Where I've Been
Personalized and interactive world map that lets users share their travels.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
$3.0m Valuation: $3.0m | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Where I've Been, LLC operated as a social travel network, initially gaining significant traction as a Facebook application. The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 2007 by Craig Ulliott and Michael Dalesandro. Ulliott, a freelance developer, created the initial Facebook application which allowed users to mark their travel history on a color-coded map. This core feature enabled users to visually showcase the places they had visited, lived, or aspired to travel to, and share these maps across their social networks.
The platform's primary business was centered around user-generated content within the travel sector. It catered to travelers who wanted to digitally log and share their experiences. The business model evolved from a simple map application to a more comprehensive social platform. By April 2009, the company launched a full website incorporating features for local search, user reviews, photo and story uploads, and a travel booking service, thereby creating revenue streams through travel-related transactions. The platform's appeal was its ability to connect like-minded travelers and provide socially relevant travel recommendations. At its peak, the Facebook application engaged 10 million people who collectively mapped nearly half a billion places.
A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by TripAdvisor in July 2011 for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition was part of TripAdvisor's strategy to enhance its social travel capabilities, and the entire Where I've Been product team transitioned to TripAdvisor following the deal. After the acquisition, Craig Ulliott held a position as Director of Social Platform at TripAdvisor before co-founding other ventures like Belly and Codeverse. The Where I've Been website and service were eventually discontinued in December 2013, with users being redirected to TripAdvisor.
Keywords: social travel network, travel mapping, user-generated travel content, Facebook travel application, travel history map, Craig Ulliott, Michael Dalesandro, TripAdvisor acquisition, online travel community, travel booking platform, social trip planning, digital travel journal, interactive travel map, travel logging, social travel service