Waze
Waze is a Google-owned crowdsourced GPS navigation app serving hundreds of millions of global drivers with real-time traffic, community-reported road conditions, Gemini AI voice reporting, and a municipal data platform via Waymo partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Waze does
Waze is a Google/Alphabet-owned mobile navigation platform founded in 2006 in Israel (now headquartered in Palo Alto) that serves hundreds of millions of consumer drivers globally through iOS, Android, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Its core product is a free GPS navigation app differentiated by a crowdsourced real-time traffic reporting model in which users submit incident, hazard, police, and road-closure alerts that feed automatic rerouting and route optimization for the broader community. The underlying technology stack combines community-driven reports with map data, integration with Google Gemini AI for voice-based hazard reporting and conversational trip Q&A, and a partnership with Waymo for autonomous-vehicle sensor feeds (cameras, lidar, radar) that surface pothole detections through the Waze for Cities municipal data platform.
Waze's revenue model is primarily advertising-driven, with Waze Ads sold directly and increasingly through Google Performance Max campaigns targeting store-goal conversions (U.S. in 2025, global rollout planned 2026). Adjacent products include Waze Carpool for commuter ride-matching, Waze for Cities as a free data-sharing platform for municipal transportation departments, and B2B integrations such as the Towbook towing-management partnership. Customer segments are dominated by long-tail individual drivers with secondary exposure to municipal DOTs (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta, Hampton Roads) and fleet operators; municipal and Towbook partners access the platform free or through integration, meaning ad revenue is the meaningful monetization channel. Waze operates with a lean 51–100 employee footprint and is wholly owned by Alphabet since the 2013 acquisition for approximately $966 million.
Waze firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waze
- Legal name
- Waze
- Website
- http://waze.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Waze is a Google-owned crowdsourced GPS navigation app serving hundreds of millions of global drivers with real-time traffic, community-reported road conditions, Gemini AI voice reporting, and a municipal data platform via Waymo partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waze industry classification
Industry- Product category
- GPS Navigation & Real-Time Traffic
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Transit, Traffic & Mobility Data Platforms (BPAMANAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Work Zone Intelligent Transportation Systems (WZ-ITS) & Temporary Signal Systems (TLAJACAN)
Keywords
Where Waze is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Waze business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Waze generates revenue through advertising within the app. Google has integrated Waze ads into Performance Max campaigns targeting store goals, allowing advertisers to reach drivers based on location proximity to physical stores.
- Data Licensing (Waze for Cities): While the Waze for Cities platform is free for municipalities to access road condition data and pothole detection information, the data collection and platform provision creates value through city partnerships and goodwill as Waze expands its autonomous vehicle sensor partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Consumer App |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Waze product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waze is a consumer GPS navigation mobile application that delivers real-time turn-by-turn driving directions, live traffic updates, and crowdsourced road condition alerts through an active community of drivers. The platform generates revenue through in-app advertising and offers a free data-sharing platform (Waze for Cities) to municipal transportation departments for road infrastructure monitoring, including pothole detection via Waymo sensor integration.
Product overview
Waze is a consumer GPS navigation application owned by Google (Alphabet), offering real-time driving directions, live traffic updates, and crowdsourced road condition reporting. The core product is the Waze Navigation App, which excels at real-time rerouting and driver alerts through its large community user base. The product portfolio includes Waze Carpool for ride-sharing matching, Waze for Cities as a data-sharing platform for municipalities (partnered with Waymo for pothole detection), and Waze Ads for location-based advertising. The platform integrates with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Google Gemini AI, and third-party services like Towbook.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Waze for Cities: A crowdsourced reporting platform that shares infrastructure data with city and state Departments of Transportation for road maintenance purposes.
Products and services
- Waze Navigation App
- Waze Carpool
- Waze for Cities
- Waze Ads
Quantifiable outcome
- 500 potholes identified in pilot cities within initial deployment phase
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Waze
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Waze technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability9 records
Feature7 records
Waze partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WaymocoreWaymo and Waze launched a joint pilot program where Waymo's autonomous vehicle sensors detect potholes and share the data with cities through Waze's crowdsourced infrastructure platform. The program initially covers five U.S. metro areas (San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta), with Waymo reporting it has already identified approximately 500 potholes. The initiative helps cities improve road maintenance while building goodwill for Waymo's expansion to more than 20 cities.
- Hampton Roads Planning District CommissionminorThe Hampton Roads Planning District Commission deployed 45 flood sensors across 15 Virginia localities, expanding on a prior Waze pilot program. Data is shared via Waze and Google Maps to alert drivers of flooded roads, helping residents plan commutes and providing data for long-term flood mitigation investments.
- Google (Parent Company)coreWaze has been owned by Google (Alphabet) since 2013. The relationship enables integration with Google's AI capabilities (Gemini), advertising ecosystem (Performance Max), and data sharing between Waze and Google Maps platforms.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Waze competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Google Maps: Alphabet's other flagship navigation product. Directly competes with Waze for the same consumer driver audience on Android Auto and iOS, and increasingly overlaps on crowdsourced traffic, hazard reporting, and traffic-light features.
- Apple Maps: Apple's default navigation app and the primary alternative to Waze on iOS and CarPlay. Competes head-to-head for in-vehicle navigation on Apple devices, especially relevant given Waze's reported CarPlay stability issues.
- TomTom (GO Navigation): Independent navigation app from TomTom, offering offline maps and turn-by-turn navigation. Comparable consumer product with similar core functionality, though lacks Waze's crowdsourced reporting scale.
- HERE WeGo: HERE Technologies' consumer navigation app, leveraging its enterprise-grade map and traffic data. Directly comparable product offering turn-by-turn navigation and traffic-aware routing across global markets.
- Sygic GPS Navigation: Premium offline navigation app competing in the same consumer GPS category. Comparable feature set (offline maps, traffic, lane guidance) with a freemium subscription model.
- Inrix: Specializes in real-time traffic intelligence and road analytics. Directly comparable in traffic-data capabilities and municipal/government customer base (competes with Waze for Cities).
Broad incumbents
- Mapbox: Developer-focused maps and location platform powering many third-party navigation apps. Comparable mapping/location infrastructure and traffic capabilities, though primarily B2B rather than direct consumer competition.
Emerging players
- Moovit: Urban mobility and transit navigation app, also owned by Intel/Mobileye. Comparable navigation experience focused on public transit, complementing Waze's driving focus with adjacent mobility data.
Others
- Waymo: Alphabet's autonomous-vehicle subsidiary and Waze's pothole-detection partner. Comparable in capturing road-condition telemetry via sensors and shares the same parent ecosystem for cross-pollination of mobility data.
Regional players
- Be-Mobile (Be-Flow): Belgium-based mobility data and traffic management provider. Comparable traffic-data and government-customer offering to Waze for Cities, primarily serving European municipal markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Waze social profiles
Digital presenceWaze financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waze leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Waze funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waze M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waze
What does Waze do?
Waze is a consumer GPS navigation mobile application that delivers real-time turn-by-turn driving directions, live traffic updates, and crowdsourced road condition alerts through an active community of drivers. The platform generates revenue through in-app advertising and offers a free data-sharing platform (Waze for Cities) to municipal transportation departments for road infrastructure monitoring, including pothole detection via Waymo sensor integration.
Is Waze a public or private company?
Waze is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Waze founded?
Waze was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Waze based?
Waze is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Waze make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are data Licensing (Waze for Cities).
Who are Waze's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Google Maps, Apple Maps, TomTom (GO Navigation), HERE WeGo, Sygic GPS Navigation and Inrix. Mapbox is listed as a broad incumbent. Moovit is listed as an emerging player. Waymo is listed as an others. Be-Mobile (Be-Flow) is listed as a regional player.
Does Waze have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waze.
What industry is Waze in?
Waze's product category is GPS Navigation & Real-Time Traffic. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAH, Transit, Traffic & Mobility Data Platforms, with a secondary code of TLAJACAN, Work Zone Intelligent Transportation Systems (WZ-ITS) & Temporary Signal Systems. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 4700.