App developers can already monetize location data of its users, but often times it comes with messy and disruptive advertisements.
Placed, a Seattle location analytics startup, has a better solution. Today the company introduced a new product called Placed Affiliate, which lets developers monetize location data for market research, not ads.
“Placed believes that location is the currency for mobile, and Placed Affiliate is the way to monetize it,” said CEO David Shim.
Here’s how it works: App developers install the Affiliate SDK, the user opts in twice to share location data, and just like that, the app developer monetizes locations measured.
What differentiates Placed Affiliate is that the measured locations are used for market research instead of ads, in-app purchases or forcing people to pay for the app.
“This is a new way for apps to monetize, without cluttering up the limited screen space with more ads,” Shim said.
Placed has already measured one billion locations in a private beta, but now they’re allowing developers try out Placed Affiliate. You can request an invitation to participate here.
We wrote about Placed back in June, with Shim telling us at the time that the service allowed app developers to see where people are consuming content. Measured locations are aggregated across thousands of users to provide analytics to third parties. For example, the company put out a revealing study last month about how Amazon is impacting brick-and-mortar retailers.
Placed expanded its location analytics in August and raised $3.4 million from Madrona Venture Group and others last March.
Previously on GeekWire: New Placed app lets you donate to charity by installing app
