Mapzen

{{Short description|Open-source mapping platform}}

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Mapzen, founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York City, was an open source mapping platform company focused on the core components of geo platforms, including search (geocoding), rendering (vector tiles),{{cite news | last=Bliss | first=Laura | title=Interactive Maps Can Now Get the 'Matrix' Treatment | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=2015-05-12 | url=http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/05/interactive-maps-can-now-get-the-matrix-treatment/392981/ | access-date=2017-08-16}} navigation/routing, and data. Mapzen's components are used by OpenStreetMap, CartoDB, and Remix, amongst others.{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mapzen|title=Mapzen - OpenStreetMap Wiki|website=wiki.openstreetmap.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mapzen.com/blog/made-with-mapzen/|title=Made With Mapzen · Mapzen|website=www.mapzen.com}} The components, hosted on GitHub, are written in JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and Python.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/mapzen|title=Mapzen|website=GitHub}} Mapzen's CEO, Randy Meech, was previously SVP of engineering for MapQuest.https://www.linkedin.com/in/randymeech/ {{Self-published source|date=June 2022}}

Mapzen was supported by Samsung Research America and was known to have hired mapping specialists from Apple.{{cite web | author=AppleInsider | title=Samsung subsidiary Mapzen hiring Apple cartographers, designers for maps initiative | website=AppleInsider | date=2015-06-30 | url=//appleinsider.com/articles/15/06/30/samsung-subsidiary-hiring-apple-cartographers-designers-for-maps-initiative | access-date=2017-08-16}}

Mapzen shut down operations in late January, 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mapzen.com/blog/shutdown/|title=Mapzen Shutdown :( · Mapzen|website=www.mapzen.com}}{{cite magazine |last1=Marshall |first1=Aarian |title=An Open Source Startup Dies, But Mapping Is Still Hotter Than Ever |url=https://www.wired.com/story/mapzen-shuts-down/ |magazine=WIRED |access-date=9 August 2018}}

On the 28th of January 2019 The Linux Foundation announced Mapzen would become a Linux Foundation Project.{{Cite web|url=https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press-release/2019/01/mapzen-open-source-data-and-software-for-real-time-mapping-applications-to-become-a-linux-foundation-project/|title=Mapzen Open Source Data and Software for Real-Time Mapping Applications to Become A Linux Foundation Project|date=2019-01-28|website=The Linux Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-28}}