OpenRunner

What OpenRunner does

OpenRunner is a French route-planning and outdoor activity platform founded in September 2006 by Eric Thouvenin and headquartered in Annecy-le-Vieux in the French Alps. The platform enables cyclists, runners, hikers, trail runners, skiers, and practitioners of 21 other outdoor activities to create, search, share, and execute routes on topographic maps. Its core technology combines a web-based route editor launched in 2006 with iOS and Android mobile applications launched in 2017, supported by automatic route tracing algorithms that adapt path generation to the selected activity mode, a SmartRoute trace-simplification optimizer, a Route Fusion capability that combines up to 25 tracks into one itinerary, and real-time LiveTrack position sharing. The platform integrates premium map providers including IGN (France, Belgium, Spain), SwissTopo, Thunderforest, Google Maps, and Scandinavian mapping sources, with offline map downloads enabling navigation in connectivity-poor terrain.

The company operates a freemium subscription model with three paid tiers: EXPLORER at €29.99/year for individual users unlocking offline maps, all topographic basemaps, advanced editing, and LiveTrack; PRO at €79/year for clubs, associations, and event organizers providing team management, custom branding, A0-format printing, and route certification; and PRO Destinations, a customized plan for tourism boards, national parks, and destination marketing organizations with certified profiles, official route badges, and Geotrek synchronization. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the website, iOS App Store, and Google Play, with a direct-sales motion for PRO Destinations. Distribution partnerships extend reach via Geotrek (French tourism infrastructure), Garmin (GPS device export), Strava (account linking), and OutdoorVision (French Ministry of Sports-backed data initiative).

The company is structured as OPENRUNNER SAS, a privately held French simplified joint-stock company that operates without external investors and self-finances operations through subscription revenue that is reinvested into development. A distributed team of approximately 10 people operates primarily from the Annecy area with additional members in Savoie (France), the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic. The platform reports a community of more than 1 million outdoor enthusiasts, over 2 million total users referenced for tourism outreach, 6 million community-created routes, and approximately 450,000 monthly active users.

Name

OpenRunner

Legal name

OPENRUNNER SAS

Website

https://openrunner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OpenRunner is a French self-financed platform that enables cyclists, runners, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts to plan, record, share, and navigate routes via web and mobile apps, supported by IGN topographic maps, automatic route tracing, and subscription tiers for individuals, clubs, and tourism destinations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Route Planning Software

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Safety, Permitting & Logistics Support Services (Trip Leaders, Route Planning, Rescue Support) (THAAALAL)

Keywords

• Outdoor route planning
• GPS activity tracking
• Topographic mapping
• Cycling route planner
• Hiking trail navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Annecy-le-vieux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EXPLORER Subscription: Annual subscription offering comprehensive platform access including all maps (IGN France/Belgium/Spain, SwissTopo, Thunderforest, Google Maps, Scandinavian maps), offline mode, multi-course editor, route collections, weather forecasts, advanced editing tools (route fusion, splitting, duplication), Google Street View integration, points of interest, and LiveTrack. Priced at €29.99/year (€2.49/month). Self-financed company reinvesting subscription revenue into development without external investors.
2. PRO Subscription: Annual subscription for clubs, associations, and event organizers offering team management (1 admin + 4 contributors), custom club branding/logo on routes, private route sharing, contributor passwords, advanced POI management, A0 format printing, website linking on public profile, and route certification. Priced at €79/year (€6.59/month).
3. PRO Destinations: Customized tourism professional plan with certified profiles, official route badges, themed route collections, Geotrek synchronization, dedicated support. Sold via contact-us sales motion targeting tourism boards, destinations, and outdoor organizations.
4. Gift Cards: Prepaid gift cards offering one year of EXPLORER subscription. Sold at €29.99 for gifting purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OpenRunner is a web and mobile platform that lets outdoor enthusiasts plan, record, and share GPS routes for 24 activities (cycling, hiking, trail running, skiing, paddling, etc.) on official topographic maps. Users can create routes with automatic tracing, browse 6M+ community routes, record activities with GPS, share live location via LiveTrack, and access maps offline. The platform is monetized through annual EXPLORER subscriptions for individuals and PRO/PRO Destinations subscriptions for clubs, event organizers, and tourism professionals.

Product overview

OpenRunner is a unified outdoor activity platform comprising a web-based route planner, mobile applications (iOS/Android), and three subscription tiers. The core offering includes a route editor with automatic tracing and SmartRoute optimization, a community route discovery engine with 6+ million routes from 1+ million users, and comprehensive topographic mapping (IGN France/Belgium/Spain, SwissTopo, Thunderforest, OpenStreetMap). The EXPLORER subscription (€29.99/year) unlocks offline maps, multi-course editing, route collections, and LiveTrack; the PRO subscription (€79/year) adds club management tools including contributor passwords, custom branding, and A0 printing; PRO Destinations targets tourism professionals with route certification and Geotrek synchronization. The platform supports 24 outdoor activities including cycling, hiking, skiing, running, and paddling, with integration capabilities for Garmin GPS devices, Google Street View, and Geotrek.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EXPLORER: Premium subscription plan offering full access to all features, topographic maps (including IGN), offline mode, multi-course editor, and advanced route planning tools at €29.99/year (€2.49/month).
• PRO
• PRO Destinations

Products and services

• OpenRunner Website Platform Web-based route planning and management platform enabling users to create, edit, search, and share outdoor activity routes on topographic maps, with community route discovery across 24 activities and a library of 6 million routes.
• OpenRunner Mobile App (iOS/Android) Native iOS and Android mobile application that enables route creation, GPS-based activity recording, live tracking with SOS, and offline navigation during outdoor activities, syncing with the website platform.
• EXPLORER Subscription

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, standard and minor.

• OutdoorVision (Pôle ressources national sports de nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData partnership for public interest: pseudonymized GPS activity traces from OpenRunner app users are shared with OutdoorVision, a non-profit program backed by the French Ministry of Sports. Aims to improve knowledge of outdoor practices and preserve natural spaces. Only French territory data is shared. Users retain full control and can opt out via Privacy settings.
• IGN (Institut National de l'Information Géographique et Forestière)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial topographic map provider integrated into the platform. IGN maps (France, Belgium, Spain) provide detailed terrain information including viewpoints, landmarks, parking, waterways, altitude contours, PRs (Petites Randonnées) and GRs (Grandes Randonnées). 3 display modes available (Top 25, Scan 25 Tour, Plan v2) with multiple overlays (satellite, cadastral, slopes, Natura 2000, nature reserves). Core differentiating feature for French outdoor users.
• SwissTopocoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Swiss topographic map provider. Essential for planning and executing routes in Switzerland.
• ThunderforeststandardTechnology or IntegrationMap provider integrated into OpenRunner for route planning. Thunderforest maps support outdoor activity planning.
• Google MapsstandardTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated mapping service alongside topographic options. Google Street View integration enables virtual route preview before departure.
• GeotrekcoreTechnology or IntegrationSynchronization partnership allows tourism professionals to automatically import and update their Geotrek routes on OpenRunner. Reaches 2+ million platform users. Key feature of PRO Destinations plan for destination marketing organizations.
• GarminstandardTechnology or IntegrationGPS device compatibility for route transfer. OpenRunner routes can be exported to Garmin devices. Transition from Garmin IQ to Garmin Connect simplifies user workflow by centralizing data.
• ScalewayminorOthersInfrastructure hosting provider. OpenRunner works with Scaleway (infogérance agréée) for data security, backup, and protection against data destruction, alteration, or theft. Uses SSL protocol for data encryption.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Komoot: European-focused outdoor route planning platform for hiking, cycling, and mountain biking. Most direct competitor—overlapping customer base (outdoor enthusiasts in Europe), similar core product (route planning, topographic maps, community), and similar subscription pricing model.
• Strava: Global activity tracking platform with route planning, segments, and a large social community for cyclists and runners. Overlaps with OpenRunner on route planning, GPS tracking, and premium subscription; OpenRunner already integrates with Strava, indicating direct competitive and complementary positioning.
• AllTrails: Largest global trail discovery and navigation platform for hiking, running, and mountain biking. Directly competes with OpenRunner on community route library, GPS tracking, offline maps, and premium subscription, with stronger English-language global reach.
• Ride with GPS: Cycling-focused route planning and navigation platform with offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and Garmin integration. Directly comparable on cycling route creation, GPX handling, and GPS device export that OpenRunner also supports.
• Wikiloc: Community-driven outdoor trail platform with millions of user-uploaded routes for hiking, cycling, and other activities. Comparable on community route library, map-based discovery, and multi-activity outdoor focus, with strong presence in Spain and Latin America.
• Outdooractive: European outdoor platform offering route planning, topographic maps, and tourism destination partnerships. Direct overlap on European outdoor market, PRO-tier B2B offering for tourism boards, and IGN/map integrations.

Emerging players

• Plotaroute: UK-based route planning platform for running, cycling, hiking, and walking. Comparable on web-based route planning tools, multi-activity support, and GPX export, though smaller scale and less topographic map depth than OpenRunner.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin Connect: Garmin's activity tracking and route platform, bundled with the dominant GPS device ecosystem. Overlaps on route planning, activity recording, and outdoor navigation; OpenRunner integrates with Garmin Connect, but Garmin's hardware-software combination gives it broader reach.
• Decathlon Outdoor (Decathlon: Global sporting goods retailer with its own outdoor route and activity apps (Decathlon Outdoor, Decathlon Coach). Overlaps on serving mass-market outdoor enthusiasts with route planning and tracking, but primarily monetizes hardware rather than subscriptions.

Others

• Geotrek: Open-source trail management platform used by French national parks and tourism offices to manage and publish their official route networks. Not a competitor—rather a key upstream data partner feeding official routes into OpenRunner via the PRO Destinations sync.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/openrunner1
• Instagraminstagram.com/openrunner_official
• Xx.com/openrunner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openrunner

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OpenRunner