You can't talk about Flare without addressing how terrible it is that a product like this needs to exist. Quite frankly, we hate that we are here. Our survivor stories are not at all unique and that is a huge problem. So we wanted to do something about it.
Historically, safety companies perpetuated victim-blaming and claimed to “solve safety.” Telling us to hold back, be quiet, avoid events, adjust our goals. Giving us whistles and pepper spray, which often do more harm than good. That's incredibly damaging. The onus isn't on women, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized communities. We were tired, fed up, and angry.
We started Flare to change the industry and offer a modern, practical tool built from personal experience. A tool for people to discreetly take control when needed. Flare is not a solution. We are a stop-gap for today while real change is made.
Our mission is simple: to put ourselves out of business and create a world where Flare is not needed. We are proud to support and work with amazing groups tackling this issue from multiple angles. Some of them are listed below.
Safety isn't one-size-fits-all and we don't have “the answers.” We worked with thousands of people over 4 years to develop Flare and are committed to constant improvement, breaking down our own assumptions and privilege, and continuing to make our tools better until they're no longer needed.
The real problem is our culture and how it enables bad actors. We will not stand for it or allow them to prey on us. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but in the meantime we are a small team working tirelessly and an army of people who are prepared.
Every Flare smart bracelet allows you to trigger a fake phone call, text friends for help, send your GPS location, or even contact 911 – all without touching your phone.
Historically, safety companies perpetuated victim-blaming and claimed to “solve safety.” Telling us to hold back, be quiet, avoid events, adjust our goals. Giving us whistles and pepper spray, which often do more harm than good. That's incredibly damaging. The onus isn't on women, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized communities. We were tired, fed up, and angry.
We started Flare to change the industry and offer a modern, practical tool built from personal experience. A tool for people to discreetly take control when needed. Flare is not a solution. We are a stop-gap for today while real change is made.
Our mission is simple: to put ourselves out of business and create a world where Flare is not needed. We are proud to support and work with amazing groups tackling this issue from multiple angles. Some of them are listed below.
Safety isn't one-size-fits-all and we don't have “the answers.” We worked with thousands of people over 4 years to develop Flare and are committed to constant improvement, breaking down our own assumptions and privilege, and continuing to make our tools better until they're no longer needed.
The real problem is our culture and how it enables bad actors. We will not stand for it or allow them to prey on us. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but in the meantime we are a small team working tirelessly and an army of people who are prepared.
Every Flare smart bracelet allows you to trigger a fake phone call, text friends for help, send your GPS location, or even contact 911 – all without touching your phone.
Location: United States, Massachusetts, Boston
Employees: 1-10
Total raised: $3M
Investors 2
| Date | Name | Website |
| - | Bolt | portfolio.... |
| - | Able Partn... | ablepartne... |
Funding Rounds 1
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| 20.02.2020 | Seed | $3M | - |
Mentions in press and media 4
| Date | Title | Description |
| 27.11.2024 | Flare Introduces 2.0 Version with Revolutionary Updates, Expanded Designs, and Features for the Entire Family | Flare Introduces 2.0 Version with Revolutionary Updates, Expanded Designs, and Features for the Entire Family At Flare, we know that safety should be a priority for the entire family” — Ray HamiltonLOWELL, MA, UNITED STATES, November 27, 20... |
| 18.04.2023 | 7 common pitfalls for hardware startups and how to avoid them | You’ve likely heard that “hardware is hard”; mostly because hardware startups have to deal with things that software companies don’t really have to worry about. That includes pesky details such as “physics” and “battery management” and “gen... |
| 06.01.2023 | This pepper spray will phone your friends as you mace your assailants | From the desk of ‘I’m not sure this is a good idea’ at CES in Las Vegas, comes 444. The early-stage startup is planning to combine pepper spray with some electronics so a potential attack victim’s friends can be notified when they’ve had to... |
| 20.02.2020 | Personal Safety Startup Flare Launches With $3M in Seed Funding | Five years after it began as a conversation within the walls of Harvard Business School, Flare, the Boston-based startup behind a smart bracelet designed to get the wearer out of potentially dangerous situations and prevent sexual assault, ... |