Startups combatting nighttime dangers are popping up to give confidence back to consumers amid a renewed focus on women’s safety by the government. 

Apps have been developed to keep solo travellers safe abroad as well as to keep women safe while walking alone in the evenings. The latest to secure funding is Where You At, an app designed to navigate nightlife venues.

Founded in 2020, Where You At has developed a platform using indoor mapping and Bluetooth mesh networks to allow users to navigate congested venues even without a phone signal. 

The Finchley Road-based startup, which this week announced £2.5m in pre-seed funding, was launched by Tamzin Lent, who was inspired by her own experiences losing friends on the dance floor and facing assault on nights out. 

Where You At partners with hospitality firms including Drumsheds, Night Tales, XOYO and E1, with available venues in Sheffield, Essex, London, Cardiff and Nottingham. 

“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,” said James Slater, venue operations manager at Nottingham’s The Level. 

“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.” 

The latest funding round was led by Tony Mallin, founder of Star Capital and has previously been backed by former Colgate-Palmolive CEO Ian Cook and Founders Forum chief executive Carolyn Dawson. 

The company has put the funding towards developing additional features for its platform, including a replayable video heatmap for operators and a meeting point feature with which friends can set destinations to meet when separated in crowded venues. 

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