OldMapsOnline
OldMapsOnline is a Swiss-based web platform that provides interactive WebGL-based exploration of historical maps from collections worldwide, serving individual consumers, researchers, and cartographic enthusiasts through a self-serve browser interface.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersUnterägeri, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What OldMapsOnline does
OldMapsOnline is a Swiss-based private web platform founded in 2011 and headquartered in Unterägeri, operating as a gateway to historical maps from collections worldwide. The platform serves individual consumers, small businesses, researchers, and cartographic enthusiasts who want to explore digitized historical cartographic material through a web browser. The core product is a WebGL-based interactive map viewer that requires modern browser support, with supporting features including TimeMap (Historical Regions) for temporal exploration of historical world regions, My Maps for user personalization and saved collections, and a Community feature for user engagement.
The underlying technology relies on WebGL for browser-based rendering of historical map imagery, with mapping infrastructure provided through a technology partnership with Maptiler. The platform has no public API, no SDK, no mobile app, and no disclosed certifications or compliance posture. Distribution is entirely web-based and self-serve, targeting a horizontal audience of SMBs, individuals, and consumers with no identified marketing channels or paid acquisition.
The business model is not publicly disclosed — no pricing, subscription, advertising, licensing, or data revenue mechanics are present in the source material, and no funding rounds, investors, or revenue figures are available. The company operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees and shows no disclosed management team, ownership structure, certifications, or awards. The operational footprint appears to be a small, lean team maintaining a long-running content aggregation service.
OldMapsOnline firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OldMapsOnline
- Website
- https://oldmapsonline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OldMapsOnline is a Swiss-based web platform that provides interactive WebGL-based exploration of historical maps from collections worldwide, serving individual consumers, researchers, and cartographic enthusiasts through a self-serve browser interface.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OldMapsOnline industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Historical Map Visualization Platform
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Curation & Bookmarking/Read-Later Platforms (MPACAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs) (BPAMANAB)
Keywords
Where OldMapsOnline is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Unterägeri
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
OldMapsOnline business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel
Distribution channels1 record
OldMapsOnline product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OldMapsOnline operates a free, web-based platform that aggregates and visualizes historical maps from collections around the world. The platform uses WebGL technology to deliver interactive, browser-based exploration of historical cartography, with supporting features for temporal region exploration (TimeMap), user-curated saved maps (My Maps), and community participation.
Product overview
OldMapsOnline is a single unified web platform for exploring historical maps. The core offering consists of the OldMapsOnline Platform itself, which serves as the main interface for viewing historical cartography. Supporting features include TimeMap (Historical Regions) for temporal exploration of world history, My Maps for user personalization and saved collections, and a Community feature for user engagement. The platform requires WebGL support in the browser for full functionality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OldMapsOnline Platform A web-based platform for exploring and viewing historical maps from collections around the world; requires a WebGL-enabled browser for full interactive functionality. Targeted at individual users interested in historical cartography.
- TimeMap (Historical Regions) An interactive feature on the OldMapsOnline platform that displays historical regions of the world across different time periods, allowing users to explore how geographic and political boundaries have changed over time. Built using mapping infrastructure from Maptiler.
- My Maps A user personalization feature that lets registered users save, curate, and manage their own collections of historical maps within the OldMapsOnline platform.
- Community A community engagement feature of the OldMapsOnline platform that lets users join and participate with others interested in historical maps.
Companies that use OldMapsOnline
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
OldMapsOnline technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
OldMapsOnline partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MaptilercoreMaptiler is referenced on the OldMapsOnline platform (logo and link in the Historical Regions/TimeMap page). Maptiler provides mapping infrastructure technology that supports OldMapsOnline's map visualization capabilities. The partnership enables the platform's map rendering functionality.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
OldMapsOnline competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- David Rumsey Map Collection: Major digital archive of historical maps hosted at Stanford with an interactive web-based viewer. Directly comparable as a consumer-facing historical map exploration platform with rich visualization capabilities, representing both a competitor for users and a benchmark for the same UX category OldMapsOnline occupies.
- Map Warper: Open-source web tool for georeferencing and overlaying historical maps on modern basemaps. Directly comparable in serving the historical map exploration and alignment use case through a browser-based platform with community contribution features.
- National Library of Scotland Maps: Institutional digital collection of historical maps with interactive zoom/overlay features and an active community of genealogists and historians. Comparable as a destination platform for historical map discovery with rich visualization, though operated by a national library rather than a commercial entity.
- Old Maps UK: UK-focused historical map discovery platform with overlay on modern maps. Comparable as a niche historical map browser for consumer and family-history audiences, though geographically narrower than OldMapsOnline's global scope.
Broad incumbents
- Library of Congress Map Collections: The largest U.S. map archive with an extensive digital collection and viewer. Comparable as both a content source and a competitor that can launch direct-to-consumer historical map experiences, though it operates as part of a much broader mandate rather than focusing on the consumer interactive niche.
- Mapbox: Major commercial mapping platform offering tiles, SDKs, and visualization APIs used in many interactive web map products. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the web mapping ecosystem whose infrastructure alternatives could be substituted for Maptiler.
Others
- Maptiler: Mapping infrastructure provider that powers OldMapsOnline's basemap and tile rendering. Not a competitor but an enabling technology partner; relevant because it defines OldMapsOnline's rendering capabilities and competitive parity with other platforms built on the same stack.
- Wikimedia Commons Maps Category: Open repository hosting a vast collection of historical and contemporary maps with viewer tools. Comparable as a free, community-driven source of historical map content that competes for the same audience attention as OldMapsOnline.
Emerging players
- David Rumsey Georeferencer: Companion georeferencing tool to the David Rumsey collection, offering crowdsourced historical map alignment. Comparable as a specialized overlay of the historical map experience targeting researchers and community contributors.
Regional players
- Old World Auctions: Specialist auctioneer focused on antique maps, globes, and prints with a rich online catalog. Comparable in the broader historical cartography ecosystem as a destination that captures researcher and collector attention, though its commercial focus is transactions rather than interactive viewing.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
OldMapsOnline social profiles
Digital presenceOldMapsOnline financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OldMapsOnline leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
OldMapsOnline funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OldMapsOnline 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 OldMapsOnline
What does OldMapsOnline do?
OldMapsOnline operates a free, web-based platform that aggregates and visualizes historical maps from collections around the world. The platform uses WebGL technology to deliver interactive, browser-based exploration of historical cartography, with supporting features for temporal region exploration (TimeMap), user-curated saved maps (My Maps), and community participation.
Is OldMapsOnline a public or private company?
OldMapsOnline is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was OldMapsOnline founded?
OldMapsOnline was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OldMapsOnline based?
OldMapsOnline is headquartered in Unterägeri, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
Who are OldMapsOnline's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are David Rumsey Map Collection, Map Warper, National Library of Scotland Maps and Old Maps UK. Broad incumbents are Library of Congress Map Collections and Mapbox. Others are Maptiler and Wikimedia Commons Maps Category. David Rumsey Georeferencer is listed as an emerging player. Old World Auctions is listed as a regional player.
Does OldMapsOnline have an API?
No public API is recorded for OldMapsOnline.
What industry is OldMapsOnline in?
OldMapsOnline's product category is Historical Map Visualization Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAKAH, Content Curation & Bookmarking/Read-Later Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMANAB, Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs). Its NAICS code is 5192 and its SIC code is 7370.