Strava, the GPS tracking subscription service used predominantly by runners and cyclists, has announced the acquisition of FATMAP – a mobile app used for planning, tracking and sharing outdoor adventures. With its cutting-edge 3D map, FATMAP allows users to plan a range of mountain activities, from hiking and biking to trail running or ski touring. Strava subscribers will gain access to the full FATMAP offering as part of the deal.
The acquisition is part of Strava’s ongoing investment to provide a best-in-class digital experience for people who are striving for an active lifestyle. FATMAP has built a global proprietary 3D mapping technology that will be enabled in all of Strava’s services, empowering active individuals to holistically discover and plan an outdoor experience with curated local guides, points of interest and safety information.
“In 2022, nearly 10 million routes were saved and recommended by active individuals around the world on Strava. Maps and tools are powerful unlocks to deliver daily value and motivate our active community,” said Michael Horvath, CEO and co-founder of Strava. “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. For us, the opportunity to reimagine the purpose of maps and how they inspire exploration is an outsized advantage for a differentiated outdoor experience.”
FATMAP – no mobile connection necessary
Designed specifically for trails and exploring the outdoor world, FATMAP’s technology enables people to safely discover, navigate and share adventures, even without a mobile connection.
FATMAP’s community of hikers, mountain bikers, skiers and trail runners are already active in over 100 countries around the world. Paired with Strava’s data set of more than 8 billion activities, the acquisition will enable a universal map for human-powered experiences whether moving on the slopes, trails, city streets or suburban neighbourhoods.
Based in Europe, FATMAP was founded in 2013 by Misha Gopaul and David Cowell and has nearly 50 highly skilled team members that will join Strava’s workforce across the continent including offices in Chamonix, Berlin and Vilnius. Gopaul will shift from his current role as FATMAP CEO to serve as a Strava vice president of product, reporting to Steve Lloyd, Strava’s chief product and technology officer.
Gopaul said: “We started FATMAP with a mission to make outdoor experiences more accessible. 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.”
This acquisition follows last year’s product enhancements from Strava, including the introduction of new trail sports types and its enhanced suite of routing features to help active people explore and power their adventures. It is also the second acquisition since summer 2022, when the organisation acquired Recover Athletics, a prehab and injury prevention app for active individuals. These additions reinforce its steady technology investments to provide active individuals with higher value and access to more tools to plan, motivate and power an active lifestyle on a singular platform.
Strava also recently announced 9 new sports types, including racquet sports, pilates and HIIT. Now supporting 50 different activity types, the community platform continues to grow subscriber benefits, such as ski area mapping, Recover Athletics pre-hab content, Beacon safety tracking, route recommendations, an online route builder, global and personal heatmaps, and segment leaderboards. With these product upgrades, Strava has enacted a price change to reflect the increased benefits. These updates aim to deliver daily value to active people around the world.
