Where You At app raises £2.5M to boost nightlife safety

Nightlife safety app Where You At (WYA) raises £2.5 million to help partygoers stay connected and safe in crowded venues.

The nightlife safety app ‘Where You At‘ (WYA) recently raised £2.5 million in pre-seed funding to help keep people connected and safe when they go out. Founded by Tamzin Lent, the app was inspired by her own experience of losing track of friends at a nightclub, which left her vulnerable to harassment. The app uses clever technology like indoor mapping and offline mesh networks, so even if there’s no phone signal, users can stay in touch with their friends.

WYA’s main feature is real-time location sharing, allowing users to track where their group is in busy venues. This ensures that even if friends wander off or lose signal, they can easily reconnect. The app also includes safety alerts and can be a lifeline when you’re feeling unsafe or need to find your friends quickly. Not only does it help users stay connected, but it’s also useful for event organisers, providing crowd management tools, emergency communication, and even crowd data monitoring.

The app’s recent funding was led by Star Capital’s Tony Mallin, along with support from Cambridge Enterprise and other angel investors. This investment is helping WYA grow quickly, partnering with major venues like XOYO, Ministry of Sound, and Night Tales. It’s also gaining traction with users, with over 50,000 downloads already, making it one of the top apps in Apple’s navigation category.

WYA has some unique features that set it apart from other apps like Snapchat or Life360, especially its offline functionality. This means that even when there’s no signal in a crowded club or festival, users can still stay connected. The app is also expanding into new areas like festivals and exhibitions, where safety and crowd management are just as important.