How Hivemapper Will Compete With Google Maps | Ariel Seidman

Jul 8, 2025

Ariel Seidman, the CEO and co-founder of Hivemapper, shares insights into their groundbreaking decentralized mapping service. He discusses Hivemapper's origin story and its innovative strategies for competing with industry giants like Google Maps. The conversation covers strategic partnerships with companies like Lyft and Volkswagen, emphasizing their role in the robo-taxi industry. Seidman also dives into the challenges of decentralized infrastructure and the importance of attracting developers tocrypto by focusing on real-world applications.

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ANECDOTE

Ariel's Mapping Origin Story

Ariel Seidman shared his origin story growing Yahoo Maps and competing against Google.
He detailed why real-time vision mapping is the unsolved holy grail in maps.

INSIGHT

Google vs HiveMapper Monetization

Google monetizes maps mainly via expensive enterprise APIs, consumer search integration, and commercial fleet products.
HiveMapper competes with Google in data APIs and uniquely offers hardware and fleet solutions.

ANECDOTE

Volkswagen RoboTaxi Partnership

HiveMapper landed a key partnership with Volkswagen to support their 2026 robo-taxi launch.
They provide data on road construction, parking, and other hazards for autonomous safety.

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Gm! This week we're joined by Ariel Seidman to discuss everything happening with Hivemapper in 2025. We deep dive into the Hivemapper origin story, how to monetize as a DePIN network, how to attract more builders to crypto, partnering with robotaxi companies & more. Enjoy!

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(00:00) Introduction

(01:24) The Hivemapper Origin Story

(07:08) How Does Google Maps Monetize?

(11:43) Katana Ad

(12:36) Ledger Ad

(13:06) Partnering With Robotaxi Companies

(20:34) How Does Hivemapper’s Data Collection Compare To Tesla?

(22:31) What Is Bee?

(25:02) Katana Ad

(25:55) Ledger Ad

(26:25) Launching With A Token vs U.S Dollars

(30:03) The Evolution Of DePIN

(32:09) Do DePIN Networks Need Tokens?

(38:58) Do Subscription Models Work For DePIN Networks?

(46:35) Integrating AI With Hivemapper

(53:19) How To Attract More Builders To Crypto?

Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.