National park app developer Chimani raises $745,000
Chimani, a Portland-based developer of national park mobile apps, said Thursday that it raised $745,000 from the Maine Venture Fund, Maine Technology Institute, Maine Angels and individual investors, including Steve King, an early Facebook employee.
King, along with Preston Junger of Yelp!, also joined Chimani’s board of directors. They had previously served as advisors to the company.
"There are three reasons why I am actively involved in Chimani as a board member and as an investor” King said in a statement. “Firstly, I studied natural resource studies and resource economics in college. Secondly, I enjoy technology-based startup companies and believe in attracting a new generation of national park enthusiasts. And finally, the team has shown me repeatedly that they have what it takes to get it done.”
Chimani’s free mobile apps include guides for 18 U.S. national parks and a companion app, which features all 409 national park units. The apps are designed to function without any Wi-Fi or cell connection. Chimani’s apps are designed to function in areas with no phone or data connectivity.
Kerry Gallivan, CEO and co-founder, came up with the idea while visiting Acadia National Park and discovering that information about trails and other points-of-interest from the park service wasn’t ideal for mobile devices when there was no cell connection.
The company said in the press release announcing the funding that it it closed on the Series A round on Sept. 30. The $745,000 in funding will allow the company to increase the core team, expand its sales and marketing efforts, increase the number of national park apps and add new tools that will make the app more useful and versatile for users, it said in the release.
The Portland Press Herald reported in its May profile of Chimani that the company already raised $500,000 earlier this year.
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