Aim Locate: Global positioning startup

In shipping and logistics, the toughest challenge often isn’t moving goods across borders but ensuring they reach the right doorstep. Last-mile delivery is slowed down by unclear or incomplete addresses–missing house numbers, unnamed streets, inconsistent postal codes, or vague directions tied to landmarks. These gaps increase costs, delay operations, and weaken service reliability. Aim Locate, founded by Michael A Olsen, offers a solution designed for scale. The company has created an addressing system that gives every point on the planet a unique 8-digit code, accurate to one meter. Derived from latitude and longitude, the code can be generated through GPS, mobile networks, browser data, or by marking a spot on a map. Unlike earlier systems that relied on complex alphanumeric codes or unique words, Aim Locate’s format is simple, interoperable, and built to work alongside existing addresses– making it easier for governments, businesses, and citizens to adopt.

The startup journey – Travelling across the globe

The idea first took shape in Liberia, where civil unrest had destroyed land records and created widespread issues in property identification. Olsen and his team developed their patented digital address system to restore order, mapping the country in the process. The model later spread to other African nations and drew attention from India Post, which tested it as part of its Digipin project.

These early trials confirmed the system’s practicality and scalability. Aim Locate realised the potential of their product and expanded to further places. Aim Locate’s main customers are government agencies that use the system as infrastructure for logistics, delivery, and citizen services. The applications extend beyond deliveries into land records, property tax collection, insurance, and banking. It also fills gaps for migrant workers and residents of informal settlements, where traditional addressing is often unreliable or missing altogether. Aim Locate has ongoing projects throughout Africa, India, and the South Pacific.

Roadmap ahead

In terms of expanding the business, Aim Locate has completed pilots with organisations including the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KRSAC), India Post, the Government of Delhi, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A web application is already available, APIs are ready for integration into existing platforms, and a mobile app is being developed. The company has also gained validation from institutions such as IIT Tirupati, MapMyIndia, and IIC Technologies, and has partnered with data providers like Excel Geomatics.

Financing the idea

Funding so far has come through bootstrapping and backing from Amtech Group, but Aim Locate is now seeking larger investments to support scale-up and deeper collaboration with governments and industry. Aim Locate’s strength lies in simplifying one of the most crucial issues related to shipping turning fruitful. It promises to be a practical tool for efficient delivery worldwide. The 8-digit code system can sum up our address history, and package it reliably for last-mile logistics.