South African startup MyLifeline has developed a wearable product that they claim change the panic button as we know it. MyLifeline is making it possible for one to walk around with a panic button in the form of a wearable watch that one can press and call for help, instead of wearing a remote on a lanyard.
South African startup MyLifeline is striving to provide users with portable panic buttons via a wearable, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled device that alerts contacts and emergency services when there is a situation.
The devices are self-sufficient, meaning they have their own SIM cards and operate without requiring the user to connect to a cellphone. When in an emergency situation, the user simply presses the panic button for three seconds and a signal is sent to the MyLifeline SAIDSA-approved control room. From there, up to five contacts receive an SMS with your details and the operator can dispatch emergency services to your location, which is determined by the built-in GPS and sent along with the panic signal.
"Ons hoofdoel was om 'n stelsel op die been te bring wat onafhanklik van huisalarms en selfone is. Die eenhede moet dus self deur 'n beheerkamer kan kommunikeer"
Santam,South Africa’s largest general insurer, has announced the founders of an innovative panic device as winners of the 2018 Safety Ideas Campaign. Bester and Swanevelder created the panic device with GSM and GPS tracking to enable people to receive fast assistance wherever they may be. Affordable and accessible, they’re hoping their product will go a long way to making South African communities feel safer.
Days after winning the Santam Safety Ideas Challenge, Stellenbosch-based wearables startup MyLifeline will invest a portion of its R200 000 winnings in marketing and setting up an online presence, says co-founder Herman Bester.
Herman Bester, the co-founder of Stellenbosch-based wearables startup MyLifeline, has emerged the victor of the second season of the Santam Safety Ideas Challenge, walking away with R200 000 in seed funding.