Brand Capital International Invests in location technology company what3words
London & San Francisco, Calif., December 14, 2021 – Addressing technology company what3words is announcing today it has received a $10 million USD investment from Brand Capital International to support their expansion across India. Brand Capital International will also be providing strategic guidance, marketing support, and assistance with developing partnerships to help drive their growth in India.
what3words has built the simplest way to talk about location by enabling people around the world to identify and share any precise location using just three words. They have divided the globe into a grid of 3m squares and given each square a unique identifier of three words; a what3words address.
what3words addresses already exist for the entire globe, are more accurate than street addresses, and easier to communicate than GPS coordinates. The system is available in over 50 languages, including 12 South Asian languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Nepali, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Odia. With the support of Brand Capital International, what3words has identified India as a key market for expansion and will be able to capitalize on the expertise that Brand Capital International can provide throughout their India journey.
“We are thrilled to welcome what3words into the Brand Capital International portfolio,” said Neville Taraporewalla, president of Brand Capital International. “They have built an innovative and cutting-edge product that has the ability to revolutionize the way individuals, businesses and NGOs discuss, and find, locations. We look forward to supporting them as they continue their expansion in India.”
what3words can be used for free by individuals via an app for iOS and Android. It can also be easily integrated by businesses, with just a few lines of code, to improve their customer experience and increase efficiency while reducing costs and their environmental impact. Thousands of businesses, government agencies and NGOs across 193 countries are using what3words addresses in sectors including automotive, e-commerce, logistics, mobility, travel, post and emergency services.
“India is an incredibly exciting market for us. The country plays host to both developing megacities and vast pieces of unaddressed land. It’s a market that welcomes breakthrough technology. We are already used by many people in India, alongside businesses like Tata Motors, and we’re looking forward to accelerating our growth with this new investment” says Chris Sheldrick, CEO and co-founder of what3words.
The company’s global partners include Tata Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Mitsubishi, all whose drivers can navigate anywhere in the world by saying three words to their car. Global logistics giant Aramex has integrated what3words to optimize its last mile operations in the Middle East, increasing efficiency by over 40%. And numerous humanitarian partners are using the technology to help people in need: The United Nations has adopted the technology for disaster response and relief, in addition to the Philippine Red Cross. Emergency services, such as police, ambulance and fire have been quick to utilise the technology too. To date, over 85% of the UK’s emergency services use what3words, alongside the Los Angeles Fire Department and others across Australia, Germany & the US.
Download the what3words app for free for both iOS and Android, or use what3words by browser and check your exact address even while offline.
About what3words
Co-founded in London in 2013 by Chris Sheldrick, what3words is the simplest way to talk about location. The system covers the entire world, never needs updating, and works offline. A what3words address is a human-friendly way to share very precise locations with other people, or to input them into platforms and machines such as ride-hailing apps or e-commerce checkouts. It is optimised for voice input and contains built-in error prevention to immediately identify and correct input mistakes.
The free what3words app, available for iOS and Android, and the online map enable people to find, share and navigate to what3words addresses in 50 languages to date. Millions of what3words addresses are in use around the world, with thousands of businesses using them to save money, be more efficient and provide a better customer experience. what3words is integrated into apps, platforms and websites, with just a few lines of code. Products are available for free or for a nominal fee for qualifying NGOs. Its partners include Mercedes-Benz, Triumph Motorcycles, Premier Inn, the AA and many emergency services across the world.
what3words has a team of over 100 people, across offices in the UK, USA, Germany and Mongolia. The company has raised over £100 million in capital from investors such as Intel, Aramex, Deutsche Bahn, Subaru and the Sony Innovation Fund.
About Brand Capital International
Brand Capital International (BCI), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is the strategic investment arm of The Times Group, the largest media conglomerate in India. BCI channels its deep domain expertise and insights in the Indian economy to steer early-stage and high-growth companies from across the globe to thrive in one of the world's fastest growing markets. To learn more about Brand Capital International, its investment thesis and its portfolio companies, visit us at www.brandcapitalus.com.
Disclaimer: Content produced by brand Capital (US)
