THUNDHUB · Project

Mobile Platform That Lets Cities Talk to Citizens with Personalized, Location-Based Messages

digitalPilotedTRL 7

learn.thundermaps.com

Imagine every department in your city — roads, parks, waste collection, emergency services — all trying to reach you through different apps, websites, and paper notices. It's a mess for citizens and expensive for the city. ThunderMaps built a single mobile app that lets all city departments send you relevant updates based on where you live, like a personalized city newsfeed on your phone. Think of it as "one inbox for everything your city needs to tell you," replacing scattered leaflets, outdated websites, and generic mass emails.

By the numbers

US$27.5 billion

Projected annual smart city solutions market by 2023

EUR 732,200

EU contribution for platform commercialization

Total project deliverables including pilot city rollout

100%

Industry ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities struggle with fragmented communication — each department runs its own channels, citizens miss important updates, and generic mass messaging wastes money while failing to engage people. There is no single, personalized way for all public authorities in a city to reach the right citizens with the right information at the right time. This costs cities money, reduces transparency, and leaves citizens frustrated.

The solution

What was built

A SaaS mobile communication platform that unifies all city departments into one geo-targeted channel for citizens. The project delivered 9 outputs including a pilot city rollout and implementation, demonstrating the platform works in a real urban environment.

Audience

Who needs this

City councils and municipal governments modernizing digital servicesGovTech companies building civic engagement platformsSmart city solution integrators and consultanciesPublic transportation and utility companies needing geo-targeted citizen alertsRegional development agencies investing in digital public infrastructure

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Municipal Government & Smart City Services

any

Target: City councils and municipal governments looking to modernize citizen communication

If you are a city administration dealing with fragmented communication channels across departments — this project developed a SaaS platform that unifies all public authority messaging into one geo-targeted mobile channel. The pilot city rollout demonstrated how citizens receive personalized, location-relevant updates instead of generic mass communication, reducing communication costs and increasing engagement.

GovTech & Civic Engagement Software

SME

Target: Software companies building digital government solutions

If you are a GovTech company looking to expand your product suite with citizen engagement tools — this project built a scalable SaaS communication layer combining GIS mapping with mobile delivery. With EUR 732,200 in EU funding and partnerships with Microsoft and Smart Cities Council, the platform was designed for easy replication across cities globally.

Urban Planning & Public Services

mid-size

Target: Urban planning consultancies and public service delivery firms

If you are a consultancy helping cities improve service delivery and transparency — this project created a mobile-first platform that presents a unified 'one face of government' to citizens. The system uses geo-targeting to personalize what each citizen sees based on their location, making public services easier to find and use.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the platform actually cost to deploy?

The project was funded with EUR 732,200 under the SME Instrument Phase 2, which typically co-funds commercialization of near-market products. The platform operates as a SaaS (Software as a Service) model with recurring revenue, meaning cities would pay a subscription rather than a large upfront license fee. Specific pricing tiers are not disclosed in the project data.

Can this scale beyond a single pilot city?

The objective explicitly states the solution is 'scalable — easily replicable & easily deployed' and 'globally relevant.' The project included a dedicated pilot city rollout deliverable to validate deployment processes. The SaaS architecture was designed for rapid replication across multiple cities.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

The coordinator SAFERME AB (a Swedish SME, formerly ThunderMaps) owns the IP developed under this SME Instrument project, as single-partner SME-2 grants keep IP with the company. Licensing or partnership inquiries would need to go through SAFERME AB directly.

What technology partners are involved?

The project lists eGovLab, Sweden's Technical Research Institute (SP), Microsoft, and Smart Cities Council as partners. This combination covers research validation, enterprise technology infrastructure, and smart city market access. The consortium itself is 100% industry with 1 SME partner.

Is this still active or has the company moved on?

The project closed in March 2017. The company rebranded from ThunderMaps to SAFERME AB (Sweden). Based on available project data, the platform was developed for commercial deployment, but current operational status would need to be verified directly with the company.

How does this differ from existing city apps?

Unlike single-purpose city apps, the platform combines GIS mapping, process automation, and mobile communication into one unified channel. The key differentiator is geo-targeting — citizens see only information relevant to their location — and the 'one face of government' approach that consolidates all departments into a single interface.

What regulatory or compliance standards does it meet?

The project was developed under the INSO-9-2015 topic focused on innovative public sector solutions. Based on available project data, specific compliance certifications are not mentioned, but the platform was designed for public authority use in European cities, which implies GDPR-era data handling considerations.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, single-company project — SAFERME AB (formerly ThunderMaps), a Swedish SME, received the full EUR 732,200 under the SME Instrument Phase 2. The 100% industry composition with zero university or research partners is typical for SME-2 projects that focus on commercializing an existing product rather than conducting basic research. The project mentions collaboration with eGovLab, SP (Sweden's Technical Research Institute), Microsoft, and Smart Cities Council as external partners, though they are not formal consortium members. This structure means all IP stays with one company, simplifying any licensing or partnership discussions for potential buyers.

How to reach the team

SAFERME AB (Sweden) — formerly ThunderMaps. Contact through company website or LinkedIn.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how this geo-targeted city communication platform could fit your smart city strategy? SciTransfer can connect you with the team behind it.

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