# Mapbox

> American geospatial technology company that produces tools for map designers and application developers

**Wikidata**: [Q17068357](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17068357)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapbox)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mapbox

## Summary
Mapbox is an American geospatial technology company founded in 2010 that produces tools for map designers and application developers. The company provides mapping and location-based services through various software libraries and platforms for web and mobile applications.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 2010 by Eric Gundersen and Bonnie Bogle, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
- Current CEO is Peter Sirota (as of March 2021), with Eric Gundersen serving as chairperson
- Company raised over $600 million across multiple funding rounds, with SoftBank Vision Fund as a major investor
- Employs approximately 200+ people as of 2017, with offices in multiple locations including San Francisco, Detroit, Berlin, and Minsk
- Uses data sources including OpenStreetMap database, Maxar Technologies, SafeGraph, and British Ordnance Survey
- Estimated company valuation reached $1.3 billion as of 2023
- Major products include Mapbox GL JS, Mapbox GL Native, TileMill, and Mapbox Studio Classic

## FAQs
### Q: Who founded Mapbox?
A: Mapbox was founded in 2010 by Eric Gundersen and Bonnie Bogle. Eric Gundersen has served as both CEO (until 2021) and currently as chairperson of the company.

### Q: What does Mapbox do?
A: Mapbox produces tools and software libraries for map designers and application developers, providing mapping and location-based services for web and mobile applications through products like Mapbox GL JS and Mapbox GL Native.

### Q: Who is the current CEO of Mapbox?
A: Peter Sirota became CEO of Mapbox in March 2021, succeeding Eric Gundersen who had served as CEO since the company's founding in 2010.

### Q: How much funding has Mapbox raised?
A: Mapbox has raised over $600 million across multiple funding rounds, including a $280 million Series E round in September 2023, bringing the company's estimated valuation to $1.3 billion.

### Q: What data sources does Mapbox use?
A: Mapbox uses multiple data sources including the OpenStreetMap database, Maxar Technologies, SafeGraph, British Ordnance Survey, Zillow, and Foursquare Labs, Inc.

## Why It Matters
Mapbox plays a crucial role in the modern digital mapping ecosystem by providing accessible tools for developers to integrate sophisticated mapping capabilities into their applications. The company bridges the gap between raw geographic data and usable map interfaces, enabling countless applications to incorporate location-based services without building mapping infrastructure from scratch. Its open-source approach and developer-friendly tools have made professional-grade mapping technology accessible to startups, enterprises, and individual developers worldwide. Mapbox's influence extends beyond commercial applications into humanitarian mapping efforts, urban planning, transportation, and environmental monitoring. The company's relationship with OpenStreetMap and its contributions to open-source mapping technologies have helped democratize geographic information systems, making mapping tools more accessible while supporting collaborative map-making initiatives globally.

## Notable For
• Developing interactive map libraries like Mapbox GL JS and Mapbox GL Native that power thousands of web and mobile applications
• Being a major corporate member and contributor to the OpenStreetMap Foundation, supporting open-source mapping initiatives
• Raising over $600 million in funding with SoftBank Vision Fund as a key investor, reaching a $1.3 billion valuation
• Creating tools that enable developers to build custom maps and location-based services without extensive GIS expertise
• Operating a global presence with offices across multiple continents including the US, Europe, and Asia

## Body
### Company Overview
Mapbox is classified as both a software company and startup company, operating primarily in the cartography and software development industries. The company operates under a software-as-a-service business model, providing mapping tools and location-based services to developers and organizations worldwide.

### Leadership and Founding
The company was founded in 2010 by Eric Gundersen and Bonnie Bogle. Eric Gundersen served as CEO from 2010 until March 1, 2021, when Peter Sirota assumed the role. Gundersen continues as chairperson of the company. Ira Ehrenpreis joined the board in 2015.

### Funding and Valuation
Mapbox has secured substantial funding across multiple rounds. The Series A round in October 2013 brought $10 million, followed by a $52.55 million Series B round on June 17, 2015. The Series C round on October 10, 2017, raised $164 million, then $133 million in Series D (April 2020), and most recently $280 million in Series E (September 19, 2023). The company's estimated value reached $1.3 billion as of 2023.

### Products and Technology
Key products developed by Mapbox include Mapbox GL JS (interactive map library for the web), Mapbox GL Native (cross-platform map rendering library), TileMill (open-source map design studio), Mapbox Studio Classic (discontinued desktop application), tippecanoe (vector tileset builder), and MeatText (mobile social networking application).

### Data Sources and Partnerships
Mapbox utilizes multiple data sources including SafeGraph, Maxar Technologies, Nearmap, OpenStreetMap database, Zillow, British Ordnance Survey, and Foursquare Labs, Inc. The company maintains organizational membership with OpenStreetMap Foundation, OpenStreetMap U.S., and OpenStreetMap Belgium.

### Offices and Subsidiaries
Headquarters are located in Washington, D.C., though the company previously maintained significant operations in San Francisco from February 2013 to July 2021. Additional offices have been established in Detroit (2016), Berlin (2015), Ayacucho (2015-2018), Indiranagar/Bengaluru (2015-2018), Shanghai (2016), Minsk (2017), Lancaster (2018), and Hong Kong (2018). Subsidiaries include Mapbox Oy and MapData (acquired November 3, 2017).

### Organizational Structure
The company has affiliations with Techstars (since 2016) and is a member of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. Mapbox has acquired companies including Human (August 17, 2016) and MapData (November 3, 2017). The organization also maintains a workers' union called Mapbox Workers' Union.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Mapbox",
  "description": "American geospatial technology company that produces tools for map designers and application developers",
  "url": "https://www.mapbox.com/",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1371881", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapbox"],
  "foundingDate": "2010",
  "founders": [
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "Eric Gundersen"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "Bonnie Bogle"
    }
  ],
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressLocality": "Washington, D.C.",
    "addressCountry": "United States"
  },
  "numberOfEmployees": 221,
  "knowsAbout": ["cartography", "software development", "geospatial technology"]
}

## References

1. [Crunchbase](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mapbox)
2. [Source](https://medium.com/strong-feelings/business-breakups-with-bonnie-bogle-cba1aae38277)
3. [Source](https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/111247/witnesses/HHRG-117-JU05-Wstate-GundersenE-20210225.pdf)
4. [Source](https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-executive-to-take-cfo-role-at-digital-mapping-startup-mapbox-11564004197)
5. [Source](https://www.mapbox.com/blog/peter-sirota-ceo-of-mapbox)
6. [Source](https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/03/mapbox-acquires-mapdata-to-help-it-expand-into-ar-maps/)
7. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/mapbox-in-minsk-36f121521828)
8. [Source](https://marketplace.sshopencloud.eu/tool-or-service/LFE4PV)
9. [Source](https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Corporate_Members)
10. [Source](https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Special:Diff/2665)
11. [Source](https://www.data4sdgs.org/node/62)
12. [Source](https://www.openstreetmap.us/2023/05/mapbox_membership)
13. [Source](https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Special:Diff/4669)
14. [Source](https://openstreetmap.be/en/)
15. Google Knowledge Graph
16. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/10-million-funding-from-foundry-group-9370b1437087)
17. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/building-the-whole-mapping-stack-333e95b9d131)
18. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/softbank-mapbox-series-c-be207b866b27)
19. [PitchBook Data](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/59979-43#funding)
20. [Source](https://www.nlrb.gov/case/20-CA-283393)
21. [Source](https://www.ft.com/content/ba8b07ee-5aaa-4b07-b4e0-aefbc648e281)
22. [Source](https://www.mapbox.com/blog/mapbox-announces-series-e-funding)
23. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/announcing-mapbox-cn-369a1a484676)
24. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/dc-bound-bef359391078)
25. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/growing-our-data-team-in-peru-52c0b7fdae02)
26. [Source](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mapbox/sets/72157647926150034/)
27. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/bengaluru-office-opening-party-february-26-b9d6436f3abc)
28. [Source](https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/mapbox-to-open-office-in-minsk-focused-on-ai-and-auto-1006712072)
29. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/good-morning-berlin-c0e76ac874d2)
30. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/mapbox-is-opening-a-detroit-office-88929ddad4d)
31. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/mapbox-%EF%B8%8F-beijing-749fa16779be)
32. [Source](http://www.mapbox.cn/about/)
33. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/mapbox-%EF%B8%8F-valhalla-1fdda95ac4f)
34. [Source](https://www.mapbox.com/blog/interview-with-team-helsinki-hyvaa-vuosipaivaa-helsinki)
35. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/introducing-mapbox-jp-37ec724f5e80)
36. [Source](http://human.co/posts/human-joins-mapbox.html)
37. [Source](https://technical.ly/startups/mapbox-new-dc-hq-growth/)
38. CorpOnline
39. [Source](https://blog.mapbox.com/mapbox-%EF%B8%8F-human-e116a46b78ad)
40. [Source](https://theintercept.com/2016/04/14/in-undisclosed-cia-investments-social-media-mining-looms-large/)
41. [Source](https://www.mapbox.com/about/maps/)
42. Quora
43. [Source](https://www.mapbox.com/platform/security/)
44. [Source](http://www.mapbox.cn/)
45. [Source](https://www.economist.com/babbage/2013/04/04/stick-a-pin-on-it)
46. YouTube API