Strava Acquires FatMap
Online mapping and tracking is a busy market these days, as more and more of us take to the outdoors with the aid of wearable devices and phones, in order to find and create better routes and also to track and reach fitness goals. This week, space got a little tighter as activity tracking service and social community platform Strava announced the acquisition of FATMAP.
Having positioned themselves at the centre of connected fitness, the acquisition of the app known for its 3D mapping technology is part of Strava’s ongoing ambition to provide a best-in-class, holistic digital experience for people who are striving for an active lifestyle.
‘We have a shared vision with FATMAP to inspire more people to move by empowering them to discover and experience the joy of the outdoors,’ explained Michael Horvath, CEO and co-founder of Strava. ‘For us, the opportunity to reimagine the purpose of maps and how they inspire exploration is an outsized advantage for a differentiated outdoor experience.’
Founded in 2009, Strava has become the most widely used activity tracking apps, particularly popular within cycling and running, with more than 100 million users globally and over 8 billion activities shared on the platform.
Having focussed first on retailed mapping of mountain resorts, founded in 2013, designed mapping backcountry trails safely, FATMAP’s ambition is to become the go-to mapping service for adventure. Popular with hikers, skiers and mountain guides, FATMAP’s community is currently 1.6 million registered users strong.
‘We started FATMAP with a mission to make outdoor experiences more accessible,’ tells Misha Gopaul, Founder and CEO of FATMAP. ‘Where other map platforms have been designed for navigating streets and cities, we wanted to build a map designed specifically to help people explore. Joining forces with Strava opens up new exciting possibilities and will accelerate our progress to enable millions more people to explore the world’s wild places, safely and sustainably.’
We have a shared vision with FATMAP to inspire more people to move by empowering them to discover and experience the joy of the outdoors
The acquisition comes at a time when Strava has come under fire for a lack of transparency over recent subscription price hikes. In an official statement, the company apologised for the confusion, saying:
In an effort to roll out pricing updates for our subscription, we made a mistake by not providing enough information directly to our community. We sincerely apologise for the confusion and concern this has caused many of our valued subscribers.
Our intention was not to hide these pricing changes, we just moved too fast. We also missed the opportunity to inform long-standing monthly subscribers that, by shifting from paying monthly to annual, they can avoid a significant price increase altogether.
The merging of the companies will see FATMAP’s proprietary 3D mapping technology integrated into Strava’s services providing greater detail for route planning and pushing the app into more off-road territory while providing it’s existing subscribers with access to the full FATMAP offering.
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