What Missing Maps does

Missing Maps is a collaborative humanitarian mapping project founded in 2014 by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), the American Red Cross, and the British Red Cross. The project organizes volunteers to trace satellite imagery into OpenStreetMap, run field mapping activities to capture local knowledge such as street names and evacuation centers, and make the resulting open geographic data available to humanitarian organizations for disaster preparedness and crisis response. Operating across 18 member organizations, Missing Maps has mapped areas covering more than 200 million people and mobilized over 95,000 volunteers globally.

The platform is built entirely on open-source tooling layered atop OpenStreetMap. Core products include MapSwipe, a mobile and web application for rapid satellite imagery review (available on iOS and Android); the HOT Tasking Manager, which coordinates distributed remote mapping; and a field-mapping suite comprising the Sketch Map Tool, Field Tasking Manager, Drone Tasking Manager, Open Data Kit, KoBoToolbox, OSMAnd, Organic Maps, and OpenDroneMap. The project also operates a global events calendar (OSMCal-integrated) for mapathons, training materials, statistics dashboards, and an active blog documenting impact in Ebola outbreaks, malaria campaigns, and disaster response across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Missing Maps operates as a non-profit with no commercial revenue model. Funding flows through donations (including via OpenCollective for MapSwipe) and grants from member organizations. All tools and data are provided free of charge under open-source licenses, with data contributed to OpenStreetMap under the Open Database License (ODbL). The project has 1-10 employees and is operationally managed by HOT, with member organizations including MSF, multiple national Red Cross societies, IFRC, CartONG, HeiGIT, Cadasta, healthsites.io, Crowd2Map Tanzania, Map Kibera, and YouthMappers university chapters.

Name

Missing Maps

Legal name

Missing Maps

Website

https://missingmaps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missing Maps is a collaborative humanitarian project, founded in 2014, that mobilizes volunteers and member organizations to map vulnerable communities into OpenStreetMap via MapSwipe, HOT Tasking Manager, and field-mapping tools for disaster preparedness and crisis response.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Mapping Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPAGAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Humanitarian mapping
• Open source mapping
• Volunteer mapping
• Disaster response mapping
• Community mapping

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Missing Maps is a non-profit collaborative project. The project relies on donations to support operations (e.g., MapSwipe donations via OpenCollective) and grants from member organizations. No commercial revenue model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Missing Maps coordinates volunteer-driven humanitarian mapping of vulnerable areas by combining remote satellite imagery tracing, field-based local knowledge collection, and data validation workflows. The project provides open-source tools (MapSwipe, HOT Tasking Manager, Sketch Map Tool, Field Tasking Manager, Drone Tasking Manager) and contributes all resulting geographic data to OpenStreetMap for use by humanitarian organizations in disaster preparedness, disease outbreak response, and community resilience programs.

Product overview

Missing Maps is a collaborative humanitarian mapping project operated by a collective of organizations (including Médecins Sans Frontières, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, American Red Cross, British Red Cross, and others). The project operates as a platform-plus-tools ecosystem rather than a single software product. At its core, the Missing Maps Project coordinates volunteer contributions to OpenStreetMap through structured workflows. The primary tools include MapSwipe (a mobile/web app for initial satellite imagery analysis), the HOT Tasking Manager (for coordinated remote mapping), and various Field Mapping tools (Sketch Map Tool, Field Tasking Manager, Drone Tasking Manager, ODK, KoBoToolbox). The project also supports community engagement through organized Mapathon events, training materials, an events calendar, statistics dashboards, and a blog. All mapping data is contributed to OpenStreetMap, and all tools are open-source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Missing Maps Project (Core Platform) An open, collaborative humanitarian mapping project where volunteers map areas at risk of disasters and crises by contributing to OpenStreetMap. The project coordinates remote mapping, field mapping, and facilitates mapathons and community events. Targets volunteer mappers and humanitarian organizations.
• MapSwipe An open-source mobile and web application that allows volunteers to contribute to geospatial data projects by swiping through satellite imagery to identify infrastructure, track environmental changes, and validate map data. Available on iOS, Android, and web browsers. Used by volunteer mappers to pre-screen areas before detailed mapping.
• HOT Tasking Manager

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 million people mapped ahead of schedule
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Missing Maps. Leads training programs, supports Open Data Kit improvements, and conducts community mapping in developing countries through its GIS team.
• British Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Missing Maps. Contributes to project governance and humanitarian mapping activities.
• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and primary technical partner. Develops and maintains HOT Tasking Manager, coordinates remote mapping activities, and provides technical infrastructure for the project.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Missing Maps. Uses mapping data for disease outbreak response, health interventions, and field operations in crisis zones.
• Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology (HeiGIT)coreTechnology or IntegrationMember organization that developed the Sketch Map Tool and ohsome OpenStreetMap History Data Analysis Framework for measuring Missing Maps impact.
• CartONGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissing Maps member organization specializing in field mapping, mobile data collection, and support for humanitarian operations. Based in France.
• The Netherlands Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization contributing to Missing Maps activities and humanitarian mapping initiatives.
• Canadian Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization engaged in community mapping activities in Canada and internationally.
• German Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined as member in 2020. Conducting mapathons in Berlin and using Missing Maps for Forecast-based Financing projects.
• Kenya Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization active in humanitarian mapping in East Africa.
• Cruz Roja EspañolamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish Red Cross member contributing to Missing Maps activities.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined Missing Maps in 2017. Supports the global Red Cross Red Crescent network's use of open mapping for humanitarian action.
• YouthMappersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of university chapters organizing student mapathons and building next generation of humanitarian mappers.
• CadastasupportingTechnology or IntegrationMember organization providing land and property rights mapping solutions.
• healthsites.iosupportingTechnology or IntegrationMember organization focused on mapping health facilities globally.
• Crowd2Map TanzaniasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization improving mapping coverage in Tanzania.
• Map KiberasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization mapping Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.
• Geography and Environment, George Washington UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic member conducting research and contributing to Missing Maps methodologies.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MapSwipe on Africa Cash for Digital Work Program in Mali, using mapping for solid waste management and creating remote employment opportunities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT): HOT is a co-founder of Missing Maps and operates the HOT Tasking Manager that powers the project's remote mapping workflow. It is a direct peer running the same open-source humanitarian mapping model, often with overlapping volunteers and member organizations.
• CartONG: CartONG is a Missing Maps member organization specializing in field mapping, mobile data collection, and humanitarian GIS support. It directly collaborates on Missing Maps projects (e.g., Burkina Faso urban improvement) and competes for the same humanitarian-mapping mandate in Francophone geographies.
• YouthMappers: YouthMappers is a Missing Maps member network of university chapters that organize student mapathons and build the next generation of humanitarian mappers. It is a direct peer operating in the same OSM-based humanitarian mapping space with overlapping volunteer pipelines.
• Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology (HeiGIT): HeiGIT is a Missing Maps member organization that developed the Sketch Map Tool and the ohsome OpenStreetMap History Data Analysis Framework used to measure Missing Maps impact. It is a direct peer in humanitarian mapping research and tooling, with academic credibility.
• Standby Task Force: Standby Task Force is a volunteer-driven digital humanitarian response organization that activates remote volunteers for crisis mapping, OSM tasks, and analysis during disasters. It is a direct peer mobilizing similar volunteer capacity for humanitarian mapping, though with smaller scale.
• UN Mappers: UN Mappers is a United Nations volunteer mapping initiative engaging UN staff and partners in OpenStreetMap contributions. It is a direct peer operating in humanitarian mapping with institutional UN backing, often coordinating on the same crises as Missing Maps.

Broad incumbents

• OpenStreetMap Foundation: The OpenStreetMap Foundation supports the volunteer-driven open-data mapping platform that Missing Maps is built on top of. It is a broad incumbent providing the foundational data layer and community, with which Missing Maps' tools integrate and on which its competitive position ultimately depends.

Emerging players

• Mapillary (Meta): Mapillary provides a crowdsourced street-level imagery platform integrated into Missing Maps workflows. It is an emerging player with partial overlap — contributing imagery for OSM editing rather than organizing humanitarian volunteer tracing — and now backed by Meta's computer-vision capabilities.
• GISCorps: GISCorps mobilizes volunteer GIS professionals for short-term humanitarian and development assignments worldwide. It is an emerging peer with partial overlap — applying geospatial expertise to humanitarian causes — but using professional volunteers rather than crowdsourced OSM tracing.
• Ushahidi: Ushahidi is an open-source crisis-mapping platform originating from Kenya that enables crowdsourced reporting and visualization during humanitarian events. It is an emerging peer in the humanitarian mapping space, with a different modality (incident reporting) but overlapping mission and donor ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheMissingMaps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Missing Maps