Local Explorers

What Local Explorers does

Local Explorers, operated by Boca Raton, Florida-based private software company Daruma Tech, provides a white-label mobile loyalty and destination marketing platform to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), craft beverage guilds and associations, wine councils, main street organizations, and economic development groups across the United States and Canada. The platform underpins branded iOS and Android apps (e.g., Florida Distillery Trail, OcalaMarion Travel Guide, Taste of Nova Scotia, GO Laurel Highlands, Texas Brewery Passport, Washington State Beer, Connecticut Farm Wineries, Vermont Brewery Challenge, Rhode Island Brewery Passport, Colorado Spirits Trail) with digital passports, GPS-validated check-ins, dynamic QR codes that regenerate every minute for security, push notifications, multi-language support, self-guided trail curation with map/list toggling, activity feeds for social sharing, badges, deals, events, and an analytics dashboard accessed via the business.localexplorers.com admin portal. Payment processing is handled through integrated Stripe, Square, and PayPal connections for advertising purchases and membership fees. The business monetizes through three streams: recurring platform subscriptions from associations and DMOs for branded app access, in-app advertising sold to member businesses (banner 600x100px and native 500x300px units), and professional services for custom implementations; pricing is quote-based via a 'Request A Demo' funnel rather than publicly disclosed.

Name

Local Explorers

Legal name

Daruma Tech

Website

https://localexplorers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local Explorers (Daruma Tech) is a Boca Raton, Florida-based private software company that provides white-label mobile passport and loyalty apps to destination marketing organizations, craft beverage guilds, and associations across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Loyalty Software

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

akta.pro primary industry

Loyalty Commerce & Affiliate/Offer Platforms (Shopping Portals, Cashback, Offers) (THALAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B OTA/White-Label Booking Platforms & Affiliate Networks (THAKAAAO), Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Marketplaces (THALAFAF), Adventure & Outdoor Local Operators (Trekking/Safari/Diving) (THAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Mobile loyalty platform
• Destination marketing software
• Digital passport programs
• White-label mobile apps
• Tourism engagement platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Boca Raton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Subscriptions: B2B SaaS model providing branded mobile apps and platform access to destination marketing organizations, guilds, associations, and member businesses. Associations pay subscription fees to maintain their branded passport apps and manage member participation.
2. In-App Advertising: Associations and member businesses can purchase banner ads (600x100px) and native ads (500x300px) within the apps, with credit card payment processing through the platform.
3. Professional Services: Custom development and implementation services for associations and DMOs seeking tailored mobile loyalty solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Local Explorers provides a white-label mobile loyalty and destination marketing platform that enables DMOs, craft beverage guilds, associations, and economic development groups to launch branded iOS and Android apps with digital passport programs, GPS-based check-ins, points and rewards, push notifications, trail maps, and analytics. The platform is sold via B2B subscriptions to organizations that in turn drive consumer foot traffic to their member businesses through loyalty-driven engagement.

Product overview

Local Explorers offers a unified mobile loyalty and destination marketing platform consisting of branded mobile apps (Trail App and Explorer App) along with modular features including Passport programs, Tours and Trails, Badges, Trip Planner, and Passes. The platform is designed for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), guilds, associations, main street organizations, and economic development groups to promote local commerce through digital passport loyalty programs. The core product enables app users to discover locations, earn rewards through digital passport stamps (GPS-based check-ins), access deals and events, and share experiences via activity feeds. The platform supports white-label branding and provides administrative portals for member businesses and associations to manage content, analytics, and promotions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trail App A branded mobile app specifically designed for trail-based tourism experiences (craft beverage trails, coffee trails, food trails, etc.), enabling location discovery, digital passport stamping via GPS, and trail navigation. Sold to DMOs, guilds, and associations whose members participate in trail experiences.
• Explorer App A general-purpose branded mobile app for destination marketing organizations, main street organizations, and guilds to promote member businesses with loyalty, discovery, and engagement features. Sold to organizations seeking broader destination-marketing functionality beyond a single trail.
• Local Explorers Platform A comprehensive mobile loyalty and destination marketing platform enabling guilds, associations, DMOs, and economic development groups to create branded apps with digital passports, location discovery, deals management, events promotion, and analytics. Sold as the underlying platform powering the Trail App and Explorer App.
• OcalaMarion Travel Guide App Branded mobile travel guide app built on the Local Explorers platform for the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau to promote tourism, member businesses, and visitor engagement across Marion County, Florida.
• Florida Distillery Trail App Branded mobile passport app for the Florida Craft Spirits Association featuring 44 participating Florida distilleries, with a point system rewarding repeat visits and first-time exploration, virtual passport with digital badges, and prizes.
• Taste of Nova Scotia App Branded mobile app built on the Local Explorers platform allowing users to experience over 200 of Nova Scotia's restaurants and craft producers across three trails (Lobster Trail, Chowder Trail, and Good Cheer Trail).

Quantifiable outcome

• Record $5.3 million in tourism tax revenue for Marion County, FL in fiscal year 2022-2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Florida Craft Spirits AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Introduced new 'Featured Locations' functionality to the Florida Distillery Trail app at the request of the association. Feature allows targeted distilleries to receive additional promotion through rotating monthly spotlights, offering app users bonus points for visits to highlighted venues. Association plans to promote one to three member distilleries monthly using targeted push notifications.
• Florida Craft Spirits AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Partnership to relaunch the Florida Distillery Trail app with new point system rewarding both repeat visits and first-time exploration at 44 participating Florida distilleries. Fresh app features virtual passport program with digital badges and prizes. Partnership aims to support local commerce by providing distilleries with visitor behavior insights while encouraging tourists and Florida residents to patronize local craft spirit producers.
• GO Laurel HighlandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Expanding partnership with Pennsylvania-based DMO to add new Coffee Club Trail feature to existing mobile app. Feature provides users with self-guided tour of 12 local coffee houses and cafes including venue details and navigation capabilities. Jennifer Benford, senior director of marketing at GO Laurel Highlands, cited Local Explorers' collaborative approach and strong understanding of destination marketing as key factors in continued partnership.
• Marion County, FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2023Nationwide search led to partnership with Marion County to create the OcalaMarion Travel Guide App. Local Explorers' exceptional track record as developer of high-impact, highly customized mobile loyalty apps stood out to Marion County decisionmakers. Partnership credited with helping drive half-million-dollar increase in county's tourism tax revenue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• STQRY: STQRY builds mobile apps and self-guided tour platforms for destinations, museums and trails. Like Local Explorers, it supplies branded white-label apps with mapping, location-aware content and tour/trail features to tourism and cultural customers.
• Visit Widget: Visit Widget offers tourism boards and visitor bureaus digital guides, loyalty tools and attraction passes. Overlap with Local Explorers centers on mobile-first visitor engagement, coupons and passport-style rewards for DMO clients.
• Arrivalar: Arrivalar provides loyalty, coupon and visitor-engagement mobile apps for destinations and tourism organizations. It targets the same DMO/guild customer base with white-label mobile passport functionality directly comparable to Local Explorers' offering.
• Bandwango: Bandwango is a SaaS platform that powers digital passport and experience programs for DMOs, breweries, wineries and associations. It is the closest functional competitor to Local Explorers, offering nearly identical digital-stamp/reward mechanics to the same customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Sojern: Sojern is a travel marketing/tech platform powering digital advertising and audience solutions for hotels, attractions and DMOs. Broader incumbent in destination marketing with overlapping customer base (tourism boards) but focuses on paid media rather than mobile loyalty/passes.
• CrowdRiff: CrowdRiff is a visual content marketing and UGC platform widely used by DMOs and tourism boards. It overlaps with Local Explorers' activity feed/social sharing functionality but is a larger, more general-purpose martech player in the destination marketing space.
• Simpleview: Simpleview provides CRM, CMS and digital marketing tools to DMOs and CVBs. It overlaps with Local Explorers on DMO customer relationships and visitor engagement infrastructure, but operates as a broader enterprise platform with destination-loyalty features alongside many other modules.

Regional players

• Tourism Tiger: Tourism Tiger is a Canada-based digital marketing agency and platform serving tourism boards with websites, mobile apps and digital campaigns. Geographic overlap with Local Explorers in Canada (e.g., Taste of Nova Scotia) and partial functional overlap in DMO mobile delivery.

Others

• PlacePass: PlacePass operates a marketplace of tours, activities and experiences for travelers via distribution partners. Not a direct competitor on white-label loyalty apps, but adjacent — serving the same destination-discovery use case from the supply/distribution side rather than the B2B SaaS side.

Emerging players

• OtterConnect: OtterConnect provides mobile experience and membership platforms for outdoor/tourism businesses with loyalty and pass features. Comparable to Local Explorers in white-label app deployment for associations and outdoor recreation entities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/localexplorers
• Instagraminstagram.com/local_explorers_app
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Local Explorers