Ariadne
Ariadne provides privacy-first people counting and visitor flow analytics using its patented Hybrid Fusion technology, which combines phone signal sensing with Time-of-Flight depth sensing for sub-meter accuracy without cameras. It serves retail, shopping centres, airports, smart cities, and digital signage operators across 32+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Ariadne does
Ariadne (legal entity: Ariadne Maps GmbH) is a Munich-headquartered provider of privacy-first people counting and visitor flow analytics for physical venues. The company's flagship innovation is its patented Hybrid Fusion technology, which combines anonymous phone signal sensing — capable of detecting devices even in airplane mode at sub-meter accuracy without collecting MAC addresses or device IDs — with Time-of-Flight depth sensing for device-independent counts at entry and choke points. This camera-free, PII-free architecture delivers up to 99% counting accuracy in optimal conditions (95%+ in typical retail and airport deployments), is TÜV accuracy-certified, and is structurally compatible with GDPR (Article 25) and the EU AI Act by virtue of avoiding biometric capture. Ariadne serves five core verticals: retail stores, shopping centres, airports, smart cities, and digital signage, with documented enterprise customers including Giorgio Armani, Glasgow Airport, Praktiker, San Diego Airport, Weko, IKEA, MediaMarkt, Deutsche Bahn, Heathrow, Atlantis The Palm, Chicago RTA, SEGMÜLLER, and the Singapore Government.
The product portfolio is organized as a unified platform: People Counting as the pillar solution, with add-on modules for AI-driven Employee Scheduling, Indoor Navigation, and Visitor Marketing; platform modules Ariadne Analytics (spatial dashboards, heatmaps, conversion, dwell, queue) and EaseLink (integration with Aruba, Cisco, Milesight, and Xovis Wi-Fi APs); and proprietary hardware including the Ariadne Pulse Wi-Fi 5 access point and Ariadne ToFu Time-of-Flight people counter. The platform exposes data via CSV and API, integrates with 50+ enterprise systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, SAP, Power BI, Tableau, Google Analytics, Slack, MS Teams), and runs on a dataset of 700M+ anonymous trajectories across 12,000+ deployed sensors in 32+ countries and 3.5M+ square meters of venue space.
Ariadne operates a direct enterprise field-sales model with named regional leadership across DACH, UK, Greece, APAC, and the US, supported by an event-driven demand-generation motion at major retail and airport trade shows (Euroshop 2026, NRF 2026). The commercial model is a quote-based annual subscription bundling proprietary hardware (which remains Ariadne property during the subscription) with software analytics and a one-off setup fee; an optional evaluation period can convert automatically into an Operation-Period subscription. The company has raised approximately $9 million to date (€2M seed in October 2021 led by Marathon Venture Capital; $7M Series A in May 2023 led by Marathon with Lamda Development, Cloud 9, Latsco, and EMFT), operates through four legal entities in Germany, the US, Greece, and Singapore, and has between 11 and 50 employees. The CEO relocated to California in 2026 to lead North American operations, signaling the company's current growth phase is concentrated on US market entry layered on top of an established European enterprise book.
Ariadne firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ariadne
- Legal name
- Ariadne Maps GmbH
- Website
- https://ariadne.inc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ariadne provides privacy-first people counting and visitor flow analytics using its patented Hybrid Fusion technology, which combines phone signal sensing with Time-of-Flight depth sensing for sub-meter accuracy without cameras. It serves retail, shopping centres, airports, smart cities, and digital signage operators across 32+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ariadne industry classification
Industry- Product category
- People Counting and Visitor Flow Analytics
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI/Analytics Video Surveillance (Detection, LPR, People Counting) (HSAHACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Experience Monitoring & Management (DEX/DEM, AIOps for EUC) (BPAEAIAF), Remote Unlock & Visitor Management (Mobile Credentials/Packages) (HSAHAIAL)
Keywords
Where Ariadne is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Ariadne business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware (Surveyors) + Software Subscription: Ariadne ships proprietary hardware sensors (Ariadne Pulse Wi-Fi AP, Ariadne ToFu ToF people counter) bundled with a software subscription for dashboard analytics, visualization, and API access. Hardware remains property of Ariadne during subscription. One-off setup/implementation fees separate. Evaluation period followed by automatic annual Operation-Period renewal.
- One-Time Setup & Shipping Fees: One-off payment covering implementation and shipping costs as specified in the Quote. invoiced prior to shipment of surveyors.
- Evaluation Period Subscription: Optional evaluation period priced for the full duration, invoiced per the agreed plan. Automatically transitions to Operation-Period unless cancelled 15 days before expiry.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Quote-based enterprise subscription with hardware |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ariadne product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ariadne sells a privacy-first people counting and visitor flow analytics platform built on its patented Hybrid Fusion sensing technology, which combines anonymous phone-signal sensing with Time-of-Flight depth sensing to deliver sub-meter accuracy without cameras, faces, or device identifiers. Customers receive proprietary hardware sensors (Ariadne Pulse Wi-Fi AP and Ariadne ToFu people counter), an analytics dashboard, AI-driven employee scheduling, indoor navigation, location-based visitor marketing, and 50+ enterprise integrations under an annual subscription with one-time setup fees.
Product overview
Ariadne is a privacy-first people counting platform built on its proprietary Hybrid Fusion technology, which combines patented phone signal sensing with Time-of-Flight depth sensing for sub-meter accuracy without cameras or PII. The platform operates as a unified system with core products (People Counting, Employee Scheduling, Indoor Navigation, Visitor Marketing) augmented by platform modules (Ariadne Analytics dashboards, EaseLink connectivity) and hardware sensors (Ariadne Pulse Wi-Fi AP and Ariadne ToFu People Counter). The company serves retail stores, shopping centers, airports, smart cities, and digital signage venues across 32+ countries with deployments in over 800 locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- People Counting
- Employee Scheduling
- Indoor Navigation
- Visitor Marketing
- Ariadne Analytics
- EaseLink
- Ariadne Pulse
- Ariadne ToFu People Counter
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% product revenue increase in first month (Weko)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Ariadne
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ariadne technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Ariadne partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Aruba (HPE)coreAriadne's EaseLink integration works with existing Aruba Wi-Fi access points already operated by venues. Customers can use their Aruba infrastructure as the sensing layer for Ariadne analytics without additional hardware.
- CiscocoreEaseLink integrates with existing Cisco Wi-Fi access points. Cisco infrastructure can serve as the sensing layer for Ariadne's camera-free people counting analytics.
- MilesightcoreEaseLink integrates with Milesight Wi-Fi access points. Milesight devices can serve as the sensing layer for Ariadne's camera-free people counting analytics.
- XoviscoreEaseLink integrates with existing Xovis people-counting sensors already operated by venues. Allows customers to layer Ariadne analytics on top of existing Xovis hardware.
- Salesforcecore50+ supported integrations including Salesforce. CRM integration for connecting footfall data with customer relationship management workflows.
- HubSpotcore50+ supported integrations including HubSpot. Marketing automation integration linking footfall data with inbound marketing workflows.
- SAPcore50+ supported integrations including SAP. Enterprise ERP integration for connecting operational footfall data with business systems.
- Google Analyticscore50+ supported integrations including Google Analytics. Connects physical venue footfall data with digital analytics for omnichannel attribution.
- Power BIcore50+ supported integrations including Power BI. Enterprise BI integration for custom footfall dashboards and reporting.
- Tableaucore50+ supported integrations including Tableau. Data visualization integration for footfall analytics dashboards.
- Microsoft Teamscore50+ supported integrations including Microsoft Teams. Slack and Teams integration for real-time footfall alerts and operational notifications.
- TenityminorAriadne selected for Tenity's European Fintech Accelerator cohort (August 2025), joining 10 startups receiving up to €300K each. Program provides resources, mentorship, and market access across Europe including Zurich, London, and Copenhagen.
- FerrovialminorPartnership with Ferrovial secured research grant funding and deployment at Glasgow Airport, marking Ariadne's breakthrough in passenger analytics.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ariadne competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RetailNext: Retail analytics platform offering people counting, traffic, and in-store analytics for retailers. Directly competes with Ariadne in retail verticals and is named in Ariadne's own comparison content.
- FootfallCam: People counting hardware and analytics vendor specializing in retail footfall sensors with stereoscopic and ToF technologies. Named directly in Ariadne's vendor comparison articles and addresses the same core use case.
- V-Count: People counting and visitor analytics provider for retail, malls, airports, and smart cities. Directly named in Ariadne's comparison content and competes for the same enterprise buyer profile.
- Density: People counting and space utilization analytics platform using proprietary depth sensors for offices and venues. Targets the same privacy-first angle and is cited in Ariadne's comparison material.
- Placer.ai: Location analytics platform providing footfall, audience, and trade-area insights for retail, real estate, and cities. Closest direct competitor on the location/footfall analytics layer named in Ariadne's comparison articles.
- Xovis: People counting sensor manufacturer using 3D and ToF technology for airports, retail, and transit. Also a partner via EaseLink integration, but its sensors compete head-to-head with Ariadne's ToFu counter in the same deployments.
Broad incumbents
- Cisco (DNA Spaces / CMX): Cisco's DNA Spaces / Connected Mobile Experiences use the Wi-Fi infrastructure of Cisco APs for location and footfall analytics. While a partner via EaseLink, Cisco's portfolio competes for the same IT/venue budget and serves as an incumbent alternative.
- Aruba (HPE): Aruba Wi-Fi access points with built-in location services and Meridian indoor positioning for venues. Listed as an EaseLink integration partner but Aruba's broader networking stack competes for venue analytics budgets.
Emerging players
- Pointr: Indoor positioning and wayfinding provider for airports, retail, and healthcare using Bluetooth and sensor fusion. Direct overlap with Ariadne's Indoor Navigation module and similar privacy-first positioning.
- Inpixon: Indoor intelligence platform combining Wi-Fi, BLE, and sensor data for people flow, positioning, and analytics in airports, retail, and government. Overlaps with Ariadne's venues and use cases, particularly in airports and smart cities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ariadne social profiles
Digital presenceAriadne compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Ariadne financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ariadne leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Ariadne subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Ariadne funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ariadne 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 Ariadne
What does Ariadne do?
Ariadne sells a privacy-first people counting and visitor flow analytics platform built on its patented Hybrid Fusion sensing technology, which combines anonymous phone-signal sensing with Time-of-Flight depth sensing to deliver sub-meter accuracy without cameras, faces, or device identifiers. Customers receive proprietary hardware sensors (Ariadne Pulse Wi-Fi AP and Ariadne ToFu people counter), an analytics dashboard, AI-driven employee scheduling, indoor navigation, location-based visitor marketing, and 50+ enterprise integrations under an annual subscription with one-time setup fees.
Is Ariadne a public or private company?
Ariadne is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ariadne founded?
Ariadne was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ariadne based?
Ariadne is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Ariadne make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware (Surveyors) + Software Subscription is the primary driver. The others are one-Time Setup & Shipping Fees and evaluation Period Subscription.
Who are Ariadne's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RetailNext, FootfallCam, V-Count, Density, Placer.ai and Xovis. Broad incumbents are Cisco (DNA Spaces / CMX) and Aruba (HPE). Emerging players are Pointr and Inpixon.
Does Ariadne have an API?
Yes. Ariadne Analytics exports hourly counts, occupancy, and dwell by zone over CSV or API. Hourly counts and dwell export as CSV or over API, with a documented column dictionary, enabling customers to pull data into their existing analytics tools (such as BI platforms or POS systems). Developer documentation is at www.ariadne.inc/platform/ariadne-analytics.
What industry is Ariadne in?
Ariadne's product category is People Counting and Visitor Flow Analytics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAHACAF, AI/Analytics Video Surveillance (Detection, LPR, People Counting), with a secondary code of BPAEAIAF, Digital Experience Monitoring & Management (DEX/DEM, AIOps for EUC). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7373.