Civil Maps
Civil Maps builds AI-driven continental-scale HD 3D maps and real-time centimeter-level vehicle localization for autonomous vehicle developers, automotive OEMs, geospatial institutions, and rail operators. Acquired by Luminar Technologies in January 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Civil Maps does
Civil Maps builds artificial intelligence for autonomous mobility, with a core product that generates continental-scale high-definition 3D maps and provides real-time centimeter-level vehicle localization. The platform processes LiDAR-derived point cloud data through proprietary AI-driven pipelines to produce HD 3D maps with stated 15-20 cm absolute accuracy, covering the United States, Europe, and Asia with named reference deployments in San Francisco, Berlin, and Tokyo. The company's technology spans computer vision on 3D survey data, generative AI for HD map artifact creation, and optimization for autonomous vehicle routing layered on top of the HD map layer. Beyond automotive, Civil Maps extended its point cloud processing pipeline to non-automotive use cases, notably a documented white paper on scalable point cloud processing for railroad asset identification and health monitoring. The company serves four customer segments — autonomous vehicle developers and automotive OEMs (primary), geospatial and governmental institutions, rail operators, and academic researchers — through an enterprise go-to-market that combines direct sales (Contact Us email CTA, gated white papers) with channel partnerships including Esri Emerging Business Group, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Renovo.
Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the pricing model is bespoke enterprise licensing rather than self-serve consumption, consistent with the company's relationship-driven enterprise sales motion. Civil Maps raised approximately $19.2 million in disclosed funding between 2014 and 2018 across multiple rounds (notably a $6.6 million Series 1 led by Motus Ventures in July 2016 and a $10 million Series 2 led by Arm Holdings in April 2018), with strategic backing from Ford Motor, AME Cloud Ventures, and Western Technology Investment. The company was acquired by Luminar Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: LAZR) in January 2023 to combine Luminar's lidar capabilities with Civil Maps' HD mapping software for integrated autonomous vehicle perception and mapping deployments. Following the acquisition, Civil Maps operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Luminar rather than as an independent entity. Leadership consists of CEO Stefan Safko and co-founder/CTO Scott Harvey, with a reported headcount of 11-50 employees.
Civil Maps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Civil Maps
- Legal name
- Civil Maps Inc.
- Website
- https://civilmaps.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Civil Maps builds AI-driven continental-scale HD 3D maps and real-time centimeter-level vehicle localization for autonomous vehicle developers, automotive OEMs, geospatial institutions, and rail operators. Acquired by Luminar Technologies in January 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Civil Maps industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Vehicle HD Mapping & Localization Software
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)
- akta.pro primary industry
- HD Maps & Localization for Autonomous/ADAS (BPAMANAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autonomous Driving & ADAS Perception (HDAAAEAI), Autonomous Vehicles & Ground Mobility (HDAAAIAF), 3D Vision, Depth Sensing & Point Cloud Analytics (HDAAAEAK)
Keywords
Where Civil Maps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Civil Maps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Enterprise Software Licensing / Custom Engagements: Revenue mechanics are not explicitly disclosed in source material. The presence of a 'Contact Us' CTA, white-paper gated downloads, and enterprise partnership language (Esri, U.S. DOE, Renovo) imply bespoke enterprise contracts for HD mapping and localization capabilities rather than standardized self-serve pricing.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Civil Maps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Civil Maps provides a sensor-agnostic cognition platform and AI pipeline that generates continental-scale HD 3D maps with 15–20 cm absolute accuracy and delivers real-time, centimeter-level vehicle localization for autonomous vehicles. The platform also includes an autonomous vehicle routing capability layered on the HD map and a scalable point cloud processing solution that extracts features and asset identifiers from 3D survey data for non-automotive workloads such as railroad health monitoring.
Product overview
Civil Maps offers a single unified platform centered on its core HD Mapping & Localization product, which delivers continental-scale HD 3D maps and real-time, centimeter-level localization for autonomous vehicles. The core platform is complemented by the Autonomous Vehicle Routing module, which provides navigation on top of the HD map layer, and by a Scalable Point Cloud Processing solution (documented in a dedicated white paper) that extends the same AI-driven 3D data processing capabilities to rail asset identification and feature extraction from survey data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Civil Maps HD Mapping & Localization A scalable High Definition Mapping and Localization solution delivering continental-scale HD 3D maps with stated 15–20 cm absolute accuracy and real-time, centimeter-level localization for autonomous vehicles, with demonstrated regional coverage in the United States (San Francisco), Europe (Berlin), and Asia (Tokyo). Targeted at autonomous vehicle developers and automotive OEMs building self-driving and ADAS systems.
- Autonomous Vehicle Routing An autonomous vehicle routing capability built on top of Civil Maps' HD map layer to enable path planning and navigation for self-driving vehicles. Targeted at the same autonomous vehicle developer and automotive OEM buyers as the core HD Mapping & Localization platform.
- Scalable Point Cloud Processing (Rail Asset Identification & Feature Extraction) A scalable AI-driven point cloud processing solution that speeds up asset identification and feature extraction from 3D survey data, applied to railroad health monitoring to support safety regulations and operational efficiency. Targeted at railroad operators and asset managers, and extensible to other 3D survey-heavy industries.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15–20 cm absolute accuracy in HD mapping of the United States
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Civil Maps
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Civil Maps technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Civil Maps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Luminar Technologies Inc.flagshipIn January 2023, Luminar Technologies acquired Civil Maps. The strategic rationale is to combine Luminar's lidar capabilities with Civil Maps' HD mapping software to enhance autonomous vehicle safety and performance. As an acquirer and parent, Luminar now distributes Civil Maps' technology via its lidar-integrated AV perception stack.
- RenovocoreCivil Maps publicly announced a partnership with Renovo in the autonomous vehicle and automated mobility space. The framing positions both companies as participants in the early 'PC-like' phase of autonomous mobility, indicating a co-development / ecosystem alliance.
- Esri Emerging Business GroupcoreListed on Civil Maps' About Us page as a key partner alongside geospatial, governmental and academic institutions. Implies integration with the Esri geospatial platform ecosystem and channel access to Esri's customer base.
- U.S. Department of EnergycoreCivil Maps' About Us page names the U.S. Department of Energy among its key governmental and academic partners, indicating collaboration on advanced mobility, mapping, or energy-related transportation research.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Civil Maps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HERE Technologies: HERE Technologies is a leading provider of HD maps and location data for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, serving major global OEMs. It is the most direct peer to Civil Maps' HD mapping and localization offering and competes for the same automotive map-license dollars.
- TomTom: TomTom builds HD map assets (RoadDNA, AutoStream) and location services used by automotive OEMs and AV developers. It is a direct competitor in the HD map layer that Civil Maps targets, with comparable global coverage ambitions.
- DeepMap: DeepMap (acquired by Nvidia) provided HD mapping and localization for autonomous vehicles, including crowdsourced map updates. It is a direct peer in HD map generation and real-time localization and a useful comparable for the technology and exit trajectory of Civil Maps.
- Mapbox: Mapbox is a mapping and location platform providing basemaps, SDKs, and increasingly ADAS-grade map data for automotive use cases. It is a direct peer in the digital map platform stack that AV developers rely on, with overlapping automotive customers and a comparable platform-led GTM.
Broad incumbents
- Mobileye: Mobileye (Intel) operates the Road Experience Management (REM) crowdsourced HD mapping system and supplies ADAS perception at scale to global OEMs. It is a broad incumbent in ADAS perception and HD mapping, competing for the same OEM software dollars that Civil Maps targets through Luminar.
- Waymo: Waymo operates one of the most mature autonomous driving stacks with proprietary HD maps covering its operating geographies. It is a broad incumbent in autonomous driving and HD mapping, with a fleet-scale mapping operation that sets the technical benchmark Civil Maps competes against.
- Woven Planet (Toyota): Woven Planet (Toyota's mobility subsidiary) builds HD maps and automated driving technology for Toyota and partner OEMs. It is a broad incumbent with the capital and OEM backing of Toyota, and represents the kind of vertically integrated AV stack Civil Maps must sell into.
Regional players
- NavInfo: NavInfo is a leading Chinese HD map and location service provider with deep relationships among Chinese OEMs and AV players. It is a regional peer competing in the Asia market Civil Maps has flagged as part of its continental coverage.
Emerging players
- Momenta: Momenta is a China-based AV perception and HD mapping company with strong OEM partnerships (e.g., Toyota, Mercedes). It is an emerging player with significant overlap in AV perception and map-based localization, particularly in the Chinese market.
- Oxbotica: Oxbotica develops autonomous vehicle software including HD mapping and localization for industrial and mobility applications. It is an emerging player that, like Civil Maps, sells AV software into non-traditional and OEM channels, making it a useful comparable on technology and stage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Civil Maps social profiles
Digital presenceCivil Maps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Civil Maps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Civil Maps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Civil Maps 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 Civil Maps
What does Civil Maps do?
Civil Maps provides a sensor-agnostic cognition platform and AI pipeline that generates continental-scale HD 3D maps with 15–20 cm absolute accuracy and delivers real-time, centimeter-level vehicle localization for autonomous vehicles. The platform also includes an autonomous vehicle routing capability layered on the HD map and a scalable point cloud processing solution that extracts features and asset identifiers from 3D survey data for non-automotive workloads such as railroad health monitoring.
Is Civil Maps a public or private company?
Civil Maps is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Civil Maps founded?
Civil Maps was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Civil Maps based?
Civil Maps is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Civil Maps make money?
One revenue line is on record: enterprise Software Licensing / Custom Engagements.
Who are Civil Maps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HERE Technologies, TomTom, DeepMap and Mapbox. Broad incumbents are Mobileye, Waymo and Woven Planet (Toyota). NavInfo is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Momenta and Oxbotica.
Does Civil Maps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Civil Maps.
What industry is Civil Maps in?
Civil Maps's product category is Autonomous Vehicle HD Mapping & Localization Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAL, HD Maps & Localization for Autonomous/ADAS, with a secondary code of HDAAAEAI, Autonomous Driving & ADAS Perception. Its SIC code is 3790.