Emergency response tech company AURA has raised €13.5 million ($14.6 million) in Series B funding to fast-track its entry into the United States and enhance its international operations.
Led by Partech and the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF), AURA’s total funding has reached over €21 million.
The company’s goal is to build a global emergency dispatch system that connects individuals with the closest verified responders, across borders, in real time, and through a single platform.
Founded in 2017 by Warren Myers, Ryan Green, and Adam Pantanowitz, AURA began operations in South Africa. Since then, it has scaled its model to the UK and Kenya.
Today, the platform supports over 1.2 million users and protects more than 200,000 properties through fixed-location security services.
AURA connects users, both individuals and businesses, to nearby private and public emergency service providers, including security, ambulance, and roadside assistance. The technology functions through an API that integrates into mobile apps, wearable devices, and security infrastructure.
“We’ve built a profitable and trusted presence in the UK and Africa. We’re now ready to take personal safety global. Our mission is to make access to life-saving services seamless, borderless, and available through a single API — empowering individuals and the platforms that serve them,” said Warren Myers, AURA’s CEO.
But AURA isn’t simply chasing new markets for the sake of expansion. There is a structural gap in public safety response systems, especially in the US and UK.
According to Myers, “In markets like the UK and US, police are stepping back from responding to unverified alarms owing to pressure on time and resources. This creates a huge opportunity for private sector players to fill the gap.”
In the US alone, the emergency response services market is estimated at $7 billion. South Africa’s alarm response market, by comparison, is projected to reach $121.4 million by 2025.
For AURA, the opportunity lies not just in market size, but in its fragmented nature, where traditional alarm systems still dominate and verification delays remain a problem.
AURA’s business model is business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C). It charges a monthly per-user subscription fee and offers its platform to insurers, security firms, app developers, and mobility platforms. Current partners include Uber, Samsung, First National Bank (FNB), and a wide range of private ambulance and security operators.
“AURA addresses the challenge that, traditionally, access to private security or ambulance services is expensive and limited to those who can afford monthly contracts and alarm systems,” Myers said.
“Our solution democratises access to safety by enabling anyone with a phone to access rapid emergency response at an affordable subscription rate.”
In practical terms, this means that idle private ambulances and armed responders can monetise their excess capacity while users get faster and more reliable service, a win-win model.
Patricia Rinke, investment director at CAIF, said, “We trust the team’s powerful vision and extraordinary execution capabilities as it scales its life-saving technology to the U.S. market and beyond. We are equally thrilled to welcome Partech as partners in our shared mission to make emergency response universally accessible.”
AURA is not stopping at expansion. The company is now working to develop what it calls a “global clearing house” for emergency response, a universal platform that functions like an international switchboard, connecting users to the closest verified responders through a single integration, no matter where they are.
The company estimates that in South Africa alone, 46 million mobile users fall within its addressable market. With subscriptions priced between ZAR 40–50 monthly ($2.20–$2.70), the potential scale is massive. It’s a bet on two things: the universal human need for safety, and the ubiquity of mobile phones.
What makes AURA’s approach interesting is its capacity to work within existing systems while improving them. It doesn’t aim to replace police or public ambulance services. It steps in where those services fall short, whether from delays, lack of coverage, or policy restrictions.
“Our goals are to make alarm verification faster, homes and businesses safer, and to help law enforcement focus on higher-priority incidents,” Myers said.
