Bee Maps, the AI mapping project built on the Hivemapper network, announced it has raised $32 million in a Series A round to expand its decentralized mapping infrastructure. The funding, disclosed in a press release on Oct. 6, was led by Pantera Capital, with participation from LDA Capital, Borderless Capital, and Ajna Capital.
Fresh capital will be used to accelerate dashcam hardware deployment, enhance AI mapping models, and expand network coverage to meet growing enterprise demand from clients such as Volkswagen, Lyft, Mapbox, and NBC.
Scaling the decentralized map economy
The latest funding marks one of the largest capital raises in the decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) sector this year. Bee Maps operates by leveraging AI-enabled dashcams to capture real-time street imagery, transforming it into live geospatial data. This decentralized approach powers navigation, logistics, and smart city applications industries increasingly dependent on precise, continuously updated maps.
With the $32 million boost, Bee Maps aims to scale up its supply-side infrastructure, addressing a bottleneck in meeting data demand. The funding will specifically target device distribution, AI pipeline enhancement, and HONEY token-based contributor rewards, which incentivize community participation in mapping.
Growing enterprise traction and new membership model
Bee Maps’ corporate partnerships illustrate the growing enterprise appetite for decentralized mapping solutions. Volkswagen’s robotaxi program and Lyft are using Bee Maps data to enhance route accuracy and real-time navigation, while Mapbox and NBC integrate its live geospatial feeds for logistics and production optimization.
In tandem with the raise, Bee Maps unveiled a new Bee Membership plan, lowering entry barriers for new contributors. The plan replaces the previous $589 upfront hardware cost with a $19 monthly subscription, allowing more users to participate in the mapping network and earn HONEY rewards.