GeoStory

Suppose you’re in a new town for a business trip. It’s the end of the day, and you want to find a good restaurant or some interesting activity for the evening. You could do some research on social media, but that takes time and can often be hit-or-miss. Faced with an abundance of choices, chances are you make a blind pick and hope it turns out good.

But what if there was an app that let you instantly connect with dining, arts, entertainment, and other local activities that match your personal interests – no matter where you are?

Thanks to Ideator Michael Hunte, there is. A chef/winemaker turned tech entrepreneur, Hunte and his new business, GeoStory, are hoping to change the way people experience their immediate surroundings by developing a platform that connects local businesses and consumers in a real-time way.

What’s the Problem?

When you’re in an unfamiliar town, finding food and activities that match your personal tastes can be a time-consuming and uncertain task – especially in big cities where the number of choices can be overwhelming. Local travel guides and social media listings may offer a variety of options, but they can’t make recommendations based on what interests you. And when you do identify a promising restaurant or event, it may turn out to be way across town, requiring even more time to figure out how to get there.

What’s the Big Idea?

GeoStory is the quick and easy way to find food, arts, entertainment, and other activities that match your interests – no matter where you are. The platform combines geo-location, interest-based algorithms, and social networking capabilities to learn what interests you most, and then connects you with nearby experiences you would enjoy. No more wasted time flipping through travel guides or going from one social media site to another. Instead, just log on to GeoStory and see what’s happening in the moment close to your current location. GeoStory can also help businesses maximize attendance and engage local audiences by sharing real-time promotions, events, or other updates.

Where Is It Headed?

For now, Hunte’s goal is to create a space where people can quickly discover and engage in experiences that match their personal interests. In the future he sees the business working heavily in consumer data analytics and recommendations. His vision includes becoming a platform that not only helps consumers makes decisions but also creates real time experiences for them as well.

So far, Hunte’s biggest challenge has been figuring out how to differentiate GeoStory in the saturated travel and leisure market. He plans to overcome this hurdle by creating new tools that approach a common problem in a unique manner. Along the way, he has used Ideator to share his vision with others and talk about the importance of helping consumers make great decisions about where and how they spend their precious time.

Hunte plans to release a by-invitation-only test run of the GeoStory platform early next year. Those interested in participating should visit www.GeoStory.co. You can also learn more about the company at https://www.fundable.com/geostory.