OpenAddresses is an Open-Geo-data project. Its goal was originally to collect all addresses of buildings in Switzerland. Nowadays also other countries are involved. The process of data collection is organised as a collaborative process. Volunteers engage themselves in data collection using a GPS sensor or entering well-known addresses into a mapping mashup via the internet. The basic idea behind the project is that everybody has local spatial expertise. If this knowledge can be collected, organised and provided to the public, a global dataset of high value is achieved for free use. This information with a very fine spatial granularity can be used in many applications and help foster innovation and bring geographic information innovation into other business fields.