Discovery Map
Discovery Map is a franchise-based publisher of hand-drawn illustrated travel maps and guides, serving individual travelers and tourists across the United States and Puerto Rico via free PDF downloads, a mobile app, and physical map and merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersWaitsfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Discovery Map does
Discovery Map is a privately held travel map and guide publishing company operating under the legal entity Discovery Map International, Inc., headquartered in Waitsfield, United States. Founded in the mid-1970s to early 1980s (sources cite both 1975 and 1981, with the company itself claiming approximately fifty years of operation), it produces distinctive hand-drawn, illustrated maps that help travelers navigate and discover local attractions, restaurants, and experiences across destinations in the United States and Puerto Rico. The company serves individual travelers and tourists as its primary customer segment, positioning its maps as visual wayfinding tools that differentiate from digital mapping alternatives through their artistic cartographic style.
The company's core product is its portfolio of destination-specific hand-drawn maps, delivered through multiple formats: free downloadable PDF maps (gated behind newsletter subscription), a mobile application for iOS and Android providing on-the-go map access, and physical maps and branded merchandise sold through an e-commerce Map Store. Discovery Map operates a franchise model in which local operators produce maps for their respective regions, enabling geographic expansion through licensed entrepreneurs across communities in the United States.
Discovery Map monetizes through three primary revenue mechanisms: a freemium digital funnel (free PDF maps used as lead generation via newsletter signup), one-time physical map and merchandise sales through its online store, and franchise licensing royalties from local operators. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, supported by content marketing via an active travel blog, email newsletter distribution, organic social media, and app store presence. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed in the source material.
Discovery Map firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Discovery Map
- Legal name
- Discovery Map International, Inc.
- Website
- https://discoverymap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Discovery Map is a franchise-based publisher of hand-drawn illustrated travel maps and guides, serving individual travelers and tourists across the United States and Puerto Rico via free PDF downloads, a mobile app, and physical map and merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Discovery Map industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Maps and Guides
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms (BPAMANAD)
Keywords
Where Discovery Map is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waitsfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Discovery Map business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Map Sales (Digital PDFs): Free downloadable PDF maps available upon newsletter subscription, representing lead generation for broader engagement
- Map Store (Physical Maps & Merchandise): Discovery Maps and merchandise sold through the company's online shop
- Franchise Licensing: Franchise opportunity allowing entrepreneurs to operate Discovery Map in their own communities, representing a licensing-based expansion model
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free map downloads via newsletter |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Discovery Map product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Discovery Map produces and publishes hand-drawn illustrated destination maps for travelers across the United States and Puerto Rico. Maps are delivered as physical printed products through the Map Store, as free downloadable PDFs via the website (gated by newsletter signup), and as mobile content through the Discovery Map app. The company also licenses its brand and model to local franchise operators who produce maps for specific destinations, enabling community-level geographic coverage.
Product overview
Discovery Map is a unified travel mapping service offering hand-drawn illustrated maps for travelers. The core product consists of destination-specific maps covering U.S. states and Puerto Rico, available through the mobile app, free PDF downloads, and the Map Store for physical/merchandise purchases. The company operates a franchise model, with new map coverage expanding into additional destinations in 2025 and 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Discovery Maps (Hand-drawn Illustrated Maps)
Companies that use Discovery Map
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Discovery Map technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Discovery Map partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Discovery Map competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yelp: Leading local business discovery platform with restaurant, attraction, and service listings. Overlaps with Discovery Map's local listings and 'best places to eat/explore' curation, but operates as a broad user-review incumbent.
- MapQuest: Digital mapping and directions platform serving travelers and commuters. Comparable in the geographic/destination mapping space but as a digital navigation incumbent rather than a curated illustrated guide.
- Tripadvisor: Dominant digital travel discovery platform with reviews, POI listings, and destination content. Comparable in the travel discovery and local-listing space but operates as a broad global incumbent versus Discovery Map's curated, illustrated niche.
- Michelin Guide: Prestigious travel and restaurant discovery guide covering global destinations. Comparable as a curated, editorial-led travel discovery brand, though Michelin is global and restaurant/dining-led versus Discovery Map's local guide focus.
- National Geographic Maps: Premium map publisher with destination, topographic, and travel map products. Comparable as a heritage cartographic brand serving travelers, though National Geographic is broader and more international.
Direct peers
- Frommer's: Long-established travel guidebook publisher covering U.S. and international destinations. Comparable as an editorial-led travel content brand that competes for traveler attention and discovery.
- Fodor's Travel: Travel guide publisher producing destination content for independent travelers. Directly comparable as a content-driven travel discovery brand targeting leisure travelers with curated local recommendations.
- Lonely Planet: Iconic travel guide publisher offering destination content for travelers worldwide. Highly comparable to Discovery Map as both monetize curated, editorial travel content and guidebooks across multiple destinations.
- Rand McNally: Heritage U.S. map and atlas publisher with deep geographic content expertise. Comparable as a printed-map publisher serving travelers and road-trippers, with overlapping cartographic product DNA.
Emerging players
- AFAR Media: Modern travel media brand with editorial city guides and experiential travel content. Comparable as a content-driven travel discovery brand, though AFAR is digital-first versus Discovery Map's print-led heritage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Discovery Map social profiles
Digital presenceDiscovery Map financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Discovery Map leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Discovery Map funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Discovery Map 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 Discovery Map
What does Discovery Map do?
Discovery Map produces and publishes hand-drawn illustrated destination maps for travelers across the United States and Puerto Rico. Maps are delivered as physical printed products through the Map Store, as free downloadable PDFs via the website (gated by newsletter signup), and as mobile content through the Discovery Map app. The company also licenses its brand and model to local franchise operators who produce maps for specific destinations, enabling community-level geographic coverage.
Is Discovery Map a public or private company?
Discovery Map is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Discovery Map founded?
Discovery Map was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Discovery Map based?
Discovery Map is headquartered in Waitsfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Discovery Map make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Map Sales (Digital PDFs) is the primary driver. The others are map Store (Physical Maps & Merchandise) and franchise Licensing.
Who are Discovery Map's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yelp, MapQuest, Tripadvisor, Michelin Guide and National Geographic Maps. Direct peers are Frommer's, Fodor's Travel, Lonely Planet and Rand McNally. AFAR Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does Discovery Map have an API?
No public API is recorded for Discovery Map.
What industry is Discovery Map in?
Discovery Map's product category is Travel Maps and Guides. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAKAJ, Local & City Guide Content Aggregators, with a secondary code of BPAMANAD, POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms. Its SIC code is 7330.