Open Map Project Gains Unprecedented Scale in Bid to Reshape Digital Geography

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 25, 2026 – The landscape of digital mapping is undergoing a seismic shift as the Overture Maps Foundation today announced a landmark partnership with BrightQuery, a firm specializing in government-sourced global entity data. The collaboration will see BrightQuery contribute a colossal dataset encompassing over 324 million organizations and 512 million locations to Overture’s open-source mapping project, dramatically escalating its challenge to the proprietary ecosystems of Google Maps and Apple Maps.

This move significantly expands Overture's 'Places' dataset, which previously contained around 70 million points of interest. By integrating BrightQuery's vast repository, sourced from over 100,000 public government agencies worldwide, the foundation aims to create a foundational map layer of unparalleled authority, breadth, and accuracy. Overture, a collaborative effort founded in 2022 by tech giants Amazon Web Services (AWS), Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom, seeks to build reliable, interoperable open map data that can be used by developers and enterprises globally.

"High-quality places and entity data are essential building blocks for modern mapping and geospatial applications," said Will Mortenson, Executive Director at Overture Maps Foundation, in the official announcement. "We are pleased to welcome BrightQuery as a General Member and look forward to its planned contribution. Expanding authoritative global places coverage helps improve accuracy, interoperability, and developer trust across the open mapping ecosystem."

A New Foundation for the Digital World

The core mission of the Overture Maps Foundation is to do the heavy lifting of curating and standardizing a base layer of map data, freeing up companies to focus on building innovative products and services on top of it. This new contribution is a monumental step toward that goal. BrightQuery’s data is not crowdsourced but meticulously compiled from official public filings with bodies like the IRS and Department of Labor in the U.S., as well as tens of thousands of other state and local agencies globally.

This methodology provides a level of verification and authority that is crucial for enterprise-grade applications. The dataset includes not just businesses but also institutions, landmarks, and other address-level entities across 222 countries. For Overture, this infusion of high-quality data is transformative, providing the depth needed to power everything from sophisticated logistics platforms to hyper-local search applications.

"We are excited to be collaborating with Overture Maps Foundation members and helping to enhance open location data coverage and accuracy for the benefit of the mapping community," stated Jose Plehn, CEO and Founder of BrightQuery. "Joining Overture supports our commitment to open, streamlined data infrastructure that enables better mapping, analytics, and AI outcomes for all."

BrightQuery will work directly with Overture's technical groups to integrate the data, focusing on schema alignment and entity resolution to ensure the new information merges seamlessly with the existing framework. This process is critical for creating a single, coherent, and easy-to-use dataset for developers.

Challenging the Proprietary Map Monopoly

This partnership represents a calculated strategic move within the rapidly growing geospatial market, which is projected to surpass $226 billion by 2030. By building a robust, free-to-use foundational layer, Overture and its influential backers are creating a powerful open-source alternative to the walled gardens of proprietary mapping services. For years, developers have been reliant on APIs from a few dominant players, facing usage limits and rising costs.

Overture's approach also distinguishes it from other open-source projects like OpenStreetMap (OSM). While Overture incorporates data from OSM in some of its layers, it is primarily focused on creating a highly structured, curated, and enterprise-ready product. It uses a Global Entity Reference System (GERS) to link map objects to the same real-world entities across different datasets, solving a major challenge of data interoperability. The addition of BrightQuery’s authoritative 'Places' data—a category where Overture had not previously utilized OSM data—fills a critical gap, offering a level of business data reliability that directly competes with proprietary offerings.

This move allows Overture's members and the broader developer community to build more complex and reliable services without the immense cost and effort of sourcing and verifying foundational location data themselves. It strengthens the entire open mapping ecosystem, fostering competition and innovation in a market long dominated by a few key players.

Fueling the Next Wave of AI and Analytics

The implications of this partnership extend far beyond traditional mapping. BrightQuery is already a key government data supplier for leading AI companies and a lead partner for the U.S. National Secure Data Service (NSDS), where it has secured million-dollar contracts to develop AI-driven tools for data access and analysis. Its data is considered "AI-ready," meaning it is clean, structured, and sourced reliably—a prerequisite for training trustworthy AI models.

Integrating this massive, high-quality dataset into an open framework will be a boon for AI developers and data scientists. Accurate and comprehensive location intelligence is crucial for training models in logistics, autonomous vehicles, economic forecasting, urban planning, and market analysis. With access to hundreds of millions of verified business and location entities, AI systems can develop a far more nuanced and accurate understanding of the physical world.

BrightQuery's role as a board member of the AI Alliance, a group dedicated to advancing open and responsible AI, further underscores the synergy. The collaboration with Overture aligns perfectly with the goal of building a trusted, interoperable data infrastructure to ensure AI systems are developed ethically and transparently. This partnership doesn't just provide more data; it provides the right kind of data to fuel responsible innovation.

Democratizing Location Intelligence for All

Perhaps the most profound impact of this collaboration will be the democratization of powerful location intelligence. While large corporations can afford to license expensive proprietary datasets, small businesses, non-profits, local governments, and independent developers have often been left behind. A rich, reliable, and open-source 'Places' dataset levels the playing field.

Urban planners in smaller municipalities can now access comprehensive data on local businesses to inform economic development policies. A startup logistics company can optimize its delivery routes with a level of accuracy that was previously out of reach. A local community group can map essential services with confidence. By lowering the barrier to entry, the expanded Overture dataset empowers a new generation of innovators to create solutions tailored to specific community needs.

BrightQuery's commitment to open standards, demonstrated through its participation in organizations like the EDM Council and FINOS, signals a deep-seated belief in the power of shared infrastructure. This partnership with Overture is more than a simple data transaction; it is a major investment in the future of an open, collaborative, and more equitable digital world.