WheeLog
WheeLog is a Japanese non-profit operating the WheeLog! crowdsourced barrier-free mapping app for wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges. It monetizes via municipal mapping contracts, corporate sponsorships, enterprise training fees, and crowdfunding across more than 30 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What WheeLog does
WheeLog is a Japanese non-profit organization (operating as a dual entity: 一般社団法人WheeLog established August 2018 and 特定非営利活動法人WheeLog established March 9, 2023) that runs the WheeLog! crowdsourced barrier-free mapping platform. The platform — available as iOS and Android apps plus a desktop web version — allows wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges to share accessibility information through three core features: 走行ログ (route logs for wheelchair-accessible paths using GPS tracking), スポット (spots documenting accessible facilities and equipment with barrier details), and つぶやき (a real-time timeline of user posts and feelings during navigation). As of mid-2026, the platform records approximately 200,000 total downloads, 39,314 registered users (including 5,035 manual wheelchair users, 3,323 electric wheelchair users, 2,376 assisted wheelchair users, and 109 stretcher users), 68,339 spot posts, 16,077 km of route logs, and 44,960 timeline posts across more than 30 countries.
The organization is led by founder/CEO Yuriko Oda (a wheelchair user diagnosed with distal myopathy in 2002, external director at Inter-Action Corporation and recipient of the 2023 Japan SDGs Prime Minister's Award), CTO Fumihito Ito (Associate Professor at Shimane University specializing in welfare information engineering), and CKO Ori Yoshifuji (creator of the OriHime communication robot). WheeLog monetizes through a hybrid NPO model: it is free for individual users and educational institutions, but charges usage fees for commercial and municipal deployments, earns revenue from commissioned barrier-free mapping and consulting projects with Japanese prefectures and cities (Kobe, Okayama, Kawaguchi, Kumagaya, Yukisita, Kure), receives tiered corporate sponsorship (Platinum Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Gold Fujitsu, Silver Seibu Shinkin Bank, plus Fujitec and MIYOSHI), and runs periodic crowdfunding campaigns (¥8,218,400 raised from 533 donors in June 2023, with a new 2026 campaign targeting chat-based AI development). Complementary revenue lines include enterprise training programs for DE&I initiatives, government-tourism consulting (notably the Japan Tourism Agency's 113-restaurant Barrier-Free Eating and Drinking Facility Guide for the 2020/2021 Olympics), and barrier-free accessibility surveys for commercial properties such as Sunshine City. GTM is community-led: the organization holds wheelchair city walk workshops across Japan and internationally (Helsinki in 2023), maintains active social media presence (X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube with over 100 wheelchair-walker videos), and amplifies through earned media (BBC, Newsweek, NHK World, AERA) and international speaking engagements (MIT Solve, G20 Tourism, Dubai Expo 2020, UN Zero Project).
WheeLog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WheeLog
- Legal name
- 特定非営利活動法人ウィーログ (WheeLog! Non-Profit Corporation)
- Website
- https://wheelog.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WheeLog is a Japanese non-profit operating the WheeLog! crowdsourced barrier-free mapping app for wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges. It monetizes via municipal mapping contracts, corporate sponsorships, enterprise training fees, and crowdfunding across more than 30 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WheeLog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accessibility Mapping Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Navigation & Turn-by-Turn Apps (BPAMANAA)
Keywords
Where WheeLog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
WheeLog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Municipal/Government Contracts: Commissioned by local governments and municipalities to create and manage barrier-free maps for their regions. Examples include contracts with Kobe City, Okayama Prefecture, Kawaguchi City, Kumagaya City, Yukisita City, and Kure City for data collection and map creation.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tier corporate sponsors provide financial support. Sponsors include Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Fujitsu, Seibu Shinkin Bank, and others. The 2023 crowdfunding raised 8,218,400 yen from 533 donors.
- Enterprise/Business Use Fees: Companies and organizations using the app for business purposes (events, employee training, community activities) pay usage fees
- Barrier-Free Consulting: Consulting services for companies and organizations on accessibility improvements, including surveys and recommendations for barrier-free environments
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free for individual users |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Paid for commercial/business use |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free for educational institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
WheeLog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WheeLog operates a crowdsourced barrier-free map platform delivered through a mobile application (iOS and Android), a desktop web version, and complementary in-person services. The platform enables wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges to share and discover accessibility information through three core features: route logs (walked wheelchair-accessible paths), facility/equipment spots, and a real-time timeline. Revenue is generated through municipal government contracts, corporate sponsorships, training programs, and barrier-free consulting services.
Product overview
WheeLog! is a crowdfunded, user-generated barrier-free mapping platform designed for wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges. The core offering consists of a mobile application (iOS/Android) and a web-based version that enable users to share accessibility information through three main features: 走行ログ (route logs for wheelchair-accessible paths), スポット (facility and equipment accessibility spots), and つぶやき (real-time timeline updates). The company also provides complementary services including 車いす街歩き (Wheelchair Field Trip) workshops for hands-on accessibility education, corporate training programs for SDG/Diversity training, and barrier-free consulting services for governments and private companies. The platform is free for individual users while commercial and municipal use is paid.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WheeLog! Mobile App A user-generated barrier-free mapping application for iOS and Android that enables wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges to share accessibility information including route logs, facility spots, and real-time updates via a chirp/timeline feature. Free for individual users and educational institutions; paid for commercial and municipal use.
- WheeLog! Web Version A web-based version of the barrier-free map that allows users to browse and search accessibility information on desktop computers (not available on smartphones).
- Wheelchair Field Trip (車いす街歩き) Workshop events where participants experience city accessibility using wheelchairs, combining barrier-free surveys with community-building activities. Held across Japan and internationally (e.g., Helsinki 2023).
- Corporate Training Program (企業研修プログラム) Corporate training programs that use the WheeLog! app to teach SDG and diversity concepts through hands-on wheelchair city walk experiences for corporations, schools, and organizations.
- Barrier-Free Consulting (障害者共生社会づくり活動) Barrier-free consulting and survey services for governments, municipalities, and private companies including accessibility assessments for commercial facilities, parks, and tourist attractions; open-data integration support; and the Japan Tourism Agency barrier-free restaurant guide project.
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 200,000 total app downloads with 39,314 registered users as of June 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WheeLog
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WheeLog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
WheeLog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Microsoft FinlandcoreCo-host for WheeLog's first overseas city walk event in Helsinki, Finland. Provided detailed introduction to Microsoft's accessibility initiatives and supported the MyData 2023 Conference event where WheeLog participated.
- GeoForumcoreCo-host for the Helsinki 2023 city walk event. Provided closing remarks and support for the international expansion of WheeLog's activities.
- FujitsuflagshipGold sponsor supporting WheeLog's international activities and first overseas event in Helsinki. Provided sponsorship enabling the global expansion of WheeLog's mission.
- MyData GlobalcoreSponsor of the Helsinki 2023 event, aligning with their mission for human-centric personal data and accessibility.
- Orii Laboratory (オリィ研究所)coreCo-development of分身ロボットカフェDAWN with barrier-free consulting. CKO吉藤オリィ serves as advisor. Founder Orii Orii is renowned for creating communication robot OriHime.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WheeLog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Ory Laboratory: Ory Laboratory is the Japanese company behind the OriHime communication robot, founded by Ori Yoshifuji who serves as WheeLog's CKO and partner. It is an adjacent, thematically related accessibility-technology player rather than a direct competitor, sharing the Japanese disability-tech ecosystem.
- Aira Tech Corp: Aira provides remote visual interpretation for blind and low-vision users, an accessibility-tech adjacent service. It serves people with disabilities through a different modality (live agent assistance via smart glasses) and is comparable as a Japan-and-US accessibility-focused technology provider with subscription revenue model.
Emerging players
- OpenStreetMap: OpenStreetMap is a community-driven open-source mapping platform with accessibility tags (wheelchair=yes/limited/no) contributed by volunteers. It overlaps with WheeLog's crowdsourced model at the map data layer but lacks WheeLog's app-first experience, social features, and Japan-specific barrier-free focus.
- Moovit: Moovit is a transit and mobility app that incorporates accessibility features (wheelchair-accessible routes, step-free stations) and serves users with mobility challenges. It is comparable to WheeLog in addressing mobility needs but focuses on public transit rather than point-of-interest accessibility.
- Project Sidewalk: Project Sidewalk (University of Washington) is a crowdsourced platform for mapping sidewalk accessibility using machine learning and volunteer contributions. It overlaps with WheeLog's mission of documenting pedestrian accessibility but is research-oriented and US-focused rather than a consumer app.
Direct peers
- Jaccede: Jaccede is a French non-profit that operates a crowdsourced accessibility guide for public places, with a similar community-driven model to WheeLog. Both target people with disabilities (especially wheelchair users) and rely on user-contributed accessibility information about venues.
- Wheelmap (Sozialhelden): Wheelmap is the most direct peer to WheeLog—a crowdsourced, open mapping platform specifically for wheelchair-accessible places, launched in 2010 by German non-profit Sozialhelden. Both are community-driven accessibility mapping tools built around user contributions of accessible locations, with overlapping feature sets (spots/places on a map) and similar target audiences of wheelchair users.
- AccessNow: AccessNow is a crowdsourced app that rates the accessibility of venues worldwide, focused on disability accessibility. It is a direct competitor to WheeLog in the niche of community-driven accessibility mapping, with a global (rather than Japan-centric) footprint and similar user-generated rating model.
Broad incumbents
- Google Maps: Google Maps has progressively added accessibility features including wheelchair-accessible routing and "accessible places" labels. As a broad incumbent, it offers overlapping capability but as part of a much wider consumer mapping platform rather than a specialist accessibility tool, and lacks the wheelchair-user community/social layer that WheeLog offers.
- Apple Maps: Apple Maps includes detailed accessibility information for venues and supports wheelchair-accessible routing in supported cities. Comparable to WheeLog as a general-purpose mapping platform with accessibility features embedded, serving a much broader consumer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WheeLog social profiles
Digital presenceWheeLog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WheeLog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
WheeLog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WheeLog 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 WheeLog
What does WheeLog do?
WheeLog operates a crowdsourced barrier-free map platform delivered through a mobile application (iOS and Android), a desktop web version, and complementary in-person services. The platform enables wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges to share and discover accessibility information through three core features: route logs (walked wheelchair-accessible paths), facility/equipment spots, and a real-time timeline. Revenue is generated through municipal government contracts, corporate sponsorships, training programs, and barrier-free consulting services.
Is WheeLog a public or private company?
WheeLog is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WheeLog founded?
WheeLog was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WheeLog based?
WheeLog is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does WheeLog make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Municipal/Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, enterprise/Business Use Fees and barrier-Free Consulting.
Who are WheeLog's main competitors?
Others on record are Ory Laboratory and Aira Tech Corp. Emerging players are OpenStreetMap, Moovit and Project Sidewalk. Direct peers are Jaccede, Wheelmap (Sozialhelden) and AccessNow. Broad incumbents are Google Maps and Apple Maps.
Does WheeLog have an API?
No public API is recorded for WheeLog.
What industry is WheeLog in?
WheeLog's product category is Accessibility Mapping Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAA, Consumer Navigation & Turn-by-Turn Apps.