Working to map the final billion people who are currently off-the-grid

As the “Wikipedia of mapping,” volunteers around the world use Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) software to trace the outlines of landmarks on high-resolution satellite images. Local volunteers with basic smartphones validate those features and add details like quality or informal village names, and the data feeds back into the open-source global map.

Why Rippleworks Invested:

An investment in HOT will amplify the impact of NGOs and governments by generating data that can be repurposed for multiple uses. With low unit costs to develop a shared and sustained resource, an investment in better maps will yield powerful returns for the last billion people not yet on the map.

To date, HOT has mapped 131,518,076 buildings and more than 2,770,885 kilometers of road. These contributions help ensure that millions of people are given addresses and access to basic essential services.

Learn more about HOT’s other engagement with Rippleworks here.