Local hackathon sparks idea for innovative mapping and design software

Rebecca Swabey worked in the civil engineering industry for over 10 years and experienced firsthand how disjointed the data and processes were. Before building new infrastructure, whether it’s a road or a bridge, a surveyor must investigate the project site and collect topographic measurements and data to provide to the design team. This often took several weeks or even months to execute.

Equator’s journey into mapping started in 2017 at a Waterloo Hackathon. “We saw a sign for a local competition to improve the quality of water in Lake Eerie one day, and Patrick (co-founder of Equator) and I decided to enter,” said Rebecca Swabey. “We designed a solution that revolved around the precision mapping of soil conditions in the area and received third place. This experience sparked the idea of Equator and propelled us into the startup world.”

Today, Equator provides a 3D mapping and a design platform built for engineers and infrastructure designers. Its mission is to elevate the work of design teams by providing unprecedented access to the world’s data.

Equator provides instant access to the highest resolution lidar and elevation data available and converts raw data points into a 3D surface for a visual representation of the project site. Users can access topographic data that’s accurate to a few centimeters without paying tens of thousands of dollars and waiting weeks for a surveyor to collect and analyze the data for them.

“We believe that everyone who relies on spatial data deserves simple and direct access to this information. We built the Equator Data Menu to democratize access to mission-critical spatial insights and design tools,” said Rebecca. “Our goal is to help all professionals independently access the information they need to increase confidence and quality of work.”

Equator has grown from just two founders working with high school summer students to a team of seven. In the past 18 months, Equator has launched a product, raised a seed round, commercialized its product, and grown month over month in all targeted metrics including revenue generated. The startup now has over 20 000 users in over 100 countries around the world.

“Our goal is to position our platform as a workflow tool with a holistic place in an engineer’s processes,” said Rebecca. “Our dream is for users to plan, design, and execute their infrastructure designs entirely online from the comfort of their home using Equator.”

After three years of market validation research, financial forecasts, and business model pivots, Equator is joining the ranks of Canada's top tech companies! On October 26, Equator will be celebrating its graduation from AC:Incubate, and we're looking forward to celebrating with you as we add six more outstanding companies to the wall and launch our newest alumni into the next phase of their successful startup journey.