New "Farol City Guides" travel app for your short trips launched
[11th September 2013]A new version of the intelligent travel app "Farol City Guides" was released today on the market, presenting a new design and a more appealing interface for a better travel experience. Available for now on Android, the app is to be released in weeks for short-break iPhone travellers. The Android version can be downloaded on the Google Play.
Detailed information on the Press Release: EN DE PT ES
LatitudeN and Farol City Guides raise Seed Funding
[20th June 2013]LatitudeN GmbH, a technology company providing smart and innovative location-based solutions in tourism, leisure and mobility, announced it has raised a non-disclosed amount from angel investors.
The funding round includes an investment for the start-up phase from two international business Angels groups.
Farol City Guides technology, an intelligent recommendation travel planner focused on short city-trips travellers, will be further researched and developed and developing new outstanding features in more destinations. The money raised will be used in addition to expand the technology into new markets.
The company was founded in Darmstadt (Germany) in 2009 by Bruno Fernandes, who is LatitudeN´s chief executive officer. The start-up is part of the Technology Transfer Programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). LatitudeN has currently a team of six people, including software developers, researchers and content managers.
Partnership with Porto top 30 best practice in Europe 2012
[1st September 2012]The publication "Satellites Going Local" 2012 edition selected the partnership between LatitudeN and the Tourism Department of the Municipality of Porto, Portugal, as one of the 30 best practice collaborations between regions, cities and SMEs in 2012.
This collaboration, which led to the implementation of "Farol City Guides" in the city, is highlighted by EURISY for the innovativeness of the mobile solution implemented by LatitudeN to solve a city problem on how to provide better access to information to its tourists.
The full text is available here.
LatitudeN and MAIRDUMONT partner on digital content
[26th January 2012]
LatitudeN and MAIRDUMONT today announced the establishment of a partnership to integrate high-quality touristic information into the smart travel solutions to be developed by the technology company LatitudeN GmbH.The today announced agreement is part of LatitudeN's strategy to partner with the most relevant players in the tourism sector, offering its clients with the highest-standard solutions.
Press Release
Brno from space to non-space
[8th December 2011]LatitudeN was invited to participate on the workshop organised by the South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC) in Brno, Czech Republic.
Speaking as a technology transfer success case from ESA, LatitudeN presented the company product "Farol City Guides" and its plans for a sustainable growth on the downstream satellite sector.
A resume of the event can be watched here.
Farol official guide in Porto
[3rd August 2011]Farol City Guides was yesterday presented on a press conference at Hotel Intercontinental Porto. The event, which was held by the inovation and tourism city councilman of Porto Mr. Vladimiro Feliz, was the moment to announce Farol as the official city guide for Porto by the councilman.
The media, local and several regional tourism players attended to the press conference.
Farol City Guides (beta version) launched
[8th July 2011]
The innovative mobile solution for short city-break touristst is already available for android based smartphones. The travel guide is currently available for the city of Porto (Oporto) in Portugal. Soon, other destinations in Europe will be released.The travel guide has a dedicated website with further information about its features, or can be directly downloaded on the Android Market.
R&D Working Group in Tourism and Sport
[8th April 2011]LatitudeN took part on ERRIN's workshop dedicated to Tourism and Sport in Brussels. The company was invited to present to a group of European Tourism Regions its product FAROL City Guides. The presentation highlighted in addition the innovative tourism-related location-based sevices LatitudeN may offer to european regions aiming at better supporting their tourists.
ERRIN is a Brussels-based network of European Regions with representative offices in Brussels.
Newsroom
[1st March 2011]LatitudeN in EBN Newsletter Special Edition
Applied innovation: the smart entrepreneurs' perspective
[24th January 2011]Brussels hosted the 2011 "EBN Annual Reception & Conference", event to which LatitudeN was invited to participate as Speaker in one of its session. Under the thematic "Applied innovation: the smart entrepreneurs' perspective", the conference gathered together 260 participants among entrepreneurs, SMEs, EU officials and national and regional authorities, discussing topics related to creative innovation, knowledge intensive services, satellite-enabled application and innovative entrepreneurship. LatitudeN's presentation focused on the challenges young entrepreneurs face when starting a business, and on the tools they may use to overcome such difficulties. The benefits of coaching support initiatives such as the KIS4SAT innovation vouchers, as well other tools which are important to achieve successful business results, were highlighted during its presentation.
The event was also an opportunity to interact with European innovation policy makers and innovation stakeholders, with a focus on the flagship communication about the "Innovation Union".
International collaboration project in Augmented Reality
[15th September 2010]
The international project submitted by LatitudeN to the European funding program EUREKA Eurostars, in cooperation with a Portuguese research SME, was ranked as the 5th best quality project out of more than 100 other international submissions to the same cut-off phase. The project was not only placed in the European top 5, but was in addition the best one involving a German-based organisation.TouAREG, the acronym for the project, proposes to develop an Augmented Reality mobile guide for both indoor and outdoor scenarios, relying on smartphones with GPS, camera and accelerometer. It integrates the available information in real time, providing maps, multimedia content and AR explanations to guide the tour.
New funding for FAROL
[10th September 2010]
LatitudeN GmbH has seen approved last month a second phase of funding for the FAROL project, by ESA. This approval is a sign of confidence toward the company's solid project. LatitudeN has achieved successfully the milestones set for the incubation period already passed, and even exceeded the normal expectations for a start-up in what concerns commitment, professionalism and technical skills of the management team.Since September 2009, the European Space Agency has been supporting the company at the Centre for Satellite Navigation, in Hessen (Germany), in the context of the ESA Business Incubation Initiative.
The software being developed shall be ready in 2011.
Croatia workshop on High-Tech-based concepts for Tourism
[29th May 2010]
LatitudeN was invited to take part as an Expert at the international conference "High-tech based concepts for presentation and interpretation of cultural heritage", which took place in Zagreb, Croatia, on the 27th May 2010. The event aimed at debating the role of new and interactive technologies in the cultural heritage field.LatitudeN presentation targeted "Mobile Location-Based Solutions in Tourism", focused on the potential benefit of the use of modern mobile GNSS technologies on local tourism and regional economies.
Decision makers from Governments and Ministries of Culture in the countries Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as directors of museums, tourist offices and organizations in the cultural and tourist area met in the capital of Croatia. During the event it was discussed the innovative opportunities for attracting and keeping tourists' interest and attention on the cultural heritage institutions.
LatitudeN debuts at ESA Investment Forum
[19th May 2010]Stuttgart (Germany) hosted the 4th edition of the ESA Investment forum, organised by ESA's Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) in collaboration with Europe Unlimited.
LatitudeN was one of the few SMEs selected to access and present in the event. The innovativeness of the company's project and the market potential of the product were highlighted in the feedback from a panel of investors and experts, as an opportunity for investment to consider in the future.
The forum plays an important role in European GNSS-related innovation and constituted an exceptional setting for LatitudeN to explore collaboration opportunities and catch the interest of potential future investors.
LatitudeN awarded innovation voucher by the KIS4SAT initiative
[10th May 2010]
The official kick-off session of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ENSC) took place on May 6th 2010 at the German Federal State of Hessen.During the event, hosted at ESOC, in Darmstadt, the first official KIS4SAT innovation voucher for SMEs was awarded to LatitudeN GmbH. The voucher recognizes the potential of the company to create value-added solutions in the GNSS-based market. KIS4SAT, an EU-funded project, awards best-practice examples from European SMEs operating in the field of satellite downstream application. LatitudeN GmbH is honoured to receive such high level recognition of its project, developed by a highly motivated and skilled team.
On the picture, Diogo Alexandre from LatitudeN (on the right side) is receiving from Mr. Robert Sanders (president of EBN) the KIS4SAT innovation award, during the ENSC kick-off event
LatitudeN at the ESA acceleration Workshop
[1st May 2010]During three days, LatitudeN participated on a workshop together with other 14 companies, carefully selected to take part at the event. It happened in Herten, Germany, between 28th and 30th April.
The ESA Acceleration Workshop aimed to help the selected companies to increase their likelihood of acquiring seed-level or venture capital funding. Experienced coaches from the relevant industry areas worked pragmatically with the 15 participants.
The ESA Acceleration Workshop provided during the three days LatitudeN with an opportunity to perfect its business model, tools and resources in order to successfully partner and grow its business. Focus was targeted on marketing, financials, teambuilding, and presentations. The guidance provided highlighted the strengths and weaknesses which need to be addressed by a growing start-up.