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.

This is because every second counts in medical emergencies. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, after just five minutes without oxygen, brain cells start to die, and every minute thereafter 10% more die, with complete brain death occurring within 14 minutes.

Stroke victims lose the use of two million brain cells every two minutes, and arterial bleeds can result in death in mere minutes.

Warren Myers, CEO of AURA, South Africa’s on-demand security and medical response platform, says that the current response landscape is falling far short of delivering a vital service that all South Africans deserve.

The Gauteng Department of Health reports that the current average response time for an ambulance in Gauteng ranges from 30 to 60 minutes, well short of the international standard of seven minutes for life-threatening calls.

To make matters worse, there are a few numbers a person can call in a medical emergency in South Africa, complicating the process for the person who is already under pressure to help someone and help them fast.

You can call 10111 or 10177, 112 from any cell phone, and some private health insurance providers have their own medical emergency numbers.

Modern tech can save us

Myers says that current technology has huge potential to improve emergency response times for all and streamline the process of getting help. “With the introduction of smart technology into the emergency response sector, the outdated practice of phoning an ambulance, explaining the nature of the emergency as well as your exact location, and then waiting for the agent to dispatch a vehicle, can be simplified to a single touch of a panic button.

The AURA platform does all the hard work for you – pinpointing your location and, using a connected device installed in the response vehicles, ensuring that the closest vetted private ambulance is dispatched to you, saving precious time. Think of it like Uber for ambulances,” explains Myers.

However, good medical outcomes don’t just depend on how fast a patient is attended to, but also on the quality of care received once reached. Doctors refer to the period of time immediately after a traumatic injury as ‘the golden hour’, when prompt medical and surgical treatment is most likely to prevent death. “A person’s chances of survival are greatest if they receive high quality care within a short period of time after a severe injury,” shares Bernadette Breton from Alliance International Medical Services (AIMS).

But what if you don’t have medical aid? The good news is that if you are signed up with an AURA network partner, the cost of a private ambulance is covered by the fee you pay through the partner.

Those without medical aid can be taken to a state hospital for further care but can at least rest assured that they had prompt care, from trained personnel, using state-of-the-art equipment in those crucial moments after a traumatic incident.

How to access an on-demand emergency response application

“We believe that instant emergency response driven by smart technology like that of applications, and the large network of emergency response providers it connects to can help to eradicate the current inefficiencies in the emergency response system and positively improve the lives of countless patients,” says Myers. So, in your panicked state, instead of googling the nearest ambulance service, searching your phone for a number or trying to find that emergency pamphlet you stuck on your fridge, you could have a simple panic button on your phone to do all that work for you.

The country’s leading security and medical response marketplace, AURA, recently released its very first Crime Trend Report which lists vehicle breakdowns as one the most popular reasons South Africans call for help via an AURA-powered platform.

With persistently high crime rates, being stranded at the side of the road is risky. So, your engine has given up, you’re alone in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, and stressing out.

What do you do? Take a deep breath, and follow our simple, easy to remember top tips:

• Carefully make your way towards the emergency lane or safe space at the side of the road away from oncoming traffic.
• Turn on your hazard lights and place a warning triangle behind your car so you are visible to other motorists.
• Be aware of your surroundings. If you feel vulnerable, and it’s safe to do so, stay in your car with your doors locked.
• Contact emergency roadside assistance as soon as possible.
• Let a close friend or family member know what’s happened and where you are.
• If you can safely make the repair to your car, like a tyre change, then do so.
• Do not leave your car bonnet open.
• Do not solicit help from other motorists.
• Do not accept help from anyone except a uniformed police officer, metro police or emergency services provider. Remember you have the right to ask for an identity document showing the officer’s name and photograph.

Emergency services, powered by AURA, ensure rapid mobile emergency response anywhere, anytime within South Africa.

Want to know how you can access an emergency service powered by AURA? Click here.

By using the powerful technology developed by AURA, OUTsurance’s policy holders can request immediate armed or medical response via the Help@OUT Panic Assistance feature on the OUTsurance app, wherever and whenever they may need it. All it takes is a tap.

AURA’s ground-breaking platform enables users to connect to a network of registered armed response and medical response units in real-time.

Subscribers can easily request immediate mobile armed response assistance by tapping the Panic Assistance feature on the Outsurance app, the closest available unit is then guided directly to the app user via their smartphone’s location services.

Warren Myers, CEO of AURA, whose vision it is to create a more inclusive security landscape by deploying smart, affordable and disruptive technology, says it is encouraging to see how seriously major corporates such as OUTsurance are taking the safety and security of their clients. “The app illustrates the power of technology in preventing and combating crime and the role it plays in enabling South African businesses to offer innovative security products and services to customers. It has already saved lives and we hope to save many more.”

OUTsurance’s CEO Danie Matthee says that they are constantly looking for opportunities to innovate and add value to their clients’ lives. “Panic Assistance gives our clients true peace of mind wherever they go in the country, knowing that they will get the help they need in a safety incident or medical emergency as quickly as possible, and at no extra cost.”

AURA’s innovative platform, born out of the critical need for more efficiency within the South African security industry to combat crime, effectively connects people in distress with its wide network of responders, which, to date, includes 250 armed response service providers and 5 400-armed response officers.

Perfectly exemplifying the sharing economy, the platform, with the help of the forward-thinking brands in its digital marketplace, is set to gain momentum and make medical and personal safety assistance accessible for all.

“Safety and medical care are basic human needs, and they need to be completely democratised. Partnerships like this one with OUTsurance enables us to achieve this by getting the service out there to as many people as possible,” says Myers.

However, recent crime statistics released by the police ministry paint a bleak picture, particularly when it comes to kidnappings, which are on the rise.

Between October and December last year, 2 605 kidnapping cases were reported, which is 686 more cases compared to the previous reporting period. The last four months of 2021 showed the highest number of reported kidnappings in five years.

Warren Myers, CEO of South Africa’s on-demand security and medical response platform AURA, was joined by anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee in the third of a series of monthly webinars to discuss this worrying situation and what citizens can do about it.

“Kidnappings for ransom are operated by large, specialised syndicates, who are demanding anything between R500 000 to R20 million in ransom,” says Abramjee. These gangs are starting to realise that a lot less effort is needed to orchestrate a kidnapping than other major crimes — all that is required is a telephone and a bit of homework done on the victim, and they can name their price. “The perpetrators of these kinds of crimes are opportunistic, targeting business and high-profile people from wealthy backgrounds. After choosing a victim, they put them under surveillance over a period of weeks or months, take them at gunpoint and keep them until they get the ransom money.”

On the flip side, kidnapping is also rife in lower-income communities, but it’s done on a lesser scale, according to Abramjee. “In these situations, gangs will pick up a victim and demand a small amount. The person pays what they can via e-wallet or something similar and the person or child gets dropped off again.”

It is important to note, though, that while kidnapping for ransom is on the rise, the majority of kidnapping cases are hijacking and robbery related. “Over 60 percent of kidnappings in Gauteng are a result of victims being hijacked and taken to ATMs to drain their credit cards. This is classified as kidnapping when it is reported,” explains Myers.

How to reduce your risk

Myers and Abramjee share some advice on how to be proactive and avoid becoming a kidnapping victim:

• An obvious precaution is to avoid becoming a target – don’t wear flashy jewellery or watches while out in public.
• Be fully aware of your surroundings at all times, particularly when approaching your home. Keep an eye out for unusual cars or people loitering around and report suspicious behaviour to the authorities.
• Avoid crime hotspots and areas where you can be easily separated from your children.
• Join a network or security company that you can rely on in times of trouble, programme emergency numbers into your phone or download a safety app with a panic button on your phone.
• Change up your routine. Vary the times you leave home and return and avoid using the same routes every day.
• Educate your children about crime. Instruct them to call you immediately if something is amiss or if there’s an unexpected change in plans, even if it comes from someone they know well. Tell them not to get into cars with strangers, and consider a password system, where the person collecting them needs to give a password, and if they can’t, your child immediately calls for help.

Fortunately, advances in technology are making it easier to prevent and control crime. An example of this is AURA’s emergency response platform, which gives users access to the closest vetted private security and medical response unit to their location at the touch of a button. This service is available via some of South Africa’s most trusted organisations. “Being part of a network that enables you to get help anywhere, anytime at the push of a button is crucial in this crime climate,” says Myers.