Geomob

Timbo Drayson, CEO of OkHi, discusses innovative solutions to address the lack of formal physical addresses in Africa and emerging markets. He explains how their technology maps people, not places, to improve access to services, reduce fraud, and enable financial inclusion.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed and Steven give us a summer update and discuss the recent Geomob Berlin and their recent projects.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed sits down with Lukas Martinelli, founder and CEO of Reprompt and former Mapbox engineer, to discuss the future of geospatial data and AI. Lukas shares his journey from building large scale mapping technology to launching Reprompt, a company rethinking how points of interest (POI) data is collected and maintained.

They explore why traditional approaches, from manual surveys to crowdsourcing and collaborative datasets like Overture and OpenStreetMap, are not enough, how Reprompt addresses challenges such as data quality and deduplication, and what excites Lukas most about the next wave of geospatial innovation. They also talk about his move from Europe to Silicon Valley and why he believes now is the right time to build a geospatial startup.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Jeremy Morley interviews Professor David Martin about how the UK census evolved from paper maps and manually drawn boundaries to a fully digital, GIS-based system. Martin describes his role in developing Output Areas, the small statistical geographies introduced for the 2001 Census that became the foundation for many government datasets, including deprivation indices and neighbourhood statistics.

The conversation also examines the impact of online data collection, the challenges posed by COVID-19 during the 2021 Census, and the future of census-taking. Martin concludes that while administrative data can supplement population statistics, a national census remains essential for collecting social and household information that routine government records cannot provide.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Aba Osunsade, Ecosystem Lead at Geovation, discusses how Geovation helps startups and innovators unlock the value of location data through accelerator programs, community events, and expert support. She highlights the free Ecosystem Explorer membership, which provides access to Geovation’s London hub, networking opportunities, and resources for entrepreneurs. The interview also explores the growing role of geospatial data in areas such as climate, transport, and privacy, emphasizing the need for responsible innovation.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.