AlterGeo

AlterGeo, initially launched as Wi2Geo in May 2008, is a Russian technology firm that originated from the Ph.D. thesis of one of its founders, evolving into a specialist in hybrid positioning systems. The company was established by Anton Baranchuk, Alexandre Dorjiev, Denis Alaev, and Sergey Kurlovich. Anton Baranchuk, a serial entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in Mathematics, also founded the data visualization company AnyChart in 2003 and serves as a managing partner at West Coast Equity Partners. AlterGeo secured $10 million in a Series A funding round on June 9, 2011, from a consortium of investors including Intel Capital, Almaz Capital, and angel investor Esther Dyson.

The core of AlterGeo's business is its proprietary hybrid positioning system, which integrates WiFi, WiMAX, GSM, LTE, and IP addresses to determine the location of electronic devices. This technology was designed to offer a more reliable alternative to satellite-based systems like GPS, particularly in dense urban and indoor environments. The company monetizes this technology through a B2B model, providing APIs and SDKs to software developers, device manufacturers, and advertising networks. This enables clients such as Badoo and Mail.Ru Group to incorporate location-aware features into their products and gather location-based statistics.

In addition to its B2B focus, AlterGeo developed several direct-to-consumer applications. In 2008, it launched AlterGeo.ru, a location-based social network for the Russian-speaking market that allowed users to find places, share their location with friends, and receive discounts. The company later released Gvidi, an intelligent restaurant guide that provided personalized recommendations based on user preferences and social connections. In a move to serve local businesses, AlterGeo introduced Local Hero in 2014, a self-service platform for creating and displaying hyperlocal banner advertisements within a minimum radius of 500 meters. The company's work has received international recognition, including being named the Best Russian Startup at The Europas in 2013 and listed by The Financial Times as one of "Russia's next tech titans."

Keywords: hybrid positioning, location-based services, geolocation API, Wi-Fi positioning, hyperlocal advertising, Russian tech, mobile location, indoor positioning, location data, B2B location services, social discovery, restaurant recommendation, Anton Baranchuk, Alexandre Dorjiev, Intel Capital, Almaz Capital, Gvidi, Local Hero, geosocial networking, location intelligence, ad targeting, RTB