RapidSOS Raises Series A To Transform Emergency Technology

NEW YORK, Aug. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The 911 system was developed in the 1960s and hasn't dramatically changed since. Today over 70% of 911 calls come from mobile devices, but approximately 60% of those calls cannot be accurately located.  A 2013 study cited by the FCC in 2014 estimated that over 10,000 lives could be saved annually if mobile calls had better location data.

• Advanced technology platform will be able to predict emergencies before they occur, dynamically warn people in harm's way, and ensure that first responders are always one touch away globally
• Founding team members were each touched by personal experiences with 911 failure – led team to work with over 150 dispatch centers globally to build the technology
• $5M Financing led by Highland Capital Partners brings together a historic group of VCs, technology pioneers, and billionaire investors
• One of the most award-winning student start-ups in Harvard/MIT history – RapidSOS has won major start-up competitions across the U.S.

"Technology has dramatically changed our lives over the last 50 years, except for when we need it most," said RapidSOS Founder and CEO Michael Martin. "We are very happy to announce that we are partnering with the 911 community and some of the world's most successful technologists and investors to bringing the 911 system to the 21st century."

RapidSOS is building out an advanced suite of technologies for emergency prevention, management, and communication.

"We are working on ways to predict and preempt emergencies before they occur, warn people in harm's way, and ensure that first responders are always one-touch away globally," said Nick Horelik, RapidSOS CTO, who co-founded the company with Martin out of MIT. 

RapidSOS' first product, One-Touch-911, will be launched later this year and serves as a universal data pipeline from any connected device to first responders. The system interfaces seamlessly with dispatch centers in over 135 countries – transmitting unprecedented data from a user's phone directly to dispatchers in an emergency. 

"We could not be more excited about our investment in RapidSOS. Current mobile 911 technology is broken; RapidSOS' solution will have mass appeal and ultimately save thousands of lives,"  said Dan Nova, Partner at Highland Capital Partners who led the financing round and will be joining the company's board.  "Michael Martin is an exceptional mission-driven entrepreneur, and we look forward to helping the team build a company of significant consequence."

RapidSOS was founded in 2013 by Michael Martin (Harvard Business School '15) and Nick Horelik (MIT PhD Nuclear Engineering '15), after each had personal experiences around 911 failure. Martin's father, Charles Martin, fell off the roof of their childhood home while trying to clear snow and was unable to reach 911 through his cell phone. Horelik staffed the suicide prevention hotline during undergrad at Tufts University, where the biggest challenge was locating students in need.

"RapidSOS has developed technology to improve our antiquated 911 system by intelligently and reliably connecting users to first responders wherever they are," said Doug Romanoff, a member of the Two Sigma Ventures Investment Team.

"We are proud to be investing in the company, which fits squarely within our focus on supporting entrepreneurs that are pioneering innovations in data science and related technologies to transform industries."

RapidSOS' technology platform is the product of over two years of development work in partnership with the 911 community. "We are so grateful to the 911 community," said Martin. "We spent months in dispatch centers, with countless experts, learning how the current system works." The result is a universal pipeline for data into any 3-digit emergency number globally.

RapidSOS will allow connected device manufacturers to provide instant access to emergency services, help insurance companies dramatically improve response times (reducing claims and supporting members), provide in-app safety & security for the shared economy, allow the Fortune 500 to provide universal safety for their employees, allow the home security market to extend their reach out of the home, and help universities address the increasing challenges of sexual assault and gun violence; in the consumer market RapidSOS offers a blanket of safety & security for the entire family.

ABOUT RAPIDSOS

Overview

Every year millions of lives are impacted when emergency communications systems fail. RapidSOS' award-winning technology platform developed at MIT and Harvard is able to predict emergencies before they occur, dynamically warn people in harm's way, and ensure that first responders are one-touch away regardless of where you travel.

The Problem

On January 17, 2008, Denise Amber Lee, a 21-year-old mother of two, was kidnapped from her home in Florida. Over the course of the next six hours five separate 911 calls were made around the incident. Remarkably, Mrs. Lee herself managed to make one of these calls, tied up in the back of her abductor's green Camaro. Over the chilling several minute phone call, Mrs. Lee fights for her life while trying to secretly answer dispatcher questions. However, despite all of the 911 calls, police were not able to locate her before it was too late.

Technology has dramatically changed our lives over the last 50 years. But in life-threatening emergencies, when we need technology most, we rely on antiquated infrastructure originally developed in the 1960s. As a result, millions of emergency communications are mishandled every year. A 2011 report by the 9-1-1 Industry Alliance found that in California, 26% of mobile 911 calls were abandoned in 2009. Nationwide, 60% of mobile 911 calls suffer from inaccurate or no location data according to a February 2015 report by NBC News resulting in the loss of over 10,000 lives according to a February 2014 report by the FCC.

The Company

After personally witnessing the challenges of the existing emergency communication infrastructure, Michael Martin and Nick Horelik formed RapidSOS with the mission of transforming emergency communication. RapidSOS is dedicated to harnessing cutting-edge technology to change the outcome of millions of emergencies across the United States and globally.

RapidSOS' team members have developed advanced simulation software at two national labs, built back-end and mobile products for numerous tech start-ups, and collectively have helped over 70 technology companies achieve commercial success. The company's founding team of engineers and entrepreneurs originate from MIT, Harvard, and Yale.

Product Detail

With one touch, RapidSOS One-Touch-911 sends:

• Precise location
• Type of emergency
• Severity of the situation / user condition
• Relevant medical information
• Demographic data
• User native language

One-Touch-911 puts an emergency alert in every single citizen's pocket with advanced capabilities:

• Connects over any media (cellular, wifi, etc.)
• Transmits all the key information even if the user is unable to speak
• Offers an enriched data environment: voice, text, video, photos
• Compatible with every single dispatch center around the United States with global capabilities coming

Technology Platform

RapidSOS' proprietary emergency communication platform uses cloud telecommunications and data analytics to power a number of award-winning products. Designed using best practices adapted from the nuclear industry and top technology firms, the system incorporates advanced self-scaling and self-healing capabilities to meet any type of emergency.

CONTACT:Ryan HallettCompany Representative(917) 628-9610[email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapidsos-raises-series-a-to-transform-emergency-technology-300128490.html

SOURCE RapidSOS