GPS startup Zephr has successfully raised $3.5 million in a seed funding round led by Space Capital and First Spark Ventures. The company aims to address the gap in GPS technology by developing a networked GPS solution to enhance accuracy for mobile devices.

Zephr recognizes that current GPS technology used in mobile devices, wearables, and other applications often suffers from errors, low accuracy, and reliability issues. To tackle this problem, Zephr has developed patent-pending software that can transform mobile devices into base stations. These base stations then generate ensemble error corrections, resulting in better accuracy for GPS.

By leveraging interconnected GNSS (global navigation satellite system) measurements across multiple devices, Zephr’s software-based approach can achieve sub-60 cm accuracy for mobile phones without the need for additional hardware or chipsets. This advancement in GPS accuracy can have significant benefits across various industries.

Improving GPS accuracy can enhance existing markets like delivery/logistics, rideshare services, auto insurance, and agriculture. Additionally, it can also open up opportunities in emerging fields such as autonomy, augmented reality, and smart cities.

Zephr’s CEO, Dr. Sean Gorman, highlighted the importance of GPS technology in various services and the challenges posed by its inaccuracy. He emphasized that improved GPS accuracy can bring economic benefits worth millions of dollars. Moreover, it can also improve daily routines and personal safety by preventing navigational errors, enabling safer collision avoidance systems in vehicles, and facilitating more advanced search-and-rescue efforts.

With the successful funding round, Zephr is well-positioned to further develop and deploy their networked GPS solution, bringing enhanced accuracy to mobile devices and revolutionizing industries reliant on GPS technology.