HERE Technologies

HERE Technologies
HERE · Public domain · source
Name	HERE Technologies
Type	Private
Founded	1985 (as NAVTEQ)
Headquarters	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Area served	Global
Key people	Edzard Overbeek (former CEO), Thierry Brun (CEO)
Industry	Location-based services
Products	Mapping, navigation, geospatial data, autonomous driving platforms
Num employees	~8,000 (2024)

HERE Technologies is a global provider of mapping, location-based services, and geospatial data platforms used across automotive, enterprise, public sector, and consumer markets. Originating from the acquisition lineage of NAVTEQ and evolving through partnerships with automotive manufacturers and technology firms, the company operates a real-time mapping and location-services stack for navigation, fleet management, and automated driving. HERE's offerings integrate sensor fusion, cloud computing, and spatial analytics to support applications from turn-by-turn routing to high-definition mapping for autonomous vehicles.

History

Founded as NAVTEQ in 1985, the company built digital map databases used by TomTom, Garmin, and early BlackBerry services. In 2008, Nokia acquired NAVTEQ, integrating the business into its mapping ambitions alongside the acquisition of Gate5 and collaboration with Microsoft on mapping APIs. During the 2010s, HERE was central to Nokia's efforts competing with Google Maps, while engaging with Audi, BMW, and Daimler in fleet and in-car navigation programs. In 2015, a consortium led by Audi, BMW, and Daimler purchased the mapping division, signaling renewed automotive ties and investments in autonomous vehicle mapping. Subsequent ownership changes involved investment from Intel, Warburg Pincus, and KKR, reflecting broader industry consolidation and interest from venture capital and corporate investors in location intelligence. Leadership changes included executives with backgrounds at Siemens, Sony, and SAP, who steered expansion into cloud services, machine learning partnerships, and licensing agreements with major platform providers.

Products and Services

HERE develops a portfolio spanning consumer navigation to enterprise geospatial platforms. Major services include HERE WeGo navigation used in collaboration with Samsung and other device makers, HERE Location Services APIs integrated by Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services partners, and HERE Studio tools for map authoring adapted by urban planners collaborating with UN-Habitat and municipal agencies. Fleet and logistics solutions serve companies like DHL, UPS, and rental operators such as Avis through telematics and route-optimization modules. In the automotive domain, HERE provides HD Live Map products and sensor data fusion used by original equipment manufacturers such as Volvo, Ford Motor Company, and Hyundai Motor Company to support advanced driver-assistance systems and automated driving research conducted in partnership with research institutes including MIT and TU Delft.

Technology and Data

HERE's platform combines vector and raster map tiles, real-time traffic derived from probe data, and multi-source place-of-interest databases harmonized with standards from organizations like Open Geospatial Consortium and ISO. The company employs machine learning frameworks influenced by work at DeepMind and academic research from Carnegie Mellon University to enhance map change detection, lane-level routing, and semantic labeling. Sensor fusion integrates lidar and camera feeds alongside crowdsourced telemetry similar in approach to initiatives by Waze and Apple Maps' sensor programs, while edge-computing partnerships with NVIDIA and Qualcomm enable low-latency inference for in-vehicle systems. Data licensing models parallel those used by Esri and HERE's competitors, offering SDKs and APIs for Android and iOS ecosystems and cloud-native deployments on Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure.

Partnerships and Customers

HERE has cultivated strategic relationships across automotive, technology, logistics, and public sectors. Automotive partners include consortium members Audi, BMW, and Daimler as well as collaborators like Toyota and General Motors for navigation and mapping services. Technology collaborations extend to Microsoft for cloud-hosted services, Intel for autonomous driving platforms, and NVIDIA for hardware acceleration. Logistics and mobility customers include DHL, UPS, Sixt, and city transit authorities working with institutions such as OECD and World Economic Forum on smart-mobility initiatives. HERE also licenses mapping content to consumer platforms and OEMs including Samsung Electronics and automotive infotainment suppliers like Harman International.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Originally a unit of Nokia, the mapping business transitioned to ownership by an automotive-led consortium comprising Audi, BMW, and Daimler. Subsequent investment rounds brought in backers such as Intel Capital, Warburg Pincus, and KKR, creating a mixed ownership model with strategic corporate and financial stakeholders. The company is headquartered in Amsterdam with regional offices in Chicago, Seoul, Bangalore, and Beijing. Executive leadership has included figures with prior roles at Siemens, SAP, and Sony, and governance involves board members from participating automakers and investment firms like Silver Lake Partners-style investors.

Privacy, Security, and Policy Issues

Mapping and location services raise privacy and regulatory concerns that HERE addresses through compliance with frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation and collaboration with standards bodies like the Open Geospatial Consortium. The company has faced scrutiny over data collection practices similar to controversies involving Google and Facebook, leading to policies on anonymization, data retention, and consent management aligned with rulings by bodies comparable to the European Data Protection Supervisor and national data protection authorities. Security measures include encryption and incident response processes informed by best practices advocated by ENISA and NIST, while policy engagement covers road safety initiatives with UNECE and urban planning projects connected to UN-Habitat and transport ministries in multiple countries.

Category:Mapping companies Category:Geospatial companies Category:Companies based in Amsterdam