Mobile destination guide provider GuidePal has raised $800,000 in a bid to speed up expansion of its business across Latin America, China and the US.
The Sweden-based company (TLabs Showcase - GuidePal] has not disclosed the details of the investment round, but it follows backing from an initial group of private investors at launch.
Claiming 3.5 million downloads of its various city guide apps so far, GuidePal plans to have a 10-millions strong base over the course of the next two years.
The company also plans to increase the number of cities its supports from 60 to 100, as well as expanding languages from the current English and Mandarin to all major languages.
CEO Peter Schierenbeck calls the company's progress so far a "catbird seat position", criticising the "handful of competitors" it monitors as not having "grasped what is actually happening in our niche".
"They seem to believe that users and partners will continue to accept outdated and relatively poor content, which clearly underestimates the user and is not a sustainable way to grow this kind of business or to attract loyal users."
Bullish talk, indeed.
GuidePal works with more than 200 locals around the world to produce content for the app guides. The company makes money through advertising on each guide.