Female-founded nightlife safety app Where You At raises £2.5 million in pre-seed funding round

16 October 2024 - Press release

Where You At (WYA), a female-founded app that enhances nightlife safety using indoor mapping and offline mesh technology to help users stay connected in crowded venues, has raised significant funding which has helped it make a huge impact in a short space of time.

WYA addresses a crucial problem: the challenge of losing contact with friends in busy spaces where poor signal often compromises safety and communication. Using a patented mesh system, the app offers real-time location sharing and communication, while event organisers can use it for crowd management, emergency alerts, and anonymisedfootfall analytics. Users enjoy real-time location sharing, offline connectivity, safety alerts, and event-specific features. Event operators benefit from tools for crowd management, emergency communications, and targeted messaging.

The app has now established vital partnerships with more than 20 influential venues including Drumsheds, Night Tales, Ministry Of Sound, XOYO and E1. This progress comes off the back of raising £2.5 million in pre-seed funding earlier this year in March 2024, led by Tony Mallin of Star Capital, which has been used to further develop the platform and help it become the "Google Maps for indoor spaces," and after backing from Cambridge Enterprise and leading angels including Ian Cook the former CEO of Colgate-Palmolive and Carolyn Dawson CEO of Founders Forum.

Since the funding and in the last three months, WYA has successfully developed a low-cost, scalable mesh network for connectivity and crowd data monitoring which results in a better value proposition for crowd management, and have launched a replayable video heatmap feature for operators and enhanced our Meeting Points tool with version 2.0, which provides more flexible layout options and improved app functionality.

WYA has also partnered with the Night Time Industry Association and their efforts have been recognised with a patent for their offline connectivity system, an Ordnance Survey's Innovation Award, the Downing College's Prize and more at the EASI awards and highlighted in Forbes Under 30 for Social Impact.

Now the team is focussing on how their crowd management tool and communications capabilities could benefit venues with navigating Martyn's Law. After a successful summer pilot, the app is also looking to partner with more festivals and cement further strategic partnerships.

Founded by Tamzin Lent, who was motivated by a personal experience of assault after losing friends at a nightclub, WYA has already been downloaded more than 50,000+ downloads which has made it a Top 10 app in Apple's navigation category.

James Slater, Venue Operations Manager at NTSU The Level and Deel Lite says "WYA links people with their peers and strengthens the ability to keep contact with those that you're out with, even when they've wandered away and phone signal is limited. Tamzin and the team have been a dream to work with, with a modern eye for developing customer and venue safety through their stunning app".

WYA competes with apps like Woov, Snapchat, and Life360 but stands out for its offline functionality and comprehensive safety features, generating revenue from venue partnerships and licensing, with plans to expand into exhibitions, conferences, and arenas.

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