Kepler.gl
Kepler.gl is an open source geospatial analysis tool under the OpenJS Foundation that visualizes large-scale location data via WebGL. It serves data scientists and developers, with indirect monetization through Foursquare's Spatial Desktop and ecosystem plugins.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Kepler.gl does
Kepler.gl is an open source geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets, founded in 2017 by the VIS.GL team and governed under the OpenJS Foundation. The platform is built on Deck.gl and uses WebGL to render millions of data points interactively, with React and Redux providing an embeddable frontend architecture that supports integration into custom mapping applications. Core features include drag-and-drop data loading, geo aggregation, time-playback filtering, origin-destination analysis with brushing, and native support for cloud-native spatial formats such as GeoParquet and PMTiles.
The project serves four personas: data scientists who derive insights from location data, developers who embed geospatial visualization into custom applications, GIS professionals (reached primarily through Foursquare's Spatial Desktop), and map enthusiasts who build data-driven visualizations without deep GIS expertise. Distribution occurs through GitHub downloads and a browser-based demo site that requires no server backend, with downstream commercialization handled by Foursquare's Spatial Desktop — a native desktop application that bundles kepler.gl with DuckDB and SQLRooms for browser-free, multi-GB spatial query workloads. Ecosystem extensions include Jupyter notebook bindings, a Tableau plugin, and the RandomFractals Geo Data Viewer for Visual Studio Code.
The business model is unconventional: the kepler.gl core is free under the OpenJS Foundation and generates no direct revenue. Commercial monetization flows indirectly through Foursquare's licensed Spatial Desktop product, which embeds kepler.gl, and through adjacent ecosystem plugins. Marketing and community engagement operate through GitHub issues, a Google Groups mailing list, Medium tutorials, and an interactive demo website, with no traditional sales motion or disclosed enterprise customer relationships.
Kepler.gl firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kepler.gl
- Legal name
- Kepler.gl (OpenJS Foundation Project)
- Website
- https://kepler.gl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Kepler.gl is an open source geospatial analysis tool under the OpenJS Foundation that visualizes large-scale location data via WebGL. It serves data scientists and developers, with indirect monetization through Foursquare's Spatial Desktop and ecosystem plugins.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kepler.gl industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open Source Geospatial Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)
Keywords
Where Kepler.gl is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Kepler.gl business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Source (Community): Kepler.gl is an open source project maintained under the OpenJS Foundation. The core product is freely available on GitHub. Revenue is not directly generated from the open source software itself.
- Foursquare Spatial Desktop: Foursquare has commercialized kepler.gl technology by building 'Spatial Desktop' - a native desktop application with additional capabilities (DuckDB, SQLRooms, local storage). This represents an indirect revenue stream through a commercial product built on the open source foundation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Open Source - Free |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kepler.gl product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kepler.gl is an open source, client-side geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets, built on Deck.gl and WebGL for high-performance rendering. It enables drag-and-drop data loading, free-form filtering with time playback, geo aggregation, and origin-destination correlation analysis across multiple visualization layers (Arc, Line, Hexagon, Point, Heatmap, GeoJSON, Buildings). The tool is distributed freely under the OpenJS Foundation, with a commercial layer (Foursquare Spatial Desktop) that extends kepler.gl with native DuckDB and SQLRooms for browser-free desktop use.
Product overview
Kepler.gl is a single open source geospatial analysis platform primarily offered as a standalone web application. The core product is supplemented by the Foursquare Spatial Desktop (a native desktop app built on kepler.gl with DuckDB and SQLRooms for enhanced performance). The ecosystem includes Jupyter bindings, Tableau integration, and VS Code Geo Data Viewer extensions. Kepler.gl 3.1+ also integrates DuckDB for enhanced spatial query capabilities in the preview version.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Foursquare Spatial Desktop: A native desktop app built on kepler.gl, DuckDB and SQL. Offers browser-free spatial analysis with native DuckDB, SQLRooms, cloud-native spatial formats (GeoParquet, PMTiles), real-time rendering, and spatial joins and aggregations.
Products and services
- Kepler.gl A powerful open source geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets, built with Deck.gl and WebGL for high-performance rendering and on React and Redux for embeddability in custom mapping applications. Free to use under the OpenJS Foundation.
- Foursquare Spatial Desktop
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports visualization of datasets with hundreds of thousands of rows (e.g., 679,643 rows for UK commute data, 97,986 NYC taxi trips)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Kepler.gl
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kepler.gl technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature8 records
Kepler.gl partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OpenJS FoundationcoreKepler.gl is an open source project under the OpenJS Foundation. The OpenJS Foundation provides governance, trademark protection, and organizational support for the project. Contributors maintain code under the OpenJS Foundation umbrella, and the foundation holds registered trademarks for kepler.gl.
- VIS.GLcoreVIS.GL is credited as the creator of kepler.gl. The team develops the open source geospatial visualization tools and maintains the project under OpenJS Foundation governance.
- FoursquarecoreFoursquare built 'Spatial Desktop' - a native desktop application built on kepler.gl, DuckDB, and SQLRooms. This commercial product extends kepler.gl's capabilities with browser-free operation, native spatial formats (GeoParquet, PMTiles), and SQLRooms for professional GIS workflows.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kepler.gl competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Plotly: Plotly (Dash) provides interactive Python-based data visualization with mapping and chart layers, targeting similar data scientist use cases. It is a partial-overlap emerging player in interactive spatial analytics rather than a head-to-head geospatial platform.
- Felt: Felt is a collaborative web-based mapping platform for creating and sharing interactive maps, overlapping with kepler.gl's map enthusiast and data scientist personas. It is an emerging player focused on collaboration rather than large-dataset analytics.
Direct peers
- Mapbox: Mapbox provides developer-facing web mapping and geospatial visualization APIs/SDKs, overlapping directly with kepler.gl's developer-centric, web-based geospatial visualization mission. Both target data scientists and developers embedding maps into custom applications.
- QGIS: QGIS is a widely adopted open-source desktop GIS application serving GIS professionals with mapping and spatial analysis capabilities — the same practitioner segment Spatial Desktop targets. It competes in the same workflow space (professional GIS) via a different delivery model (native desktop, not browser).
- Foursquare Spatial Desktop: Foursquare Spatial Desktop is literally built on top of kepler.gl with DuckDB and SQLRooms, representing its primary commercial embodiment. It targets the same data scientists and GIS professionals with the same WebGL rendering engine, just packaged with browser-free execution.
- Deck.gl: Deck.gl is the underlying WebGL framework that kepler.gl is built on; both are maintained by the VIS.GL team under OpenJS Foundation. They share the same rendering engine and target the same developer audience building data-driven geospatial visualizations.
- Carto: Carto offers a cloud-based geospatial analytics and visualization platform with location intelligence tooling, directly comparable to kepler.gl's positioning around large-scale spatial data visualization for analysts and developers.
Broad incumbents
- Esri (ArcGIS): Esri's ArcGIS platform is the established enterprise GIS incumbent, offering mapping, spatial analysis, and visualization capabilities. It serves similar use cases (location intelligence, geospatial analysis) but is a much broader portfolio aimed at large enterprise and government GIS workflows.
- Google Maps Platform: Google Maps Platform provides web mapping APIs, visualization, and location services as part of Google's broader cloud portfolio. It addresses similar geospatial visualization use cases for developers but as one offering inside Google's wider cloud and AI stack.
- Tableau (Salesforce): Tableau is a leading analytics and visualization platform with native geospatial mapping capabilities. kepler.gl already has a Tableau integration plugin, positioning them as both collaborator and competitor for geospatial analytics workloads inside Tableau's broader BI stack.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Kepler.gl social profiles
Digital presenceKepler.gl financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kepler.gl leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kepler.gl funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kepler.gl 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 Kepler.gl
What does Kepler.gl do?
Kepler.gl is an open source, client-side geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets, built on Deck.gl and WebGL for high-performance rendering. It enables drag-and-drop data loading, free-form filtering with time playback, geo aggregation, and origin-destination correlation analysis across multiple visualization layers (Arc, Line, Hexagon, Point, Heatmap, GeoJSON, Buildings). The tool is distributed freely under the OpenJS Foundation, with a commercial layer (Foursquare Spatial Desktop) that extends kepler.gl with native DuckDB and SQLRooms for browser-free desktop use.
Is Kepler.gl a public or private company?
Kepler.gl is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kepler.gl founded?
Kepler.gl was founded in 2017.
Where is Kepler.gl based?
Kepler.gl is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kepler.gl make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Open Source (Community) is the primary driver. The others are foursquare Spatial Desktop.
Who are Kepler.gl's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Plotly and Felt. Direct peers are Mapbox, QGIS, Foursquare Spatial Desktop, Deck.gl and Carto. Broad incumbents are Esri (ArcGIS), Google Maps Platform and Tableau (Salesforce).
Does Kepler.gl have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kepler.gl.
What industry is Kepler.gl in?
Kepler.gl's product category is Open Source Geospatial Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAM, Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.