What began as a response to the frustrations of buying a first home has grown into a platform that’s reshaping how people discover where to live. Through experimentation, iteration, and a deep understanding of user needs, Mappa has navigated the ups and downs of early-stage growth to build something both personal and powerful.

When Mappa joined the Geovation Accelerator in 2024, they were tackling a deeply personal challenge: how to make home-buying more intuitive, transparent and empowering for everyday buyers. Founder Bayo Ibirogba’s own experience — navigating unfamiliar neighbourhoods, opaque jargon, and commission-driven professionals — sparked the idea for a buyer-centred platform that could offer clarity, confidence and control.

Since then, Mappa has evolved from concept to capability, blending geospatial intelligence, conversational AI and lifestyle-led recommendations to help users find not just a property, but a place that fits their life.

From Experiment to Engagement

One of the most surprising and encouraging developments in recent months has been the acceleration of user engagement. Major upgrades — including expanded coverage of commuter towns and the launch of Hunter AI for real-time location recommendations — have helped Mappa move from static search to dynamic discovery.

The team’s approach to innovation is iterative and user-informed. During their time in the Geovation Accelerator, they leaned into experimentation, particularly around paid search — learning how to structure campaigns, test hypotheses, and understand acquisition dynamics in both short- and long-term contexts. These insights helped shape their go-to-market strategy and refine their product-market fit.

Scaling with Purpose

Mappa’s growth hasn’t been linear. Like many early-stage ventures, they’ve faced resource constraints and market complexity. But those challenges have sharpened their focus. Today, the platform serves thousands of users, with weekly and monthly active engagement growing more than fourfold in recent months. Revenue is beginning to flow through mortgage and MIP applications, validating a hybrid model that blends AI guidance with human expertise.

Beyond consumer traction, Mappa is also gaining interest as an enabling platform. Several firms are in advanced talks to license its data and analytics API, and new partnerships — including with fellow Geovation startup Conveyo and rent-to-own specialist Keyzy — are expanding access to alternative routes onto the housing ladder.

A Broader Vision

At its core, Mappa is about more than just buying homes. It’s about reimagining how people make life-shaping decisions — and how technology can support them with intelligence, empathy and relevance. The team’s long-term ambition is to build a universal AI buying agent: one that combines geospatial data, machine learning and local expertise to guide users from dream to doorstep.

As Bayo puts it:

“Our mission is to flip the script and make property highly personal and delightful for everyone — not just those who can afford private advisors. But it goes way beyond home-buying. It’s about making the entire industry more intelligent, efficient and customer-centric.”

Follow Mappa’s journey and explore how applications leveraging location technologies continue to shape a more user-centric and data-driven future:

• meet Mappa, and read their latest blog.
• learn more about our award-winning Accelerator Programme; and
• join our community and become an Ecosystem member.