London-based The place You At (WYA), a female-founded app designed to enhance nightlife security, has secured €3 million in pre-seed funding. The app,which makes use of indoor mapping and offline mesh expertise to maintain customers related in crowded venues, goals to deal with the frequent challenge of shedding contact with pals in busy environments the place cellular alerts usually fail. With this funding spherical, led by Tony Mallin of Star Capital, WYA is setting its sights on changing into the “Google Maps for indoor areas.”
Based by Tamzin Lent after a private expertise of assault in a nightclub, WYA has shortly gained traction within the nightlife scene. The app has already been downloaded over 50,000 occasions and is utilized by distinguished venues like Drumsheds, Evening Tales, Ministry of Sound, XOYO, and E1. Its distinctive performance contains real-time location sharing, offline connectivity, and security alerts, making it a must have software for each event-goers and operators.
Pioneering security with cutting-edge expertise
What units WYA aside is its patented offline mesh system, which permits customers to remain related even when cellphone alerts are weak or nonexistent. This method not solely enhances consumer security by enabling steady communication but additionally supplies occasion organisers with instruments for crowd administration, emergency alerts, and anonymised footfall analytics.
Since securing the pre-seed funding, WYA has made vital developments in its expertise. Over the previous three months, the startup has developed a scalable mesh community that provides improved worth for crowd administration. They’ve additionally launched a replayable video heatmap characteristic for operators and upgraded their Assembly Factors software with model 2.0, which provides extra versatile format choices and enhanced app performance.
Trade recognition and strategic partnerships
WYA’s innovation hasn’t gone unnoticed. The startup has garnered a number of accolades, together with a patent for its offline connectivity system, an Ordnance Survey’s Innovation Award, and recognition in Forbes Underneath 30 for Social Affect. Moreover, the group has partnered with the Evening Time Trade Affiliation and is exploring how their expertise may assist venues adjust to Martyn’s Regulation, a brand new UK regulation centered on public venue safety.
James Slater, Venue Operations Supervisor at NTSU & Broadwick Stay mentioned: “WYA hyperlinks individuals with their friends and strengthens the power to maintain contact with people who you’re out with, even once they’ve wandered away and cellphone sign is restricted. Tamzin and the group have been a dream to work with, with a contemporary eye for creating buyer and venue security via their beautiful app”.
Trying forward, WYA is increasing its attain. Following a profitable pilot this summer season, the app is now searching for to companion with extra festivals and is exploring alternatives to develop into exhibitions, conferences, and arenas. These strategic strikes may additional solidify WYA’s place out there, the place it competes with apps like Woov, Snapchat, and Life360.
