Pick Protection has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help promote its new personal alarm.
The Glasgow-based business has established a corporate customer base, with more than 6,000 UK workers from clients including British Red Cross, SSE, Arnold Clark and Majestic Wines using the personal protection solutions.
With the launch of its new Pick Guardian alarm, the company is now entering the business-to-consumer market for the first time.
The device operates through a combination of a wearable trigger button which is linked to the Pick Guardian smartphone app. A double click of the trigger button connects the user to Pick’s Alarm Receiving Centre within six seconds, significantly faster than a 999 call, which can then prompt a Category 1 police response to an exact GPS location.
The audio of any incidents involving an alarm user is also recorded and can be used as court evidence if required.
The company was set up by Rebecca Pick while attending Strathclyde University, following an assault on a woman who lived within the same block of flats. The incident led Rebecca to channel her energy towards a business idea that would promote personal safety for lone and high-risk workers and other potentially vulnerable individuals.
Through the launch of a reward-based campaign on the Indiegogo platform, individuals are being offered an opportunity to get early access to Pick Protection’s new personal protection device at a discounted price by making a pledge.
With additional backing from corporate sponsors, which can contribute to the campaign by purchasing personal alarms for a charity of their choice, Pick aims to raise upwards of £100,000.
Arnold Clark has become the first corporate sponsor to pledge its support.
Additional proceeds from the campaign will go towards further bolstering Pick Protection’s marketing operations to help grow its share of the UK’s personal protection market.
The company was a winner at the 2017 AccelerateHER Awards for female founders. As part of its prize package, Rebecca Pick joined a group of Scottish-based female founders in a market-building AccelerateHER trade mission to California that same year.
Pick said: “The launch of the new Pick Guardian alarm is a significant development for our business as it gives us a foothold into the B2C personal protection market.
“As well as being the only personal alarm that can prompt a Category 1 police response to an exact GPS location, our device is small and discreet and can be triggered with just a double click of a button.
“We are very excited to launch our crowdfunding campaign where we aim to give people early access this innovative, new technology, and also provide a great CSR opportunity for companies to pledge funds that will enable the devices to be donated to charitable groups.”
Elizabeth Pirrie, chief executive of AccelerateHER, added: “We have had the pleasure of working closely with Rebecca, a great ambassador for female founders, through the AccelerateHER Awards programme.
“She is a committed entrepreneur who has developed her company’s innovative, technically-driven offering and, through its latest product launch, is now about to grow its presence within new markets.”
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