Ariel Seidman

Ariel Seidman is a technology entrepreneur and map enthusiast who founded Hivemapper, a decentralized mapping platform that uses dashcams to build an ever-updating map. He coordinates the engineering and business development teams to delight contributors and customers, and he is on a mission to build a new global map. The platform represents a fundamental shift in how maps are built and who owns them, sharing the economic benefits of a global map with those who are building it.

Ariel got his start in mapping over a decade ago at Yahoo! Search and Maps, where he learned a lot about building maps at scale. He then went on to start Gigwalk, a location-based data collection company that turns mobile devices into a second paycheck collecting data for all the top mapping companies. Gigwalk was recognized by Fast Company as a Top 10 Mobile Innovation Company, and Ariel raised over $8M in venture capital from Harrison Metal, Greylock, and August Capital.

Ariel's career spans over two decades, and he has held key positions in some of the top technology companies. He was a Director of Product Management at Yahoo for five years, where he built products for Yahoo! Search and Maps. Prior to that, he was a Principal Product Manager at Siebel (Oracle), where he worked for five years. He is known for his ability to build innovative products that solve complex problems, and his work has been recognized by industry publications such as Forbes.

Ariel started his career in tech at a young age. He worked for Seibel, a tech company under the propriety of Oracle for five years. He, then, joined Yahoo! as the Director of Product Management for Yahoo in 2005, where he worked on projects for Yahoo Search and Maps. 

Ariel founded Gigwalk, a mobile workforce management platform that helps businesses find and hire on-demand workers, in 2009. He raised over $8M in venture capital for Gigwalk from investors such as Harrison Metal, Greylock, and August Capital. Gigwalk was named as one of the FastCo's top 10 mobile innovation companies.

In 2015, he co-founded Hivemapper, a company that aims to build a smarter map of the world through the use of AI and computer vision technology. Hivemapper is backed by top-tier investors, including Spark Capital, Multicoin Capital, Craft Ventures, and GV, among others. Forbes has recognized Hivemapper as one of the 50 most promising AI companies.

Ariel's vision is to create a decentralized, ever-updating map that is built by people using dashcams, and soon to be mined through a new cryptocurrency called HONEY. He believes that this new mapping economy represents a fundamental shift in how maps are built and who owns them, and that sharing the economic benefits of a global map with those who are building it is the way forward.

Ariel also wants to change the way that mapping is done. He wants to democratize the process of map building and make it accessible to everyone. He believes that by using dashcams, people can contribute to the map in a way that is both easy and efficient, and that this will lead to a better and more accurate map.

In a recent interview for citiesabc with Hilton Supra, Vice Chairman of Ztudium Group, Ariel said:

“I am passionate about using technology to solve complex problems. I want to build innovative products that make people's lives easier and that help them to navigate the world more effectively.”

Ariel focusses particularly on using artificial intelligence to create smarter maps that are more responsive to people's needs.