Facebook acquires crowdsourced mapping company Mapillary

Mapillary CEO Jan Erik Solem said his company's technology would be used to power products like Facebook Marketplace and supply data to humanitarian organisations. — Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc on June 18 acquired Swedish mapping technology company Mapillary, which collects images from tens of thousands of contributors to build immersive and up-to-date maps, the companies said.

Mapillary Chief Executive Officer Jan Erik Solem, who founded the Malmö-based startup after leaving Apple Inc in 2013, said his company's technology would be used to power products like Facebook Marketplace and supply data to humanitarian organisations.