MapAI secures $1.3 million for generative AI growth

MapAI has secured $1.3 million in funding to advance its Generative AI data analytics.

MapAI, a company specialising in Generative AI for geospatial data analytics, announced the completion of a $1.3 million funding round. The investment was provided by FrontierSI and UNSW Sydney. This funding is expected to facilitate the commercial deployment of MapAI's platform, aiming to enhance user interaction with geospatial data.

Phil Delaney, Chief Executive Officer of MapAI, stated, "With this new funding, we are thrilled to advance our platform to production, fully harnessing the power of generative AI and making location data analytics more intuitive and accessible than ever before. Our technology is set to redefine user interactions with data platforms, turning complex interfaces into simple conversations."

MapAI is committed to making geospatial data accessible and comprehensible. In line with this goal, a public platform allowing users to interact with Australian data is scheduled for launch in early 2025.

Professor Stephen Rodda, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry & Innovation) at UNSW Sydney, commented on the university's investment, "UNSW's investment in MapAI reflects our focus on investing in technology that bridges the gap between research and impactful real-world applications. It is well known that generative AI is transformative, and MapAI's approach to geospatial analytics leverages the technology to tackle complex challenges and create accessible solutions. Supporting ventures like MapAI is crucial to our approach to delivering societal impact through research translation."

Dr Graeme Kernich, Chief Executive Officer of FrontierSI, remarked, "Our continued support for MapAI aligns with FrontierSI's purpose to solve problems using our geospatial expertise. MapAI builds solutions that not only allow users to interact with their data and make better decisions, but is also building tools that provide a broader set of users with information that they simply haven't had access to in the past."

The funding will also contribute to the $6.5 million Urban Copilot initiative, a three-year project involving collaboration with Archistar and PEXA. This project seeks to modernise urban planning through advanced AI technologies. MapAI is positioned as a core technology provider in this initiative.

Professor Chris Pettit, Director of UNSW City Futures Research Centre, highlighted the university's ongoing partnership with MapAI, "UNSW is proud to continue our role as the research engine behind MapAI. This funding not only fuels the next stage of development but also cements our commitment to translating our cutting-edge research into real-world products."

As MapAI expands its scope and capabilities, it aims to push the envelope of what Generative AI can achieve in the realm of geospatial analytics. The initiative focuses on providing businesses and the public with advanced tools for data analysis, thereby fostering more informed and sustainable decision-making processes.