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Proxi is a technology company.
Proxi provides an intuitive platform for creating and sharing interactive maps, event passports, and localized guides. Its no-code builder allows users to visualize data, craft immersive area explorations, and facilitate community-driven content. The core offering simplifies the process of building dynamic geographic experiences, making sophisticated mapping accessible to a broad audience without specialized technical skills.
The company was co-founded in October 2020 by college friends Melinda Haughey and Chelsey Roney. Melinda Haughey, serving as CTO, brought her expertise as a former geospatial technologist from a U.S. intelligence agency. Chelsey Roney, the CEO, contributed her experience as a multi-time founder with a strong background in marketing and two previous successful exits, providing the business acumen to complement the technical vision.
Proxi serves a diverse clientele including brands, businesses, and community organizations looking to enhance engagement through location-based interactions. The platform empowers these groups to effectively connect people with places and information. Proxi’s vision centers on fostering a more personal and accessible way for communities to interact with their physical environment through easily customizable and shareable mapping solutions.
Proxi has raised $1.2M across 1 funding round.
Proxi has raised $1.2M in total across 1 funding round.
Proxi is a Seattle-based geospatial software company that builds a free, no-code platform for creating custom, interactive maps, event passports, and community guides.[1][2][4] It serves influencers, local experts, businesses, event coordinators, media outlets, and consumers by enabling them to visualize recommendations for spots like restaurants, parks, coffee shops, and holiday lights, replacing text lists with embeddable, shareable maps that drive discovery and visits.[2][3][5] The tool solves the problem of static, list-based recommendations by offering visual, trusted, crowdsourced mapping with analytics, fostering community connections and providing actionable insights for users and brands.[2][3] Proxi has shown early growth momentum, raising $1.2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round in 2022 led by Graham & Walker, with participation from Techstars, Madrona Pioneer Fund, and others; it launched publicly in mid-2021 after viral Halloween and Christmas maps, and continues expanding features like AI map building and CRM integrations.[1][2][3]
Proxi was co-founded in October 2020 by Melinda Haughey, a former geospatial engineer at a U.S. intelligence agency, and Chelsey Roney, her college friend and a serial entrepreneur with prior exits.[2][3] The idea emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic when Haughey created "Map Your Idea," a crowdsourced trick-or-treating map for safe candy shoots in her neighborhood, which went viral as parents sought contactless options.[2][3] Watching families use it on Halloween highlighted its community-building potential, leading to a Christmas lights map that also exploded in popularity.[2] Pivoting from seasonal tools, the duo rebranded to Proxi, joined Techstars, and launched a broader platform in mid-2021 for everyday recommendations, quickly gaining traction with influencers, Seattle's King 5 news, and production companies like Traveling While Black.[2][3]
Proxi rides the wave of location-based social discovery and geospatial tech resurgence, amplified by post-pandemic demand for hyper-local, visual recommendations amid influencer marketing's rise and AR/VR mapping trends.[2][3] Timing aligns with remote work and urban exploration rebounds, where consumers favor authentic, map-driven guides over algorithmic feeds from giants like Google Maps.[2] Market forces like no-code tools' explosion and data visualization needs favor Proxi, especially as businesses seek embeddable analytics without heavy engineering.[3][4] It influences the ecosystem by empowering creators to own their location data, challenging listicles, and enabling niche communities (e.g., foodies, events) to build immersive experiences that boost physical visits and local economies.[2][5]
Proxi is poised to scale as a go-to for interactive mapping in creator economies and local marketing, with plans for key hires, denser growth in Seattle and Austin, consumer app exploration, and deeper integrations like AI builders.[3][4] Trends like geospatial AI, Web3 location data, and immersive mobile guides will shape its path, potentially expanding to enterprise activations or global virality. Its influence may evolve from viral novelty to essential infrastructure for community-driven discovery, much like its Halloween map sparked a movement—connecting people through personalized worlds on a map.
Proxi has raised $1.2M in total across 1 funding round.
Proxi's investors include Graham & Walker, FAM Fund, Madrona Venture Group, Pack Ventures, Tacoma Venture Fund, Techstars.
Proxi has raised $1.2M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.2M Pre-Seed in February 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2022 | $1.2M Pre-Seed | Graham & Walker | FAM Fund, Madrona Venture Group, Pack Ventures, Tacoma Venture Fund, Techstars |