News Summary

Stephen Ma, one of the co-founders of Google Maps, has largely remained out of the spotlight until now. As Google Maps approaches its 20th anniversary, Ma reflects on his journey from a small town in Australia to Silicon Valley and back to Sydney, where the idea for Google Maps was born. Alongside his colleagues, Noel Gordon and the Rasmussen brothers, Ma developed a mapping platform called Where 2 Technologies, which caught the attention of Google co-founder Larry Page. The team was acquired by Google in 2004, leading to the launch of Google Maps, a revolutionary tool that has since become essential to over 2 billion monthly users worldwide. Ma, now working in a startup called Reggie Health, continues to innovate in the tech space.