Zephr is working to create a networked GPS solution to enhance GPS accuracy for mobile devices. Photo: Zephr

GPS startup Zephr raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Space Capital and First Spark Ventures, the company announced Tuesday. Zephr is working to create a networked GPS solution to enhance GPS accuracy for mobile devices. 

The company says it is solving for a gap in GPS technology, where customer GPS used in mobile devices, wearables, etc. has errors, low accuracy, and reliability issues. Zephr has created a patent-pending software that turns mobile devices into base stations, which generate ensemble error corrections

The company said these interconnected GNSS (global navigation satellite system) measurements across multiple devices can achieve accuracy of sub-60 cm for mobile phones. This GPS augmentation is software-based with no additional hardware or chipset required. 

Better GPS accuracy can improve offerings in existing markets like delivery/logistics, rideshare, auto insurance, and agriculture, as well as emerging fields, such as autonomy augmented reality, and smart cities.

“GPS is an essential technology for so many services we now rely on, and yet it is plagued by inaccuracy. This poses many challenges for businesses and consumers, commented Zephr CEO Dr. Sean Gorman. “Improved accuracy in GPS can translate into millions of dollars in economic benefit, but for us, it’s about more than just money. A more accurate GPS system can also improve daily routines and personal safety, from preventing navigational errors to creating safer collision avoidance systems in vehicles and enabling more advanced search-and-rescue efforts.”