AURA, a South African emergency response services marketplace, has secured €13.5 million ($15 million) in a Series B funding round co-led by global venture firm Partech and the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF). The investment signals a major step in the company’s ambition to expand globally and develop a universal dispatch system for emergency services.
Founded in 2017 by Warren Myers, Ryan Green, and Adam Pantanowitz, AURA operates as a digital marketplace connecting users with the nearest vetted emergency responders — whether private or public — across security, medical, and roadside assistance sectors. The platform leverages technology to reduce emergency wait times by dynamically routing requests to the closest available provider.
With the new funding, AURA plans to accelerate its U.S. market entry and build a global “clearing house” for emergency response — a unified system that allows users to access nearby help across borders via a single API. This would enable third-party platforms, such as insurers or mobility services, to integrate emergency response capabilities seamlessly.
“This funding marks a pivotal moment for AURA,” said CEO Warren Myers in a statement. “Having built a profitable and trusted presence in the UK and Africa, we’re now ready to take personal safety global. Our mission is to make access to life-saving services seamless, borderless, and available through a single API.”
Originally launched in South Africa, AURA has since expanded to the United Kingdom and Kenya. The platform now serves over 1.2 million users and secures more than 200,000 properties through fixed-location monitoring services. Its clientele includes major insurers, smart home providers, and mobility platforms.
The Series B round brings AURA’s total funding to over $21 million. Previous backers include Buffet Investments, KLT Holdings, and MultiChoice Group.
Patricia Rinke, Investment Director at CAIF, emphasized the firm’s belief in AURA’s vision: “We trust the team’s powerful execution capabilities as it scales its life-saving technology to the U.S. market and beyond. We are equally thrilled to welcome Partech as partners in our shared mission to make emergency response universally accessible.”
Partech’s involvement underscores growing investor interest in tech-driven emergency solutions, particularly in regions where public response systems are fragmented. If successful, AURA’s global API could redefine how emergency services are accessed worldwide — bridging gaps between private and public responders while reducing critical delays.
As AURA prepares for its next phase of growth, the challenge will be navigating regulatory differences across markets and ensuring reliability at scale. For now, the funding positions the company as a key player in the evolving landscape of emergency response technology.