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Startups

SoftBank-backed Mapbox finds its way into Japanese smart industry

US-based mapping near-unicorn sees new opportunities in aiding automation

For Komatsu, Mapbox has been providing a mapping service that allows engineers to monitor construction sites and arrange workloads in real-time. (Source photos from Reuters/Getty Images)

PALO ALTO, U.S. -- U.S.-based mapping startup Mapbox is taking a different direction in Japan. 

The company, which provides digital map services to the likes of Foursquare and Lonely Planet in its home market, now counts one of Japan's biggest construction conglomerates as a customer. The shift is part of Mapbox's bet on automation and smart industry as future opportunities for growth.

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