Empowering Safety: Emma Kay on how she built the UK’s #1 downloaded personal safety app.
Our interview with Emma Kay of WalkSafe!
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Before founding WalkSafe, I worked in childcare, launched successful ventures in both childcare and beauty, and volunteered to support the homeless. My early experiences in childcare really opened my eyes to the importance of education, especially around consent, gender bias, and the need for preventive measures.
What inspired you to start your business?
From the age of 13, I experienced harassment, catcalling, stalking, groping, and flashing, which fuelled my determination to improve safety for people, particularly women, both in the UK and worldwide. This personal journey sparked my passion to create WalkSafe, now the UK’s #1 downloaded personal safety app, with the mission of putting knowledge and information into users' hands so they can plan safer routes and feel empowered.
Where is your business based?
We are based in London but have been on a journey to introduce collaborations between Walksafe and various councils nationwide. Most recently, we launched in Manchester!
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
The real catalyst was the birth of my daughter. It made me realise I didn’t want her growing up in a world where safety is always a concern. I didn’t want her to accept that as ‘normal’. Coupled with my years of volunteering with people in crisis, it became clear that something had to be done.
After discussing these concerns with my family, WalkSafe was born. Our mission is to help people take precautionary measures to avoid becoming targets of crime. Through technology, prevention, and education, we can genuinely make a difference in keeping people safer.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
We’ve expanded our awareness through key partnerships. One of our most recent is with Virgin Bet, aiming to raise awareness about safety at racing events, offering users peace of mind when travelling alone. We’ve also partnered with local councils and police, encouraging proactive safety measures within communities. Additionally, our collaboration with Airbnb has been particularly important, especially with a 55% rise in female solo travel, allowing us to support more travellers in staying safe.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges we faced was when WalkSafe suddenly surged in popularity following the tragic events surrounding Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. Within two weeks, we had 500,000 downloads, and our servers were not prepared for that level of demand. It was an intense time with many late nights, but the team pulled together, and we managed to stabilise the platform.
After that, we had to quickly grow our team, expand our funding, and adapt to becoming a significant player in the personal safety space. In March 2022, we closed a £300k investment round with Fearless Adventures, which gave us the resources to expand further and develop WalkSafe Pro, providing affordable safety solutions for businesses. Throughout this journey, I learned to trust my instincts and be authentic, which really resonated with people.
With the team’s dedication and the support we’ve received, we’ve successfully grown WalkSafe into a thriving business while staying true to our mission.
How do you stay focused?
I think having a clear north star is vital to help to keep you afloat on the days when you feel like giving up. Our company mission is to make the world a safer place, but my internal one is for WalkSafe to save a life. So for me as founder this helps me to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to reach my long term goal.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
What sets WalkSafe apart from the competition is our unwavering focus on prevention rather than just reacting to incidents. From the beginning, our mission has been to empower users with the knowledge they need to make safer decisions before they find themselves in danger. Our interactive Safety Map, driven by real-time data, helps users plan safer routes, while features like "Trusted Circle" ensure their loved ones are kept informed.
Additionally, with innovations like WalkSafe Pro for businesses, we’ve expanded our reach to not only individuals but employers as well, offering affordable solutions for employee safety. Through partnerships with organisations like Virgin Bet, Airbnb, and local councils, we’ve strengthened our message that safety should be accessible to all.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Collaborations with respected brands such as Virgin Bet, Airbnb, and local councils have played a crucial role in establishing WalkSafe as a trusted solution for personal safety and employer responsibility. Partnering with these well-known organisations demonstrates our authority in the space and reinforces our credibility, helping us reach a much wider audience.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
When I launched WalkSafe I had just closed a thriving beauty business but due to covid, I had to close it, which was a hard choice. I had a toddler and a new born, and WalkSafe was created as a family born passion project which we never thought would take off. I had never been in tech before, in the media before, or raised money before. This was all completely new to me. I jumped in with both feet, I made mistakes but I learnt. So my biggest piece of advice is do something every day that scares you, be bold and be brave, you will never be ready, so jump in with both feet.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Fav app is of course WalkSafe, for us we are only scratching the surface of what we want to achieve on our journey.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I'm a serial list maker, which drives my husband crazy. So for me if it's not slack it's probably my sticky notepad which i colour code. I like knowing if someone asks me a question about an area of the business I can find my notes easily and refer back to them quickly.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Alice Hendy MBE is a true inspiration. The founder of R;pple Suicide prevention she set up the charity after loosing her brother to suicide in 2020. I deeply respect and look up to Alice, her determination to create a better world is unbelievably inspiring. I'm lucky to be able to say ive met her, and I follow her journey avidly cheering her on from the sidelines.
How do you balance work and life?
I'm not going to lie, it's a constant juggle. My children and husband are my world and everything else is secondary, but having a support system enables me to be more present when I am with them and efficient when I'm not. When I'm not “mum” I try to prioritize self care, as you can't pour from an empty cup. I really believe in the power of therapy, and given the nature of what I discuss in the media and my lived experiences I know having a safe space to regulate my mental and emotional wellbeing is key, so I can be a great mum, wife, friend and leader.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Being at home with my family, were all homebodies so cuddles on the sofa whilst watching a movie, arts and crafts or stories before bed are our fav ways to decompress. If kids are in bed then a glass of wine with hubby or a hot bath and a favourite book also do the trick.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
We have an exciting 6 months on the horizon. We have just secured investment, so we are in the process of expanding our team. We have a new security partner who we are developing out WalkSafe Pro with, as well as exciting new new product adjustments to the app!
How can our readers connect with you?
You can connect with me through LinkedIn @Emma Kay
Website: https://walksafe.io/
Personal Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-kay-295b4520a/
Walksafe Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/walksafeio/posts/?feedView=all
Walksafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walksafe.io/
