competes/cooperates with other specialized cycling navigation services (e.g., Ride with GPS) and general mapping providers[2].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

What’s next: Likely priorities include deeper productization of route data (analytics, B2B offerings for cities and businesses), expanded offline and navigation features, and international growth to convert large addressable markets into monetized users[5][1].
Trends that will shape the journey: Continued urban cycling adoption, strong demand for sustainable transport solutions, and the monetizable utility of high‑quality cycling route data for partners and advertisers[1][2].
Potential influence evolution: If Bikemap leverages its community scale and VC support, it could become a primary cycling data provider for consumer navigation, event organizers and municipal cycling planning—turning community contributions into a defensible data asset and diversified revenue streams[1][5].

Quick reminder: founding year reporting varies across sources (company page cites 2014 with roots from 2007; some directories list nearby years), but the company’s own About page and investor listings are the primary sources used here[1][2].