Ford links up with London startup What3words for a new way to map the world
Ford is ramping up its innovation plans as the US car giant today announces a partnership with London startup What3words.
The tie-up means drivers will be able to link the What3words app, which has mapped out the globe into 57 trillion 3m-by-3m squares using unique three-word addresses, with Ford's in-car navigation system.
The technology will reduce address input errors and increase efficiency, with the ability to navigate to any spot on the planet.
Read more: The number of new tech startups in the UK grew 14 per cent last year
Joining partners such as Domino's Pizza, Mercedes-Benz and Cabify, Ford said the system will have built-in error prevention and will be available in 26 languages.
Speaking to Morning Wire at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, What3words' Giles Rhys Jones said the startup's app is being used in about 170 countries at the moment.
The news follows an investment by Sony at the end of last year, which Rhys Jones revealed has taken the startup's total funding to £43m. What3words plans to reach 150 employees in London by the end of this year, as well as expand its new office in Silicon Valley.
Read more: How do you market an idea like replacing an address with the word "lettuce"
Mercedes also bought up a 10 per cent stake in the business in a strategic deal last year, while other backers include former Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg.
Ford said the partnership was specifically designed for drivers using voice assistants in their cars, where What3words' technology will be safer and much more accurate than other forms of navigation.