Former PM Barak invests $1 million in Reporty, start-up company app to help emergency & rescue services quickly identify, locate & get to individuals in danger.

By Sagi Cohen and Itamar Eichner

Former prime minister Ehud Barak has invested $1 million in Reporty Homeland Security, an Israeli start-up involved in the development of a global platform for real-time reporting, the use of which could save lives. The Reporty system helps emergency and rescue services to quickly locate and get to individuals in distress.

The Reporty application

Reporty was founded in 2014 by CEO Amir Elichai, who teamed up with Pinchas Buchris, former director-general of the Defense Ministry and ex-commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ 8200 intelligence unit. Among the start-up’s other founders are VP business development Lital Leshem, VP technologies Alex Dizengof, and systems developer Yoni Yatsun.

With the start-up in need of money to expedite the development of its system, Elichai was advised by a friend, a former member of the IDF’s Sayeret Matkal commando unit, to approach Barak, who also served in the elite forces unit in the past.

“We didn’t know him personally,” Elihai says, “but we managed to persuade him to meet with us. We sat with him for 45 minutes; and at the end of the meeting, he said that it had potential and we would move forward.”

Former prime minister Ehud Barak

Reporty’s solution is based on a smartphone app and a command and control system installed at emergency centers, such as the police, ambulance service and local authorities. At the press of a button, the application establishes a two-way video and audio connection to the relevant assistance center, sending information that includes the precise location of the person making the report and enabling the report’s credibility to be assessed. For instance, when someone reports a medical emergency to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, the person on duty will be able to view the incident and even give instructions on how to deal with it.

Elihai said Barak would serve as a company director and play a part in shaping its business strategy.

“Reporty provides an answer to a vital need of every citizen, namely a sense of security based on immediate and simple access to emergency services” Barak said.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4647547,00.html