Where You At, a London-based startup, has successfully raised £2.5m in pre-seed funding.
- The app utilises indoor mapping and Bluetooth mesh networks to help users navigate congested venues without phone signals.
- Founded by Tamzin Lent in 2020, the platform aims to mitigate nighttime safety concerns, especially women’s safety.
- The startup collaborates with venues across major UK cities, enhancing connectivity and safety for patrons.
- Notable investors, including Tony Mallin, lead the funding, enabling feature enhancements like a video heatmap.
Where You At, a promising London-based startup, has recently achieved a significant milestone by securing £2.5 million in pre-seed funding. This funding boost is instrumental in advancing its unique platform, which leverages indoor mapping technology coupled with Bluetooth mesh networks. The platform is designed to facilitate navigation within crowded nightlife venues, even when phone signals are unavailable, addressing a crucial gap in personal safety solutions.
The inception of Where You At in 2020 was inspired by founder Tamzin Lent’s personal experiences of losing contact with friends in crowded venues and encountering safety challenges. This innovative application aims to restore user confidence in nightlife settings by providing reliable navigation and connectivity solutions. By mitigating risks associated with losing communication in busy environments, the app specifically targets the safety concerns prevalent among solo travellers and women.
The platform’s efficacy is evidenced through strategic partnerships with prominent hospitality firms such as Drumsheds, Night Tales, XOYO, and E1, extending its safety net across venues in Sheffield, Essex, London, Cardiff, and Nottingham. These collaborations underscore the app’s role in enhancing both patron and venue safety, as articulated by James Slater, a venue operations manager, who commends the app for its modern safety solutions.
The latest funding round was spearheaded by Tony Mallin, founder of Star Capital, complemented by previous support from industry figures like former Colgate-Palmolive CEO Ian Cook and Founders Forum’s Carolyn Dawson. This financial backing is pivotal in expanding the app’s feature set, which now includes advancements like a replayable video heatmap for operators and a meeting point function facilitating reconnection of separated groups in congested venues.
James Slater of Nottingham’s The Level has praised the impact of Where You At, highlighting its enhancement of customer and venue safety through state-of-the-art technology. By enabling users to track peers and re-establish lost connections without dependent on traditional mobile networks, the app is carving a niche in the safety app market.
The infusion of £2.5m in funding empowers Where You At to significantly elevate safety and connectivity in nightlife venues across the UK.
