Citymaps is a mashup of Yelp and Google/Apple Maps, spinning mobile mapping in a new direction. This direction includes large logos, which the company calls its "logo maps."
The idea is to shift the way that maps are navigated via mobile by offering engaging pictorials and not just business names.
The other core concept is the ability to create, save and share lists of preferred points-of-interest. For example, a list of vegan restaurants in a new city or a punch list for activities for a future trip. This is a "personal map of places" that offers complete customization, as well as ingrained functionality for friends to share their own maps.
Citymaps is the first fully fleshed out attempt to rethink maps in the age of social sharing, insofar as using maps as a piece of dynamic content that can reflect personal taste and project a personality.
It also makes a solid case for using the platform to discover things to do and places to eat, and then saving and sharing those items. And of course, transit directions are included, which means that the app can help you move down the list on a saved itinerary.
The company has just locked in a $6 million round of financing (in addition to its previous $5 million) to further expand its reach, which has just moved from a U.S. centric map to a global footprint including 80 million points-of-interest. The additional cash has helped launch the Android app, and will certainly be used to further enhance its mapping product — which the company has been focused on tweaking and building itself.
There's clearly a revenue model given the exclusive focus on points-of-interest. For example, restaurants seeking to appear on suggested lists, or serving ads against competitor restaurants that have made it on other lists. There's also the saleable opportunity for personalization and targeted recommendations, as Citymaps has a trove of data to leverage into a better, more personal experience.
Nokia Growth Partners, Coatue Management and Acadia Woods joined this round of financing alongside and existing investors.
Citymaps is available for iOS and Android.