15 years of tech innovation and Nearmap milestones
Jan 2023
To celebrate 15 years of innovation and technology leadership, we are looking back at some of the most defining moments in Nearmap history.
Jan 2023
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To mark 15 years of innovation and technology leadership, we are looking back at some of the most defining moments in Nearmap history.
The moments that saw Nearmap evolve from a small online startup founded in 2007 in Perth, Australia, into one of the world’s largest aerial survey companies — providing tens of thousands of users with access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, AI data sets, and geospatial tools.
How many of these milestones have you celebrated with us?
Nearmap is founded and the first test survey is flown (2007)
Nearmap was founded in Perth, Australia, with one goal: to empower businesses and organisations, no matter size or industry, with reliable aerial data. We knew that if we could change the way people view the world, they could profoundly change the way they work. And it all started with our first-ever survey and capture (pictured below).
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HyperPod launches (2008)
Nearmap is unique in that it owns the complete hardware, processing, analytics, and software delivery pipeline. It’s why we can provide superior content with unprecedented speed and quality. The first major piece of this was our original camera system, HyperPod — an external pod that captured vertical imagery.
Nearmap expands into the U.S. (2014)
Becoming a global company — Nearmap first entered North America with an expansion into the United States, a market that continues to offer significant growth potential. We now fly over 1,740 urban areas across the nation, covering more than 87 of the U.S. population.
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HyperCamera1 launches (2014)
Optimised for vertical imagery and compact enough to be deployed inside the cabin of any aircraft with a standard camera hole, HyperCamera1 was introduced to give us tremendous operational flexibility and enable the utilisation of a wide range of survey aircraft.
HyperCamera2 launches (2017)
HyperCamera2 unlocked the capability to capture, process, and publish orthographic, panoramic, and oblique imagery, and provide 3D view of what is on the ground — adding value, particularly for those customers using 3D models in planning, assessments, and quoting.
Nearmap expands into Aotearoa New Zealand (2017)
Nearmap expanded operations to Aotearoa New Zealand, and now the country’s businesses have access to location intelligence data and premium aerial imagery that covers ((NZCoveragePercentage)) of its population.
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Nearmap introduces 3D content (2018)
Allowing users to visualise and measure cities from any direction — the availability of Nearmap 3D content fundamentally changed how industries including utilities, architecture and construction, and government, viewed and shaped cities across Australia and the US.
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Nearmap expands into Canada (2019)
The Nearmap North American footprint grew with our expansion into Canada.
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Nearmap AI launches (2019)
Having processed over a million square kilometres of imagery, producing petabytes of AI data, we launched our first generally available AI product. The product has grown to consist of 78 aerial AI data layers that automate the identification of 500+ facts per address — from roof types and condition to solar panels and vegetation — in current and historical imagery.
It’s the technology that powered a first-of-its-kind, national study analysing tree canopy change across the Australian LGAs we cover, revealing the nation’s greenest (and least green) residential neighbourhoods.
The Most Intelligent Aerial Map on Earth goes live (2021)
We introduced you to Featherstone and Higgins, the characters featured in our humorous “The Most Intelligent Aerial Map on Earth” broadcast commercial
The campaign demonstrated how Nearmap high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, and AI data sets can give organisations the edge, so their staff can focus on business-critical issues – even if that means carving a flute out of a carrot!
Check out the commercial here.
Nearmap ImpactResponse activates (2021)
Nearmap became (and continues to be) the first and only aerial imagery and location analytics provider in Australia offering a dedicated capture program for natural disasters with the launch of Nearmap ImpactResponse. It provides high-resolution aerial imagery to insurance providers, emergency services, and government agencies, within days, where possible, of a catastrophic event — such as last year’s record-breaking floods.
The solution, and its proficiency in supporting organisations like Disaster Relief Australia and Red Cross with disaster recovery efforts, helped Nearmap rank on the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list in 2022.
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HyperCamera 3 launches (2022)
HyperCamera 3 is the latest generation of the Nearmap proprietary camera system — unlocking additional oblique viewing angles, improved 3D reconstructions, and new, near-infrared survey opportunities that enable expanded AI insights including vegetation classification.
Thoma Bravo acquisition (2022)
Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, acquired Nearmap at the end of 2022 — demonstrating the success of our strategy, the long-term value of our business, the market leadership of our technology and products, and the strong capability of our people. This partnership will help Nearmap continue to grow, and deliver even more value to our customers and partners globally.
What’s next for Nearmap?
We continue to work towards our ambition of being the source of truth that shapes our livable world.
At Nearmap NAVIG8 2022, Don Weigel, SVP of Product, said the geospatial industry is on the verge of entering its fourth age.
We are ushering in this new era of geospatial technology with 29 new Nearmap AI layers, the newest generation of our proprietary camera system, and updates to our flagship mapping solution MapBrowser. Learn more about these here, or by watching Don’s keynote address.
Combined with increasing coverage, expanding customer use cases, and meaningful partnerships — Nearmap will deliver even more value to our customers and partners around the world, now and into the future.
Be part of the journey
Get in touch with one of our experts about how the next generation of location intelligence and aerial imagery could transform your business and industry.