NextBillion.ai Product Updates — Q3 2025

At NextBillion.ai, every quarter is a chance to redefine what’s possible with location technology and innovation. Q3 has been no exception. This quarter, we have rolled out a series of impactful updates that align with our vision of making route planning and optimization smarter, faster, and more adaptable to real-world complexity.

From Route Planner enhancements and smarter Routing and Optimization APIs to the milestone launch of our MCP Server, each update is designed to make operations more efficient, flexible, and future-ready. Whether  you are managing fleets, planning complaint routes, or powering AI-driven decision-making,  these releases are built to simplify your workflows and maximize impact.

Let’s take a closer look at the Q3 product launches and updates! 

Route Planner Feature Upgrades

Our Route Planner has received a series of powerful updates in Q3, making it smarter, more flexible, and aligned with the real-world complexities of enterprise operations:

Address Geocoding

You can now input a simple address instead of latitude/longitude coordinates when defining a location. This makes planning more intuitive and faster for operations teams.

Example: A retailer can upload a list of store addresses directly from their CRM without manually converting them into coordinates.

Breaks

Added support for vehicle and driver breaks, enabling more realistic and compliant schedules.

Example: Food delivery fleets can automatically include 30-minute rest periods after long shifts, ensuring drivers stay compliant and productive.

Multiple Time Windows

Tasks can now be assigned multiple time windows, giving planners greater flexibility in managing commitments.

Example: A courier company can promise customers both morning and evening delivery slots, while the optimizer ensures schedules remain efficient.

ISO Timezone Offset

Introduced support for timezones in ISO format, ensuring consistency across regions.

Example: A global logistics provider operating in New York, London, and Sao Paulo can align schedules accurately without confusion across time zones.

Asynchronous Request Journey

For requests that take longer to resolve, the system now generates a request ID. Users can return later to retrieve the solution asynchronously.

Example: A 3PL handling 10,000+ daily deliveries doesn’t have to pause operations—planners can keep working and fetch results when ready.

Revenue per Job/Shipment

You can now assign revenue values to individual tasks. The optimizer considers both revenue and cost of fulfillment to drive smarter assignment decisions.

Example: High-value B2B shipments can be prioritized over low-margin ones, ensuring vehicles are used for maximum profitability.

These upgrades give enterprises more control, accuracy, and intelligence in planning routes. It also helps them to move beyond just “getting from A to B” to optimizing for time, cost, and revenue.

Explore the NextBillion.ai Route Planner App through interactive demos and a step-by-step guide.

Route Optimization API – New Constraints

We have upgraded our Route Optimization API to support safer, more compliant, and more intelligent routing decisions. Here are a few of the introduced updates: 

Depot Time Windows
Users can now define operational time windows for depots or warehouses. The optimizer ensures arrivals and departures are planned only within those hours.
Use case: A waste disposal center that operates only in the evening can be scheduled accurately, so trucks arrive only during its open hours.

Refactored Joint Order – Unique Vehicle per Task
We have updated the joint_order feature. Previously, multiple tasks in a joint order could be handled by the same vehicle. Now, each task in the bundle is assigned to a unique vehicle.
Example:  In construction logistics, bundled deliveries (cement, steel, tools) can still be grouped as one order, but each item is distributed across different vehicles for efficiency and reliability.

Depot Reruns
The APIs can now support vehicles to return to depots multiple times for restocking or unloading during the day.
Use case: Delivery fleets can configure trucks to reload at depots several times, increasing flexibility and improving daily throughput.

Launch of the NextBillion.ai MCP Server

We launched the NextBillion.ai MCP Server, a major step toward making AI agents truly location-aware. Built on the open Model Context Protocol, it gives agents and LLMs direct access to real-time spatial data such as routing, navigation, and geolocation. 

This means AI systems can now make smarter, context-driven decisions that reflect real-world conditions, unlocking new possibilities for logistics, mobility, and enterprise AI applications. Read the full post here. 

New Product Launches & Updates

From major launches to incremental upgrades, here’s everything new at NextBillion.ai.

Routing APIs

Our Routing APIs (Directions, Distance Matrix, Navigation) now can  support all 9 standard UN hazardous goods classifications. Previously, we only offered 4 technical values (e.g., harmful_to_water), but with this update the API aligns with real-world categories such as gaseous, toxic, explosive gas, organic, flammable liquid, and more.

We will be soon updating our Routing APIs to support NHVR and STAA routes, government-regulated truck routes that dictate permissible paths for different truck types.

Snap to Road API – Road Type Classifications: It can now include off roads, private roads, and public roads for every snapped route. 

Driver Assignment API

The Driver Assignment API now supports alternate assignments, allowing multiple backup drivers to be listed for each order alongside the primary recommendation. If the initially assigned driver rejects the trip or cannot meet the SLA, operators can seamlessly reassign the order to the next best option without delays. This ensures faster recovery, fewer failed trips, and higher fulfillment rates, ultimately delivering a smoother and more reliable customer experience.

Search Along Route API

The Search Along Route API allows users to find points of interest (POIs) along any defined route. Instead of searching broadly across an area, this API narrows results to what’s most relevant during a trip.

Use case: A logistics operator or driver can query for gas stations, rest stops, or restaurants directly along their planned route, ensuring convenience, minimal detours, and smarter on-the-go decision-making.

Structured Geocode API

The API has been enhanced to accept neighbourhoods (city divisions like Indira Nagar) and suburbs (district divisions) as part of a structured address search.

This update makes geocoding more flexible and aligned with how people describe locations. By supporting these additional inputs, the API delivers more accurate results, reduces inaccuracy and improves the overall reliability of address searches for both end users and operators.

Playground API

The Playground API allows users to generate shareable public URLs that visualize results directly in the NextBillion.ai Control Center (NCC). This makes it easier for teams to collaborate, review outputs, and validate use cases without requiring complex setup or integrations. By simplifying access and sharing, the Playground API streamlines testing and decision-making across stakeholders.

Q4 Product Roadmap

In Q4, we are setting the stage for the next chapter of location intelligence. Our focus is on delivering features that go beyond operational efficiency, empowering enterprises with smarter automation, seamless integrations, and global scalability.

You can expect more intelligent APIs, streamlined developer workflows, and powerful new capabilities that reshape how businesses leverage real-world data to drive impact.

To Sum It Up

With these Q3 launches and the exciting Q4 roadmap ahead, NextBillion.ai remains committed to building the most reliable and customizable location platform for enterprises. Each update brings us closer to our vision of empowering businesses with smarter, context-aware solutions that turn complex real-world challenges into opportunities for growth.

We are excited for you to experience these updates and would love to hear your feedback. As you try out these new features, let us know what works, what could be better, and what you would like to see next. We are here to support you every step of the way.