Virtual Halo, LLC Acquires Brussels Belgium-Based Safone Personal Safety App

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brussels Belgium, March 16, 2019 – Safone, the personal safety app, today announced the acquisition of its connected safety suite of technologies designed to protect people by Virtual Halo, LLC, an Illinois USA based personal safety company.

 “Our mission from the creation of Safone has been to provide loved ones the knowledge of when their contact has arrived safely at their destination,” said Olivier Beaujean, Co-Founder of Safone. “Stéphane de Biolley (Safone Co-Founder) and I built this application because we believe in personal safety; it’s a necessary component of our extremely mobile and transient world and a good option did not exist in the French-speaking world. Because of our strong belief in the value Safone provides, we feel that the best way to achieve widespread adoption is to merge Safone with an established company within the safety space. After an exhaustive search, we feel that Virtual Halo, LLC is the right partner to align our technology with.”

 “Virtual Halo has the digital infrastructure and team in place to build upon the great work that Olivier Beaujean and Stéphane de Biolley have crafted Safone into,” said Josh Swank, CEO of Virtual Halo, LLC. “We aim to provide a lasting legacy to their project while integrating Safone into Virtual Halo’s patented personal safety technology ecosystem, which will provide additional safety features to Safone’s users along with adding unique features to Virtual Halo’s community. Safone’s existing user-base is particularly strong throughout Belgium and the EU and we are excited to be able to provide additional solutions to both French and English-speaking audiences.”

 Virtual Halo streamlines real-time communications in emergency and potential-emergency situations, providing emergency contacts (or guardians) the knowledge of where a person is and that they are either: safe, in trouble or may need assistance. Alerts are communicated through a combination of push-notifications, in-app messaging, SMS messaging and social media postings, depending on user preference. “Virtual Halo is pioneering modern-day personal safety technology around the world for mobile and wearable devices. The acquisition of Safone to the Virtual Halo family of personal safety apps is a natural fit,” said Swank.

Safone will remain available as a free download with basic SOS / Panic Mode functionality in both French and English for the iOS and Android mobile operating systems and is available in all 139 countries the Google Play Store provides service and the 155 countries that the Apple App Store conducts business. Additional features will be available via an in-app subscription (a seven-day free trial remains standard).

Virtual Halo Features to be integrated into the Safone Application within 2019 will result in the following modules available to users of both apps:

• SOS / Panic Button

• Mobile-Based Siren (when button is pressed, or headphones removed from phone)

• Journey Travel Time (walking, bicycling, driving and bus-transit)

• Follow My Journey

• Destination Arrival Notification

• Going Out

• Check-In

• Live-Location

About Virtual Halo

Virtual Halo is an advanced technology company based out of Peoria, IL USA focusing on technologies to keep people safe without anyone being able to actively track the user without their knowledge and consent. Privacy is paramount and their entire technology platform is designed to put the user in complete control over who has access to their specific location, path, journey or health related information. The company focusses on building personal safety solutions on mobile and wearable devices for active participants in the journey of life including: individuals, families and business, students and global travelers. From audible alarms on mobile devices, geo-fencing that provides both proactive and reactive alerts and integration with advanced Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Halo’s patented and patent pending technologies weave a halo of safety surrounding the users of their personal safety technology.

 # # #

Contact

Josh Swank, CEO
Virtual Halo, LLC
safone@virtualhalo.com

Resources

• Web                https://www.virtualhalo.com/safone

• Facebook        https://www.facebook.com/getsafone

• Twitter            https://twitter.com/getsafone

• Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/getsafone/

• LinkedIn          https://www.linkedin.com/company/safone

Virtual Halo App Wins StartupPeoria's Pitch Competition

Peoria Illinois - October 5, 2015 - Virtual Halo, a user safety app which provides notification services for people and their trusted friends and loved ones, has won the KeyStart Pitch Competition from StartupPeoria. The ongoing competition pitted multiple promising startups together with the final four squaring off on September 29. Virtual Halo came out on top, earning a high distinction alongside a $5000 investment.

A grassroots movement focused in Central Illinois, StartupPeoria emphasizes innovation and community within the startup marketplace. The organization champions new companies with ideas that are designed to bring major changes within their respective industries. The company identifies talent across the development field – from designers and programmers all the way to entrepreneurs. From there, they connect them with other professionals to transform their ideas into practical services and viable business models.

An event several months in the making, the KeyStart pitch startup competition celebrates innovation and promise within a startup company's development. Ongoing qualifying rounds brought together countless developers and innovators all hoping to clench the award. Over the past several months, the competition has continued to identify the most promising candidates down to the final decision. The September 29 competition brought together the four finalists within the ongoing competition, showcasing the best and the brightest within the region.

By clenching the victory, Virtual Halo not only took home the $5000 seed funding to help with the app’s ongoing development. They also brought the confirmation and acknowledgment from the community of all the potential their app has to offer customers.

“We’re absolutely thrilled Virtual Halo won the KeyStart Pitch Competition,” according to company Founder Josh Swank. “Our team has put in countless hours making our app stand out. And when you’re facing competition like the other finalists, winning this award is a real honor for all of us.”

Designed around providing personal safety without infringing on user privacy, Virtual Halo offers users a wealth of options to ensure ongoing safety. The app is designed for anyone from adventurers to school children and parents who want a fast and accessible way to alert loved ones when they are in danger.

The app features the primary SOS option which adds simple integration for users to send a notification to their trusted friends and loved ones – alongside coordinates showing their location. Additional modules will also be included that add even more safety benefits both to users. The I'm OK module sends random requests to ensure users are safe with a notification when they fail to respond. The Check-In module also allows users to send out notices alongside optional coordinates to confirm their safety and well-being. Finally, the Sport module allows users to set up a notification of the activity they're pursuing such as jogging or cycling. Users set a specified length of time, and trusted friends are notified if users have not returned within that timeframe.

As Founder Josh Swank continued, the best part about the app is the peace of mind it gives to a user’s loved ones. “In many cases the trusted friends and loved ones are the people who really benefit from the app,” he mentioned. “We give users the freedom to go out and do whatever it is they love without causing unnecessary concerns or anxiety from the people they care about.”

Virtual Halo begins beta testing this month with an anticipated launch in December 2015. To learn more about what the app offers – or to apply to become a beta tester – users can head to the company website at www.virtualhalo.net.

ABOUT

A personal safety app designed to improve peace of mind, Virtual Halo delivers a convenient solution to the ongoing communication between users and their trusted friends and loved ones. Designed for adventurers, hikers, thrill-seekers, and even parents and children, the app provides a variety of modules and features which improve the safety of users while providing a tool to ease the worries and anxiety of parents, friends and other loved ones. With a sharp focus on non-invasive safety with a robust set of user benefits, Virtual Halo brings together the convenience and accessibility of mobile without interfering with user privacy.

Contact:
Virtual Halo, LLC
info@virtualhalo.net
www.virtualhalo.net 
@Virtual_Halo

# # #