Mapstr is a geolocation-based mobile app that allows users to save their favorite places that it seems that the app “builds” their own world by combining maps and notes without getting distracted with other recommended venues. There have been around 50,000 venues built in Indonesia so far, and the team are even planning on adding Bahasa Indonesia into its database to accommodate the potential market.
Mapstr’s Founder and CEO Sebastien Caron has validated problems and solution to facilitates users in making notes on map-based app during the Startup Weekend workshop. In Indonesia, Mapstr will go head-to-head with Foursquare (Swarm), Yelp, Open Rice, and Bango Warisan Kuliner.
Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, has quite similar market behavior, as they love sharing. Thus, the concept of social media is a great success there. Interestingly, Caron himself regards Mapstr as an anti-social and self-centered service.
“We build Mapstr to help you build your own world, so that you may or may not share it to others. It’s clear that we won’t bother you with recommended places ever, in opposition to forementioned apps,” Caron told DailySocial.
The scheme offers full control to users, so that they may save their favorite places at ease. Mapstr only accommodates users’ features and convenience so that they may create their own world in several clicks.
The startup, which just sealed $800.000 of funding, promises a free app, which is free from ads. Forty percent of their users comes from France, while the rest 60% mostly come from Asia, including Indonesia. Mapstr further claims that 50,000 out of 600,000 venues it has globally built are based in Indonesia.
Upon entering the local market, the team have prepared a number of strategies, such as making the service available in Bahasa Indonesia. Another approach would be to partner with tech, lifestyle, and travel media for user acquisition and monetization.
It’s interesting to see how Mapstr covers Indonesia using its exclusive concept. At the moment, Maptsr is only available for iOS users.
