Maps Made Easy

What Maps Made Easy does

Maps Made Easy is a San Diego-based, privately held cloud photogrammetry platform founded in 2014 that converts aerial imagery collected by any drone or aircraft into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models (DSMs). The company operates a self-serve, product-led growth model in which users sign up directly on its website, capture imagery using their own aircraft under a "Bring Your Own Aircraft" (BYOA) stance, and upload images for cloud-based processing. Its flagship consumer-facing companion is the Map Pilot Pro mobile application, available on iOS and Android, which automates aerial data collection to optimize downstream map quality.

The platform monetizes through a combination of pay-as-you-go processing credits and subscription tiers, supplemented by a 15-day Pro-tier free trial offering up to 3 gigapixels of free processing and bundled free processing credits for customers of the affiliated Drones Made Easy hardware retailer. Technical differentiation includes support for up to 5,000 source images per job, no resolution caps, NDVI processing for agriculture, georeferenced outputs in standard GIS formats, and branding-free map sharing on paid jobs. Pricing has been held flat since 2014, which the company uses as a positioning signal.

Maps Made Easy serves a horizontal mix of SMB and individual professional users across real estate, agriculture, construction and surveying, professional drone operators, and GIS analysts. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, no headcount figure, and no revenue disclosures, and shares operational infrastructure with the affiliated Drones Made Easy drone retail brand. Distribution is global through direct website signup and the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with earned-media visibility from features in CNN, Fox, and Popular Science.

Name

Maps Made Easy

Legal name

Maps Made Easy

Website

https://kickstarter.mapsmadeeasy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maps Made Easy is a San Diego-based cloud photogrammetry platform founded in 2014 that converts aerial imagery from any drone into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and NDVI outputs for SMB users across real estate, agriculture, construction, and GIS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Mapping Software

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)

akta.pro primary industry

Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software (AFAAAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

Keywords

• Drone aerial mapping
• Photogrammetry processing
• Orthophoto map generation
• Drone flight automation
• GIS data outputs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pay-as-you-go Processing Credits: Users purchase processing points/credits to pay for individual map processing jobs. This is a consumption-based model where users pay only for what they process, suitable for occasional or irregular users. No commitment required.
2. Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription tiers offering higher processing limits, including free processing allowances for small jobs. Pro users can process up to 3 gigapixels of data for free as part of the trial. Subscriptions provide cost predictability for regular users with higher volume needs.
3. Hardware Sales (Mapping Kits): Sale of mapping and agriculture drone kits through the Drones Made Easy platform. These bundled hardware products complement the software processing services.
4. Professional Services / Support: Support services including dedicated mapping help and Map Pilot Pro help centers. Implementation and onboarding assistance for users needing help getting started.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maps Made Easy is a cloud-based aerial imagery processing platform that accepts photos from any drone or aircraft and converts them into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models. It offers NDVI processing for agriculture, advanced measurement and annotation tools, and standard GIS-compatible outputs. The Map Pilot Pro mobile app for iOS and Android automates drone flight and image capture, feeding data directly into the cloud processor.

Product overview

Maps Made Easy is a cloud-based aerial mapping platform that consists of two core offerings: the Aerial Map Processing Platform for photogrammetry processing and 3D model generation, and the Map Pilot Pro mobile application for iOS and Android that automates data collection. Users capture aerial imagery using their own drones or aircraft, then upload images to the platform for cloud processing into orthophoto maps, 3D models, and NDVI analyses. The platform offers pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Map Pilot Pro: iOS and Android mobile application for automated drone data collection and aerial mapping.

Products and services

• Aerial Map Processing Platform Cloud-based photogrammetry processing service that converts user-collected aerial imagery from any drone or aircraft into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models. Supports NDVI processing for crop monitoring, advanced measurement and annotation tools, branding-free map sharing, and outputs in standard GIS formats. Intended for drone operators, real estate, agriculture, construction, surveying, and GIS professionals.
• Map Pilot Pro Mobile Application Mobile app available on iOS App Store and Google Play that automates drone flight and aerial data collection to capture imagery optimized for upload into the Aerial Map Processing Platform. Designed for drone operators who need consistent, hands-off image capture for orthophoto and 3D model generation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20X higher resolution than Google Earth maps
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Drones Made EasycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMaps Made Easy and Drones Made Easy are closely aligned companies under common ownership. Drones Made Easy is a drone hardware retailer and sales company, while Maps Made Easy provides the cloud-based photogrammetry processing software. Drones Made Easy customers receive bundled free processing on the Maps Made Easy platform, creating a natural hardware-software integration. Maps Made Easy recommends Drones Made Easy for hardware needs, and Drones Made Easy recommends Maps Made Easy for processing, creating a symbiotic go-to-market relationship.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pix4D: Pix4D provides professional photogrammetry software that converts drone and aerial images into orthomosaics, point clouds, and 3D models. It targets the same surveying, construction, and agriculture workflows as Maps Made Easy, with both desktop and cloud processing.
• Agisoft (Metashape): Agisoft's Metashape is a professional photogrammetry software that produces 3D spatial data from aerial images. It competes directly with Maps Made Easy for users who want to process aerial imagery into georeferenced models and maps.
• Propeller Aero: Propeller Aero offers cloud-based drone surveying and mapping with orthophotos, 3D models, and volume measurements, primarily for construction and mining. It is a direct peer to Maps Made Easy in the cloud photogrammetry processing space.
• PrecisionHawk: PrecisionHawk provides drone-based mapping, data processing, and analytics across agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. It overlaps with Maps Made Easy's photogrammetry platform and NDVI agriculture use cases.
• DroneDeploy: DroneDeploy is a leading cloud-based drone mapping and photogrammetry platform offering orthomosaics, 3D models, and analytics for construction, agriculture, and mining — directly comparable to Maps Made Easy's core processing and analytics offering.

Broad incumbents

• Skydio: Skydio is a leading autonomous drone manufacturer that has expanded into cloud processing and mapping workflows. Its integrated hardware and processing offering competes with Maps Made Easy's BYOA model and threatens to capture users via vertical integration.
• Parrot (senseFly): Parrot's senseFly division offers fixed-wing drones paired with photogrammetry processing for surveying and agriculture. It is a broad incumbent whose hardware-plus-software bundle parallels the Drones Made Easy / Maps Made Easy relationship.
• Esri ArcGIS Drone2Map: Esri's Drone2Map integrates drone imagery into the dominant GIS platform, producing orthomosaics and 3D meshes in standard GIS formats. It overlaps with Maps Made Easy's GIS-interoperable outputs and targets the same GIS professional segment.
• DJI Terra: DJI's mapping and photogrammetry software is bundled into the world's largest drone ecosystem. It directly overlaps with Maps Made Easy's processing capabilities and benefits from DJI's hardware dominance, putting pricing pressure on independent platforms.
• Trimble (Aerial Imaging): Trimble provides surveying, mapping, and geospatial software including aerial photogrammetry workflows. It is a broad incumbent in the same surveying and construction verticals that Maps Made Easy targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mappilot/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
• Xx.com/MapsMadeEasy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Maps Made Easy