Safety app modernizes alert tech for seniors

When Preet Anand ’10 was leading safety and risk technology at Lyft, he had a conversation that led him to co-found an app that promotes safety through a different avenue.

In this conversation, an active retiree expressed concerns about what might happen if she had a medical event while living alone and couldn’t call for help. Current tech, such as medical alert bracelets, fell short of her expectations.

Anand helped create Snug, an app in which users check in at a chosen time every day. If they don’t respond after several reminders, Snug lets their contacts know they may need help.

“Other solutions require you to press a button to get help,” Anand says. “Snug kicks in even if you are incapacitated.”

So far, Snug has recorded 20 million check-ins and is partnering with community organizations, including the South Santa Clara Fire District.