Wayfindr
Wayfindr is a London-based non-profit that maintains the ITU-T F.921 Open Standard for accessible indoor audio navigation and offers paid consultancy services to help transport operators, retailers, and public venues deploy BLE beacon-based wayfinding for blind and vision-impaired users.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wayfindr does
Wayfindr is a London-based non-profit social technology organization, founded in 2015 as a joint venture between the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) and the digital product studio ustwo, with the stated mission of enabling blind and partially sighted people to navigate indoor environments independently. The company's principal asset is the Wayfindr Open Standard (ITU-T F.921), the world's first internationally-approved standard for accessible audio navigation, which it makes available free of charge under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The standard defines functional characteristics for inclusive audio-based network navigation systems (IABNNS) and is supported by a publicly available reference implementation in the form of an open-source demonstration mobile app hosted on GitHub.
The underlying technology relies on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, supporting both iBeacon and Eddystone protocols, to deliver synthesized voice commands and audio instructions through standard smartphone accessibility features (VoiceOver on iOS, TalkBack on Android). Beyond the standard itself, Wayfindr generates revenue through paid consultancy services that help venue owners scope, configure, trial, and deploy audio navigation installations. These services cover beacon mapping, audio instruction authoring, live trial facilitation, user research, and full public deployment support, and are sold through direct enterprise engagement alongside partnerships with organisations such as Right-Hear.
Wayfindr serves two primary customer segments: venue owners and operators in transport, retail, healthcare, and public spaces who need to make their facilities accessible, and digital navigation developers seeking consistent standards and interoperability. The organisation operates a hybrid go-to-market combining sales-led direct consultancy with community-led standard stewardship, and has conducted documented trials in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Spain, Norway, and Italy. It maintains a single headquarters in London and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of RSBC, with no external venture or private equity funding evidenced in the source data.
Wayfindr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wayfindr
- Legal name
- Wayfindr
- Website
- https://wayfindr.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wayfindr is a London-based non-profit that maintains the ITU-T F.921 Open Standard for accessible indoor audio navigation and offers paid consultancy services to help transport operators, retailers, and public venues deploy BLE beacon-based wayfinding for blind and vision-impaired users.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wayfindr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accessible Indoor Audio Navigation Standards
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indoor Mapping & Wayfinding Platforms (BPAMANAG)
Keywords
Where Wayfindr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wayfindr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Standard Licensing (Free): The Wayfindr Open Standard is available to the public at no cost under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The standard is freely available both during its development and at its final stage.
- Consultancy and Support Services: Wayfindr provides paid consultancy support including beacon scoping and mapping, Bluetooth Beacon and demo mobile application configuration, creation of audio navigation instructions, facilitation of live audio navigation trials, user recruitment for testing, user research design and execution, and consultancy support for full public deployment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Open Standard - Free |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wayfindr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wayfindr develops and maintains the Wayfindr Open Standard (ITU-T F.921), the world's first internationally-approved standard for accessible indoor audio navigation for blind and vision impaired people. It provides the specification free of charge, an open-source demonstration mobile app, and paid consultancy services to help venue owners and transport operators scope, configure, trial, and deploy BLE beacon-based audio navigation systems.
Product overview
Wayfindr is an award-winning non-profit social tech organization that has created the world's first internationally-approved standard for accessible indoor audio navigation. The company operates a platform-plus-services model centered on the Wayfindr Open Standard (ITU-T F.921), which provides comprehensive guidance for designing audio-based navigation systems for vision-impaired people. This is complemented by the open-source Wayfindr Demo Mobile App (available on GitHub) that demonstrates the standard's guidelines. Wayfindr also offers professional Consultancy Support services for venue owners and access consultants implementing audio navigation, and maintains a Community network of organizations developing and deploying compliant solutions. The technology uses Bluetooth Low Energy beacons (iBeacon and Eddystone protocols) for indoor positioning, delivering audio navigation instructions through mobile devices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wayfindr Open Standard (ITU-T F.921) Internationally-approved open standard (ITU-T F.921) providing guidance on designing inclusive audio-based network navigation systems for people who are blind or vision impaired. Available free of charge under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license to designers, developers, venue owners, access consultants, and any interested party.
- Wayfindr Demo Mobile App Open-source demonstration mobile application (iOS) used in Wayfindr trials and serving as a reference implementation of the Open Standard. Enables developers and researchers to use BLE beacons to test and validate audio navigation experiences for vision impaired users.
- Wayfindr Consultancy Support
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of users would be more likely to use public transit services after using Wayfindr audio navigation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wayfindr
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wayfindr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Wayfindr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Los Angeles Metroflagship2019 landmark trial in Los Angeles combining Wayfindr's open standard with advanced beacon-less technology, showing that 95% of users would be more likely to use public transit services.
- Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)coreSponsored the second Wayfindr Public Transport Hackathon in November 2018 at AWS office in London. Provides rail safety expertise and standards knowledge.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreHosted the second Wayfindr Public Transport Hackathon at AWS office in London. Provided technical infrastructure and support for the event.
- D-LabcorePartnership with D-Lab as part of work to empower people with disabilities through mobile technologies. Supported the Las Arenas Barcelona trial.
- IlunioncoreTechnology and accessibility company that partnered with Wayfindr to carry out the Las Arenas Shopping Centre trial in Barcelona. Part of ONCE Group.
- Fundacion ONCEminorSupported the Las Arenas Barcelona trial as part of efforts to promote accessibility for people with disabilities.
- GSMAminorSupported the Las Arenas Barcelona trial as part of mobile technology accessibility initiatives.
- Shakespeare's Globe TheatreflagshipPartnership for audio navigation trial in March 2017 at the theatre in central London. Tested navigation from entrance through to main theatre via elevator.
- Right-HearcoreAdvanced accessibility solution provider and Wayfindr Community Member. Used the Wayfindr Open Standard at the M-Enabling Summit in Washington DC - first use in the United States.
- AbilityNetminorDisability charity that tested the audio navigation guidance at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Provided expert feedback from Adi Latif.
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)flagshipApproved the Wayfindr Open Standard as ITU-T F.921, the first internationally-approved standard for accessible audio navigation.
- OrganiCityminorPartnership with OrganiCity and London Underground for the first Public Transport Hackathon at Imperial College London.
- Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC)coreWayfindr is a subsidiary of RSBC, a charity registered in England and Wales. RSBC brings 175 years of experience working with blind people. The partnership combines RSBC's expertise with ustwo's digital product and user-centred design expertise.
- ustwocoreGlobal digital product studio that co-founded Wayfindr with RSBC Youth Forum. Brings digital product and user-centred design expertise. Developed the initial concept and continues as a core partner.
- Transport for London (TfL)coreTfL has partnered with Wayfindr for multiple audio navigation trials in London Underground stations, including Euston station. TfL participated in hackathons and provided APIs for testing.
- Sydney TrainsflagshipPartnership with ustwo Sydney and Wayfindr for audio navigation trial at Sydney's Town Hall Station in 2015 - one of the first major trials.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Wayfindr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Right-Hear: Right-Hear is an accessibility solutions provider that offers audio wayfinding for visually impaired users in public spaces. It is explicitly mentioned as a Wayfindr Community member and first user of the Wayfindr Open Standard in the United States.
- GoodMaps: GoodMaps provides accessible indoor mapping and wayfinding solutions with a focus on inclusive navigation for vision impaired users, directly competing in the same accessible indoor wayfinding category as Wayfindr.
- BlindSquare: BlindSquare is a widely-used GPS and indoor navigation application for blind and vision impaired users, offering audio-based wayfinding in public venues. It overlaps directly with Wayfindr's accessible audio navigation use case.
- NaviLens: NaviLens develops computer vision-based wayfinding tags and apps for visually impaired users in transport hubs and public buildings. It serves the same accessibility-driven indoor navigation market with a complementary technology approach.
- MapsPeople: MapsPeople is an indoor mapping platform serving enterprises with wayfinding and indoor navigation solutions. While not accessibility-specific, it competes in the same indoor wayfinding category as Wayfindr's platform.
Emerging players
- Microsoft Soundscape: Microsoft Soundscape was a research project providing audio-based 3D navigation for blind users. While discontinued, it represents a tech giant's exploration of the same inclusive audio navigation category Wayfindr addresses.
- Aira: Aira provides on-demand visual interpreting services for blind and low vision users via smart glasses and smartphone cameras. It serves the same end-user population with a different assistive technology approach.
- IndoorAtlas: IndoorAtlas provides indoor positioning technology using geomagnetic and other sensor fusion approaches. It addresses the broader indoor wayfinding infrastructure layer that Wayfindr's BLE beacon and beacon-less solutions also target.
Broad incumbents
- Google Maps Indoor: Google Maps provides indoor mapping and navigation across major venues globally through a broad consumer platform. It is not accessibility-specialized but represents the incumbent scale player in indoor navigation.
- Apple Maps Indoor: Apple Maps includes indoor mapping capabilities in major airports and malls, with built-in accessibility features through VoiceOver. It is a broad incumbent offering that overlaps with Wayfindr's inclusive wayfinding mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wayfindr social profiles
Digital presenceWayfindr compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Wayfindr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wayfindr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wayfindr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wayfindr 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 Wayfindr
What does Wayfindr do?
Wayfindr develops and maintains the Wayfindr Open Standard (ITU-T F.921), the world's first internationally-approved standard for accessible indoor audio navigation for blind and vision impaired people. It provides the specification free of charge, an open-source demonstration mobile app, and paid consultancy services to help venue owners and transport operators scope, configure, trial, and deploy BLE beacon-based audio navigation systems.
Is Wayfindr a public or private company?
Wayfindr is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wayfindr founded?
Wayfindr was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wayfindr based?
Wayfindr is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Wayfindr make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Open Standard Licensing (Free) is the primary driver. The others are consultancy and Support Services.
Who are Wayfindr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Right-Hear, GoodMaps, BlindSquare, NaviLens and MapsPeople. Emerging players are Microsoft Soundscape, Aira and IndoorAtlas. Broad incumbents are Google Maps Indoor and Apple Maps Indoor.
Does Wayfindr have an API?
Yes. Wayfindr provides a Beacon API designed for public transport audio navigation systems. The API allows application providers to import indoor navigation data into their applications. Transport for London created a Beacon API specifically for the Wayfindr hackathon that participants used in combination with Bluetooth beacons and smartphones. Venue owners have the option of providing an API which allows application providers to import the data needed to provide indoor navigation services.
What industry is Wayfindr in?
Wayfindr's product category is Accessible Indoor Audio Navigation Standards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAG, Indoor Mapping & Wayfinding Platforms. Its NAICS code is 62412.