MapAnything, a software service built on top of Salesforce for developing location-based workflows, announced a $33.1 million Series B funding round today.
The round was led by Columbus Nova, with participation from ServiceNow Ventures. The latter is particularly important because the company intends to make its product available on the ServiceNow platform soon. Previous investors Greycroft Partners, Harbert Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures, and individual investors Michael Lazerow and former NBA commissioner David Stern also participated. Today’s investment brings the total raised to more than $40 million.
MapAnything delivers to business the kind of map-centric information we are used to seeing in consumer apps. That means instead of displaying the information in a table, you get a more visual representation of the data on a map, company CEO John Stewart explained.
“Our Core product helps users (most often field-based sales or service workers) visualize their data on a map, interact with it to drive productivity, and then use geolocation services like our mobile app or complex routing to determine the right cadence to meet them,” he said.
MapAnything interface. Photo: MapAnything
For salespeople or service personnel, that can help you plan your day or tell salespeople the next logical sales call to make, based on current location. It’s worth noting that sales assistant tools perform a similar function, pointing you where to go next, based on factors such as location and how important the customer is.
Where MapAnything builds some separation from those kinds of tools is designing workflows based on location. As an example, it could set workflows based on geofencing, so that when an individual using the MapAnything app gets inside a defined geographical area, it automatically triggers a work order. It’s worth noting that MapAnything doesn’t communicate directly with a vehicle to set a route on the in-vehicle GPS. Instead, it reads the vehicle’s location and acts based on that location, delivering information to the MapAnything app on a smartphone or tablet.
Up until now, MapAnything has been strictly a tool for Salesforce users, and Salesforce has invested in both rounds via its Salesforce Ventures investment arm. With additional investment from ServiceNow Ventures this round, the company plans to expand to work inside of ServiceNow, a cloud tool for field service workers. It’s easy to see how companies with a fleet of workers in the field could make use of the MapAnything solution to help plan routes and automate invoicing or other paperwork associated with a field visit.
The company, which launched in 2009, was originally a consulting firm. The product developed out of its consulting work, and it eventually transformed into the software company it is today. It claims more than 1,500 customers with close to 150 employees.