M8 Ventures invests in BindiMaps
Anna Wright and I go way back to when she was an idea-stage solo founder in BlueChilli’s SheStarts accelerator program in 2017. That program was Australia’s first accelerator focused on female founders, and Anna stood out immediately as someone who was committed to solve the problems she was working on with BindiMaps.
BindiMaps provides way-finding in places that Google Maps and Apple Maps either don’t work at all (indoors with poor reception, in multi storey or complex venues like hospitals, airports and university campuses, or at large temporary venues like sporting or music events) or don’t work well enough (for users with a vision impairment who need greater accuracy and better voice navigation).
Along the way, she managed to recruit one of my closest friends, Tony Burrett, as her cofounder and chief product officer — a move that made me even more emotionally invested in BindiMaps.
Fast-forward to today, and BindiMaps is a later-stage company compared to most of our portfolio. But it recently hit a game-changing milestone that made it irresistible. Their development team cracked the code on a couple of world-first algorithms that enable the platform to navigate large and complex spaces with hyperlocal precision — accurate to 30cm—without using Bluetooth beacons, which require installation and replacement after a few years.
And it’s not just about pinpoint accuracy; the tech handles 3D environments with ease. Whether you’re in a multi-storey venue, an elevator, or on an escalator, BindiMaps understands exactly where you are.
This breakthrough has earned the attention of major organisations worldwide, many of which have adopted BindiMaps as their go-to navigation solution after extensive searches for the best technology on the market. A strong dev team delivering a truly world-class product? That’s the kind of combination that makes us say yes.
We‘re excited to support Anna, Tony, and the BindiMaps team as they make more of the built environment navigable and accessible.