BlindSquare
BlindSquare (MIPsoft, Helsinki) develops accessible GPS navigation apps for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users across 185+ countries, using Foursquare and OpenStreetMap data with VoiceOver optimization, iBeacon indoor positioning, and enterprise deployments for banks, campuses, and public venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What BlindSquare does
BlindSquare, operated by Finnish company MIPsoft and founded in 2011 by CEO Ilkka Pirttimaa in Helsinki, is the developer of an accessible GPS navigation application purpose-built for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users. The core BlindSquare iOS app delivers self-voicing, VoiceOver-optimized audio output of nearby points of interest, street intersections, and surrounding context by combining GPS coordinates with Foursquare venue data and OpenStreetMap geographic data, and supports 26 languages across 185+ countries. The product portfolio extends beyond the flagship app to include BlindSquare Event (geofenced temporary deployments for events, campuses, and city-wide pilots), XploreNinja (an Android navigation app powered by BlindSquare technology, launched June 2023), and BlindSquare BPS (an indoor navigation system using battery-powered iBeacons installed in buildings).
Technically, BlindSquare integrates with iOS VoiceOver and Braille displays, supports Siri-based voice commands, hands off turn-by-turn routing to third-party navigation apps (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, TomTom, Navigon, Sygic), and links to public transit apps including Citymapper, Moovit, Transit, and regional services. The platform has expanded into real-time hazard detection through a Coco Robotics partnership (announced April 2026), delivering approximately 10-meter advance audio alerts for sidewalk obstacles across six markets, partially funded by an EU grant.
Commercially, BlindSquare generates revenue through one-time iOS App Store purchases (with a bundled Sunu Band offering at $9.99), negotiated enterprise and institutional licensing for campus, banking, and government deployments, and partnerships with blindness advocacy organizations that frequently deliver free geofenced access for accessibility initiatives. Notable enterprise deployments include 305 RBC bank branches across Canada (~25% of the network), Columbus State Community College, the SFUSD, the City of St. John's pedestrian mall, and the Wascana Park accessibility project with 230 GPS pins. The company operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees, is privately held and bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, and is positioned as both a consumer accessibility app and an enterprise accessibility infrastructure layer for venues, campuses, and public spaces.
BlindSquare firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BlindSquare
- Legal name
- MIPsoft
- Website
- https://blindsquare.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BlindSquare (MIPsoft, Helsinki) develops accessible GPS navigation apps for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users across 185+ countries, using Foursquare and OpenStreetMap data with VoiceOver optimization, iBeacon indoor positioning, and enterprise deployments for banks, campuses, and public venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BlindSquare industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accessible Navigation Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Vision & Screen Access (Screen Readers, Magnification, Braille Displays/Notetakers) (EDAFAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Indoor Mapping & Wayfinding Platforms (BPAMANAG)
Keywords
Where BlindSquare is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
BlindSquare business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- App Store Sales: BlindSquare app sold as one-time purchase through iOS App Store. Users can also purchase additional voice packages. The standard app price provides full GPS navigation functionality with Foursquare and OpenStreetMap integration.
- Hardware Bundle Partnership: Partnership with Sunu Band offers BlindSquare bundled with hardware purchase at $9.99. Existing BlindSquare users receive $30 off first Sunu Band purchase.
- Enterprise/Institutional Licensing: Campus-wide and city-wide deployments where universities, colleges, banks, and government organizations license BlindSquare Event for their facilities and customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard BlindSquare App - One-time purchase for individual users |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | BlindSquare Event - Free for events and specific geographic areas |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise/Campus Deployment - Organizational licensing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
BlindSquare product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BlindSquare is a self-voicing GPS navigation application built specifically for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users. The core iOS app combines GPS positioning with Foursquare venue data and OpenStreetMap geographic information to deliver spoken alerts about nearby points of interest, street intersections, and surroundings. The product suite extends to BlindSquare EVENT for temporary venue/event deployments, XploreNinja for Android, and the proprietary BlindSquare Beacon Positioning System (BPS) for indoor iBeacon-based navigation.
Product overview
BlindSquare is a suite of accessible navigation applications designed for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users. The portfolio consists of the core BlindSquare iOS app (the flagship product using GPS, Foursquare, and Open Street Map for outdoor navigation), BlindSquare EVENT (a temporary deployment variant for events and pilot programs), XploreNinja (an Android-powered equivalent), and BlindSquare BPS (an indoor navigation system using iBeacons). The products work together through a companion ecosystem including Sunu Band (mobility aid), NaviLens (visual code scanning), and various third-party navigation and public transport apps to provide comprehensive navigation for users with visual impairments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BlindSquare Event: A specialized version of BlindSquare designed for events and temporary installations, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, campus navigation, and city-wide accessibility projects.
- XploreNinja
- BlindSquare BPS (Beacon Positioning System)
Products and services
- BlindSquare (iOS App) The flagship self-voicing GPS navigation application for iPhone and iPad, designed for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users. Combines GPS, Foursquare venue data, and OpenStreetMap geographic data to deliver spoken points of interest, street intersections, and surrounding information, with VoiceOver optimization, Braille Display support, voice commands, simulation mode, and weather/public-transport integration.
- BlindSquare EVENT A specialized version of BlindSquare designed for temporary geofenced deployments at events, campuses, parks, and pilot programs. Provides full BlindSquare navigation features to attendees within a defined geographic boundary, available free for specific venues and special initiatives such as COVID-19 country-wide access and 10th-anniversary Canadian launch.
- XploreNinja An Android navigation app powered by BlindSquare technology, designed specifically to support blind Android device users to navigate safely and confidently. Brings the BlindSquare accessible mapping system to the Android platform.
- BlindSquare BPS (Beacon Positioning System) An indoor navigation system using battery-powered Bluetooth iBeacons installed in buildings (and mobile beacons in vehicles). Beacons broadcast unique identifiers received by user devices, triggering contextual voice announcements for stairways, corridors, elevators, doorways, and other indoor landmarks. Deployed for campus-wide and city-wide accessibility projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60,000+ users across 186 countries rely on BlindSquare for accessible navigation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use BlindSquare
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
BlindSquare technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration23 records
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
BlindSquare partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Coco RoboticscorePartnership to share real-time sidewalk obstacle data. Coco's delivery robots detect hazards like misparked e-scooters and construction sites, feeding that information to BlindSquare's self-voicing app. Alerts are delivered approximately 10 meters before users reach obstacles. The integration deploys across all markets where Coco operates (Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Jersey City, Helsinki, Turku). Partnership is partially funded by a European Union grant. Also explores two-way data flow where BlindSquare users could confirm when obstacles have been cleared.
- CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)coreOngoing cooperation in celebration of BlindSquare's 10th anniversary on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, providing free and unexpired access to BlindSquare EVENT for the entire country of Canada. Partnership expanded into urban and rural parks, college campuses, banking locations, government offices, city facilities, and more.
- Sunu BandcoreStrategic partnership combining Sunu Band's sonar/echolocation mobility aid with BlindSquare's GPS navigation. Sunu Band detects objects in user's path using haptic vibrations while BlindSquare provides turn-by-turn navigation. With every Sunu Band purchase, users receive BlindSquare for $9.99. Existing BlindSquare users receive $30 off first Sunu Band.
- NaviLensminorJoint COVID-19 response partnership offering free access to BlindSquare EVENT and NaviLens until November 2020 (later extended to January 2021). NaviLens provides proprietary codes for labeling everyday items and environments. Combined offering enabled greater independence for blind users during pandemic.
- Guide Dogs AustraliaminorPartnership for second consecutive year to deliver accessible journey for persons who are blind or low vision at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. BlindSquare Event enabled free at the Grand Prix grounds for all attendees.
- Heartland ForestminorPartnership with the Niagara Falls sanctuary dedicated to promoting accessibility and active living, to bring BlindSquare navigation to blind hikers and enable adventure in the forest trails.
- CNIBcoreCity of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador partnered with CNIB to launch BlindSquare Event in Downtown Pedestrian Mall. CNIB has also been instrumental in Wascana Park accessibility project (largest in North America) with 230 GPS pins placed throughout the park.
- Columbus State Community CollegeminorDeployed BlindSquare campus-wide using battery-powered iBeacons strategically placed throughout campus. Beacon system delivers voice prompts for stairways, corridors, elevators, and helps students find rooms independently.
- MIPsoftminorMIPsoft presents BlindSquare at SightCity in Frankfurt, Germany (biggest European show of assistive technology). Also showcases iBeacon-based indoor navigation system (BPS), Touch Mapper 3D-printed tactile maps, and recommended accessories including Aftershokz bone conduction headsets.
- Forum Virium HelsinkiminorWork on mapping construction sites for blind pedestrians formed the foundation of the Coco Robotics partnership. Forum Virium Helsinki's early work enabled the real-time sidewalk hazard data sharing initiative.
- RBC Bankminor305 RBC branches (approximately 25% of Canadian network) introduced the BlindSquare app to their customers to offer greater independence for those with vision loss when accessing banking services.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BlindSquare competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Be My Eyes: Be My Eyes connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers (and now GPT-4 powered AI) for visual assistance via live video. It serves the same core audience of blind/visually impaired users and was featured alongside BlindSquare in CityLab's accessibility app roundup.
- Aira: Aira provides on-demand visual interpretation for blind users through smart glasses and a network of trained agents, with subscription pricing. Comparable mission (blind/visually impaired navigation assistance) and overlapping B2B accessibility deployments.
- NaviLens: NaviLens provides high-contrast visual codes that blind and low-vision users can scan with a phone for indoor wayfinding and contextual information. Already an established BlindSquare partner (COVID-19 joint offering), directly competing/overlapping in accessible wayfinding.
- Lazarillo: Lazarillo is an accessible GPS and indoor navigation app for blind and visually impaired users, similar to BlindSquare in core feature set. Provides audio navigation, POI announcements, and indoor maps for venues and public buildings.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Soundscape: Microsoft's Soundscape project provided 3D audio navigation for blind users, leveraging Microsoft's platform scale. Represents platform-level competition for accessible navigation, although Soundscape itself has been discontinued.
- Seeing AI (Microsoft): Microsoft's Seeing AI app narrates the visual world for blind users via phone camera, providing scene description, text reading, and people recognition. Overlaps in serving blind/visually impaired users on iOS with accessible navigation-adjacent features.
- Moovit: Moovit is a leading public transit navigation app integrated with BlindSquare. While not specifically for blind users, it competes for the 'navigation + transit' use case and offers accessible features at much greater scale.
- Apple Maps (with VoiceOver): Apple Maps, combined with iOS VoiceOver, provides increasingly detailed accessible navigation for blind users at platform scale. Represents the biggest platform-level competitive threat to BlindSquare's paid offering.
Emerging players
- Sunu Band: Sunu Band is a sonar/echolocation wristband that pairs with BlindSquare for obstacle detection. It is a BlindSquare partner but also an adjacent product addressing the same end-user with complementary (haptic) navigation functionality.
- Wayfindr: Wayfindr develops open standards and technology for accessible navigation in public transit using Bluetooth beacons. Overlaps with BlindSquare's BPS approach for indoor/transit wayfinding for blind users.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BlindSquare social profiles
Digital presenceBlindSquare financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BlindSquare leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BlindSquare funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BlindSquare 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 BlindSquare
What does BlindSquare do?
BlindSquare is a self-voicing GPS navigation application built specifically for blind, deafblind, and partially sighted users. The core iOS app combines GPS positioning with Foursquare venue data and OpenStreetMap geographic information to deliver spoken alerts about nearby points of interest, street intersections, and surroundings. The product suite extends to BlindSquare EVENT for temporary venue/event deployments, XploreNinja for Android, and the proprietary BlindSquare Beacon Positioning System (BPS) for indoor iBeacon-based navigation.
Is BlindSquare a public or private company?
BlindSquare is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BlindSquare founded?
BlindSquare was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BlindSquare based?
BlindSquare is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does BlindSquare make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. App Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are hardware Bundle Partnership and enterprise/Institutional Licensing.
Who are BlindSquare's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Be My Eyes, Aira, NaviLens and Lazarillo. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Soundscape, Seeing AI (Microsoft), Moovit and Apple Maps (with VoiceOver). Emerging players are Sunu Band and Wayfindr.
Does BlindSquare have an API?
No public API is recorded for BlindSquare.
What industry is BlindSquare in?
BlindSquare's product category is Accessible Navigation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAD, Assistive Vision & Screen Access (Screen Readers, Magnification, Braille Displays/Notetakers), with a secondary code of BPAMANAG, Indoor Mapping & Wayfinding Platforms.