Blog
GURU supports your major economic development workflows with integrated, cutting-edge features.
The Next Generation of GURU Is Here! GIS WebTech Unveils GURU NextGen at IEDC 2026
AI-Native. Location Intelligent.
NEW ORLEANS, LA | October 26, 2026 — The wait is over! GIS WebTech officially unveiled GURU NextGen today at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference in New Orleans, introducing an all-new platform that reimagines how economic development professionals access, analyze, and leverage location intelligence.
We didn't just add AI. We designed GURU NextGen around it.
GURU NextGen brings conversational AI, authoritative Esri and Lightcast data, complete analytics, and advanced location intelligence together in one continuously evolving platform built for economic development.
The result? A smarter, more intuitive experience that transforms complex data into actionable insights, allowing economic development professionals to work more efficiently, make informed decisions, and respond to opportunities with greater confidence.
“We believe the future of economic development technology isn't about giving professionals more data or more tools. It's about making the information they already have easier to access, understand, and – most importantly - put to work. With GURU NextGen, we've fundamentally reimagined how users interact with location intelligence. And this is just the beginning of what we’re working on.”
Not Just AI-Enhanced. AI-Native.
While other platforms are adding AI features to existing applications, GURU NextGen takes a fundamentally different approach.
AI isn't an add-on. It's built into the foundation.
As the only AI-native site selection application, GURU NextGen makes powerful location intelligence more accessible, intuitive, and actionable than ever before. As the only technology with an AI model specifically trained for site selection, GURU NextGen produces the most accurate site selection results.
Instead of navigating multiple menus, applying multiple filters, and switching between multiple tools, users can ask questions naturally across properties, demographics, workforce, and industry data, turning complex information into meaningful insights, accurate results, and better decisions.
Powerful New Capabilities. A Smarter Way to Work.
GURU NextGen introduces exciting new capabilities to GURU Site Selection, including:
- Conversational AI: Ask questions naturally across property, demographic, workforce, and industry data without complicated searches or endless filtering.
- Configurable Property Scoring: Evaluate properties against project-specific criteria, with AI-generated scores and score breakdowns that explain site suitability.
- RFI Infographic and Narrative Generation: Streamline responses to requests for information with AI-generated infographics and AI-generated narratives written to highlight a location's strengths.
- AI-Assisted Analysis: Uncover deeper insights into a property's demographics, workforce characteristics, and industry fit.
Together, these capabilities simplify complex workflows, accelerate research, and empower economic development professionals to make more informed decisions.
Built on Trusted Data. Designed for What's Next.
GURU NextGen combines the power of AI with authoritative Esri and Lightcast data and the proven mapping, property marketing, and analytics capabilities that GURU customers already rely on.
And this is only the beginning.
Designed as a continuously evolving platform, GURU NextGen establishes the foundation for ongoing innovation across GIS WebTech's solutions, including GURU Site Selection and GURU Ecosystem.
The next generation of location intelligence isn't coming. It's here.
Experience GURU NextGen
Ready to discover what AI-native location intelligence can do for your organization?