In 2008, Shabtai formed a company called Waze to commercialize the project. In 2009, the company name was changed to Waze Mobile Ltd. In 2010, the company raised $25 million in the second round of funding. The company raised an additional $30 million in financing the following year.
You might be thinking “Does Waze still exist today?”
One article stated that since then Waze has expanded to over 185 countries and has gotten over 115 million monthly active users on an average by the end of 2018. Waze was purchased by Google in June 2013 for around $1.3 billion dollars to help improve its own mapping service – Google Maps. As of writing, Waze still remains as a stand-alone app.
Does waze cost?
Data and cost Waze is free to download and use for everyone, but phone and carrier data rates continue to apply. Because Waze receives and delivers real-time road information related to your route, we strongly encourage having a mobile data plan with your mobile service provider in order to use Waze on the go.
Waze describes its app as a community-driven GPS navigation app, which is free to download and use. The Israeli company Waze Mobile developed the Waze software. Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar and Uri Levine founded the company.
Unlike streaming apps or services, Waze uses not much data when used. To put it into perspective, streaming a single track through Spotify would cost you more than when you drive a full hour using Waze. Needless to say, you don’t have to worry too much even if you plan on driving for hours using the app as your guide.
Another popular inquiry is “How much does it cost to build an app like Waze?”.
To give you a rough estimate, all we can say is, building an app like Waze will cost you somewhere around $30K-$40k if you plan to add just the must-have features in it. The cost can go up if you add some advanced features in your app.
Is Waze owned by Google?
Google also acquired Waze in the same month. At the time of Google’s acquisition, there were nearly 50 million Waze users. In 2017, an option was added for motorcycle users, as well as specialized routes for people eligible to drive in carpool lanes. Waze also lets users choose their navigation voice .
This of course begs the inquiry “How does Waze make money?”
As already mentioned, it makes sense to require location data to navigate users around bad traffic. But that location data can and is used for more than that. Waze is a free app and so revenue is obtained from advertising. That means you can expect to receive ads via the app, and also via email when you provide it as part of your sign up.
How many countries does Waze have a map?
Currently, only 13 countries have a full base map; the others are incompletely mapped, requiring users to record roads and edit maps. Waze offers turn-by-turn voice navigation, real-time traffic, and other location-specific alerts. Waze encourages users to report traffic or road hazards by offering points.