TeleNav
A location-technology company providing navigation, local search, automotive software, advertising, and enterprise mobility solutions.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
TeleNav is a United States location-technology company founded in 1999 as Televigation. It began by developing GPS-based navigation services for mobile phones and wireless carriers, at a time when mobile devices generally lacked integrated mapping and turn-by-turn guidance. Its early products delivered directions and local points-of-interest searches through wireless data services, helping establish a commercial model in which navigation software was distributed through mobile operators and adapted to specific handset platforms. The company expanded from basic route retrieval into real-time, voice-guided navigation. Early milestones included the myPNA WAP service for Sprint in 2000, a navigation product for Nextel and Motorola Java phones in 2002, and Navigator for the BlackBerry 7520 in 2003. In the middle of the decade, TeleNav introduced Sprint Navigation and later broadened its platform portfolio to include services for BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone users. Its products typically combined mapping, turn-by-turn directions, traffic information, local search, points of interest, and automatic route recalculation. TeleNav also developed business-to-business offerings. TeleNav Track provided tools for managing mobile workforces, vehicles, employees, and other field assets, while related vehicle and asset-tracking products used web-based portals to present real-time location data. This enterprise line positioned the company as more than a consumer navigation-app provider, serving organizations that needed operational visibility and workflow support. The company became publicly traded on NASDAQ in May 2010 under the symbol TNAV. It pursued partnerships with wireless carriers and automobile manufacturers, including Ford, whose MyFord Touch system used TeleNav navigation technology. TeleNav subsequently expanded its location ecosystem through acquisitions and new products. It acquired Goby, a local and travel search company, in 2011; acquired the hyperlocal advertising company ThinkNear in 2012; and acquired Skobbler, an OpenStreetMap-based navigation-software developer, in 2014. Scout became one of its most visible consumer brands, combining navigation, traffic, local discovery, and automotive integration, while Scout for Apps offered browser-based voice-guided navigation that developers could embed in mobile websites and applications. TeleNav’s business has therefore spanned several connected categories: consumer GPS applications, carrier-branded navigation, automotive navigation systems, local and travel discovery, contextual mobile advertising, enterprise fleet and asset management, and software tools for third-party developers. Its technology strategy emphasized location context and integration across mobile devices, vehicles, wireless networks, and web services rather than relying on a single standalone application. The company was taken private in February 2021 and its NASDAQ shares were delisted. Public-company reporting and investor information after that transaction are consequently more limited than during the TNAV period. TeleNav remains associated with navigation and location services, although the current scope, ownership structure, and market footprint of the private business are not fully established by the supplied reference material.
History
TeleNav was established in 1999 under the name Televigation by HP Jin, YC Chao, Sal Dhanani, and Robert Rennard. The founders focused on bringing GPS navigation to mobile devices, which at the time had limited mapping capabilities and often depended on external GPS hardware or wireless-network services. In December 2000, the company introduced myPNA, a WAP-based service distributed through Sprint. Users could request directions between two addresses and search for nearby points of interest. In 2002, TeleNav developed a real-time navigation service for Nextel and Motorola Java phones that worked with a tethered GlobalSat GPS receiver. The following year, it created Navigator for the BlackBerry 7520, one of Research In Motion’s early GPS-enabled devices. TeleNav broadened its carrier and device relationships during the middle of the decade. Sprint Navigation launched in 2005 for selected Sprint devices and offered three-dimensional guidance. In 2006, the company introduced TeleNav Track, extending its location technology into enterprise management of employees, vehicles, and other mobile resources. TeleNav released an Android application and BlackBerry software in 2009, and in June of that year introduced AT&T Navigator for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The company entered public markets in May 2010, when it completed an IPO and began trading on NASDAQ as TNAV. That year also brought significant automotive and carrier activity. Ford selected TeleNav navigation software for MyFord Touch, and TeleNav announced a relationship with U.S. Cellular to provide navigation to its subscribers. These arrangements reflected the company’s strategy of embedding its services in vehicles and wireless subscriptions rather than depending solely on direct consumer downloads. TeleNav continued building a broader location platform. It acquired Goby in September 2011, adding local and travel search capabilities. In early 2012 it announced Scout, a consumer navigation and discovery product for iPhone users, and Scout for Apps, an HTML5 service that allowed developers to add voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation to websites and applications. Scout was also positioned for automotive use, including selected Ford vehicles. The company acquired ThinkNear in 2012, adding a hyperlocal advertising business that used location and context to target consumers. Navigation remained central to the portfolio. TeleNav GPS Navigator provided mobile guidance, while Telenav Shotgun, released in 2008, was an Internet-connected personal navigation device with three-dimensional directions, voice assistance, traffic information, mileage tracking, local search, and automatic rerouting. Other consumer and social experiments included OnMyWay, MyTies, Sipity, and Jungle!, each aimed at particular arrival-sharing, networking, or local-marketplace use cases. In January 2014, TeleNav acquired Skobbler, a navigation-software developer whose products were based on OpenStreetMap. The transaction strengthened TeleNav’s mapping capabilities and supported its effort to offer an alternative to the dominant proprietary mapping ecosystems. During the following years, TeleNav continued to operate across automotive navigation, mobile applications, enterprise tracking, and location-based advertising. In 2019 it sold Thinknear to inMarket, narrowing its direct involvement in the mobile-advertising business. TeleNav was taken private in February 2021, and its NASDAQ listing ended. The supplied reference material does not establish the precise current ownership, executive team, or product status after privatization. Historically, however, TeleNav’s development is characterized by a progression from carrier-delivered mobile directions to a multi-channel location platform linking smartphones, vehicles, web applications, advertisers, and enterprise field operations.
- 2021
TeleNav becomes privately held
[1]The company is taken private and its NASDAQ shares are delisted.
- 2019
Thinknear is sold to inMarket
[1]TeleNav divests its hyperlocal advertising business.
- 2014
Skobbler is acquired
[1]TeleNav acquires an OpenStreetMap-oriented navigation software company.
- 2012
Scout and Scout for Apps are introduced
[1]TeleNav launches a consumer navigation and discovery product and an HTML5 developer integration service.
- 2011
Goby is acquired
[1]The acquisition expands TeleNav’s local and travel search capabilities.
- 2010
TeleNav completes its IPO
[1]TeleNav begins trading on NASDAQ under TNAV.
- 2008
Telenav Shotgun is released
[1]The connected personal navigation device adds voice guidance, traffic, local search, mileage tracking, and rerouting.
- 2006
TeleNav Track launches
[1]The company enters enterprise mobility with tools for tracking employees, vehicles, and other mobile assets.
- 2005
Sprint Navigation is introduced
[1]The company launches a carrier-focused navigation line with three-dimensional guidance for selected Sprint devices.
- 2003
Navigator supports the BlackBerry 7520
[1]TeleNav creates navigation software for one of RIM’s early GPS-enabled devices.
Products and positioning
A location-technology provider serving automobile manufacturers, wireless carriers, application developers, consumers, and enterprise customers with navigation, discovery, advertising, and mobile-workforce tools.
Consumer navigation and local discovery · 2012
Scout
Scout was TeleNav’s consumer-facing navigation and discovery application. Announced for iPhone in 2012, it combined maps, turn-by-turn directions, traffic and commute information, local search, weather, and location context. The product was also connected to TeleNav’s automotive strategy, including integration announced for selected Ford vehicles. Scout represented the company’s effort to make navigation part of a broader discovery and travel experience rather than a route-planning utility alone.
Mobile navigation · 2011
TeleNav GPS Navigator
TeleNav GPS Navigator was a mobile GPS application offering mapping and turn-by-turn guidance. It evolved from the company’s earlier carrier and handset-specific navigation services and was later offered as a standalone application for iOS users. The product used TeleNav’s location platform to provide routing and related navigation functions on smartphones.
Carrier-branded mobile navigation · 2009
AT&T Navigator
AT&T Navigator was TeleNav’s iPhone navigation application for AT&T subscribers. Introduced in 2009 for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, it delivered carrier-supported GPS navigation and reflected TeleNav’s historical distribution model of working with wireless operators to reach customers through branded services.
Developer navigation platform · 2012
Scout for Apps
Scout for Apps was an HTML5, browser-based service designed for mobile websites and application developers. It enabled developers to add voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation through a lightweight integration rather than building a complete routing system themselves. The offering extended TeleNav’s navigation technology beyond its own consumer applications and carrier products.
Enterprise mobility and workforce management · 2006
TeleNav Track
TeleNav Track was an enterprise mobility product for organizations managing field employees, vehicles, and mobile resources. It provided location and operational information intended to help companies supervise distributed workforces and assets. Related TeleNav offerings included vehicle and asset tracking through secure web-based interfaces.
Asset tracking
TeleNav Asset Tracker
TeleNav Asset Tracker was designed to monitor the real-time location of physical assets such as packages, cargo, and equipment. Its web-based portal gave business users a centralized view of tracked resources and complemented TeleNav’s broader enterprise mobility portfolio.
Fleet management
TeleNav Vehicle Tracker
TeleNav Vehicle Tracker provided real-time fleet visibility through a web portal. The product was intended for organizations that needed to monitor company vehicles, support field operations, and coordinate mobile resources.
Connected personal navigation device · 2008
Telenav Shotgun
Released in 2008, Telenav Shotgun was an Internet-connected personal navigation device. It combined three-dimensional turn-by-turn directions and voice assistance with real-time traffic, mileage tracking, local point-of-interest search, and automatic rerouting.
Location-based mobile advertising
Thinknear
Thinknear was a hyperlocal mobile-advertising business acquired by TeleNav in 2012. Its technology used precise location and contextual signals to help advertisers reach consumers in geographically relevant situations. TeleNav sold the business to inMarket in 2019.
Arrival and location-sharing application
OnMyWay
OnMyWay was an application for sharing updates about a driver’s expected arrival time. It was made available for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android devices.
Brand decisions
2021
Take the company privateStrategyBackground
TeleNav ended its period as a NASDAQ-listed company.
Action taken
The company was taken private and its shares were delisted from NASDAQ.
Aftermath
TeleNav ceased to be publicly traded, and subsequent public information about ownership and financial performance became limited.
2019
Sell Thinknear to inMarketM&ABackground
TeleNav reassessed its involvement in mobile advertising after operating ThinkNear as part of its location-services portfolio.
Action taken
The company divested Thinknear to inMarket.
Aftermath
The divestiture reduced TeleNav’s direct exposure to the mobile-advertising segment.
2014
Acquire SkobblerM&ABackground
TeleNav sought to strengthen its mapping and navigation technology and to expand its use of OpenStreetMap-based software.
Action taken
TeleNav acquired Skobbler, a developer of navigation products for Android and iPhone.
Aftermath
The acquisition supported TeleNav’s effort to compete in mobile navigation through a broader mapping technology base.
Reported acquisition price. $23.8 million (2014)
2012
Launch Scout and Scout for AppsProduct launchBackground
TeleNav needed consumer and developer products that could extend its navigation platform across smartphones, web applications, and vehicles.
Action taken
It introduced Scout as a navigation and local-discovery application and Scout for Apps as an HTML5 integration service for third-party developers.
Aftermath
The Scout brand became a central expression of TeleNav’s consumer and automotive navigation strategy.
2012
Acquire ThinkNearM&ABackground
TeleNav was broadening from navigation into location-aware advertising and sought a specialized hyperlocal advertising capability.
Action taken
The company acquired ThinkNear, a startup focused on precise, contextual mobile advertising.
Aftermath
ThinkNear became part of TeleNav’s location-services portfolio before being sold to inMarket in 2019.
Reported acquisition price. $22.5 million (2012)
2010
Expand into embedded automotive navigationStrategyBackground
TeleNav sought to extend its navigation technology beyond carrier-branded mobile applications into factory-integrated vehicle systems.
Action taken
The company supplied navigation software for Ford’s MyFord Touch driver-connectivity technology and pursued additional automotive relationships.
Aftermath
Automotive navigation became an important part of TeleNav’s multi-channel location-services strategy.
Recent events
Sources6 sources
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