You don’t have to be in a risk group or a danger zone to think about safety. We are all exposed to risky situations inside or outside the work place and yet companies spend very little time thinking on how to prevent these situations from happening or escalating.

Luckily we got Calima to think about it for us. The founders, Katharina Hochmuth and Tim Hautkappe, from our Future City Incubator program answered some questions about the new emergency app they are developing and how the world can be a safer place with just one button on your phone.

Where did the idea for CALIMA come from?

We got the idea for CALIMA by working on our B2C app ArriveSafe, which is a location sharing and emergency app. With the increasing popularity of our app different companies have approached us and asked for an emergency solution for their employees.

How CALIMA is giving a better answer to emergency situations?

With CALIMA, emergencies can either be triggered manually or detected automatically (e.g. by fall detection or a safety timer). This ensures that in case of an emergency the person gets help as quickly as possible, even if he or she is no longer responsive. By using the existing functions of the smartphone such as location and audio transmission CALIMA can deliver all important information in case of an emergency.

Which exactly are the B2B Cases you are addressing and why are they currently unaddressed?

We address companies whose employees are exposed to dangers due to their professional activities. So far, only hardware or expensive software solutions for special devices exist on the market. CALIMA transforms the smartphone to a personal emergency device, accessible to more employees through easy operation and affordable pricing.

What are your biggest learnings from former ventures you took part in?

One of our biggest learnings is that it’s extremely important to have the right founding team. For success the team needs to fit on both the professional and personal levels. Another learning was that it’s necessary to really understand the customers and their needs before you build the product.

In which newspaper should an article about you be published and what is it about?

An article about CALIMA should appear in a business newspaper (Handelsblatt or Wirtschaftswoche) and encourage entrepreneurs to question the safety standards of their employees activities or motivate affected employees to make their boss aware of our solution.

What makes you an invincible team?

We have known each other for seven years now. During that time we became very good friends and also founded a company together before. We share the same values and have handled various stressful situations together successfully.

Explain the function behind the innovation? How do you arrive safe with CALIMA?

CALIMA is not only an app that turns the smartphone into a personal emergency device. It is your personal guardian powered by technology. The peace of mind that you will get help when you need it can improve everyday life even if hopefully nothing ever happens.

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