Key Fund investment to develop app for disabled

The Key Fund has invested in assist-Mi, a technology start-up which has developed a disability access app. The app gives users the ability to request help directly on their smartphones with service providers including banks, supermarkets, petrol stations, public buildings, car parks and offices.

The app will, for example, identify the nearest petrol station, and allow the disabled customer to send a message to the retailer. The retailer is alerted through GPS tracking, so they are ready to help when the customer approaches.

Julie Wake, the lead investment officer at Key Fund, said, “It’s a high risk business idea on paper but one which could have massive social impact for the UK.

“It’s exactly the kind of thing we invest in. Our mission is to help people find the right solutions to the challenges their communities face, delivering real impact through enterprising activity. There’s an incredible team behind the start-up, and we instantly saw the potential of assist-Mi, not just in the UK but globally.”

The Key Fund has also invested £80,000 in a biker safety app. The online platform and mobile phone app Realrider detects if a rider has had a crash and sends a message to emergency control rooms.

It has been developed by Realsafe Technologies team Zoe Farrington and Andrew Richardson in Durham, and it has been piloted by the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

The extra investment means the REALsafe crash detection is integrated into the BT telematics system to ensure alerts are treated like any other emergency call.