RAROG raises €162K grant to turn phones into rescue beacons
What's the deal? Swiss startup RAROGDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has secured a 150,000 CHF (€162,000) grant from Venture KickDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to develop a portable search-and-rescue system that detects radio signals from everyday devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and fitness trackers.
What's the endgame? The system works independently of mobile networks and can locate people through vegetation, fog, snow, and rubble. The aim is to turn personal electronics people already carry into rescue beacons, helping teams search faster when networks are down.
Why now? Existing methods lean on visual scanning, rescue dogs, or mobile infrastructure — all limited in forests, mountains, or disaster zones. The grant funds product development during ongoing pilots, CE marking, a first manufacturing batch, and market entry.
RAROG's systems are already deployed in mountain rescue settings, from Ireland's Wicklow Mountains to the Swiss Alps. It plans to expand to firefighters, civil protection units, and other emergency services.
What could go wrong? The company is still finalising its product and pursuing CE marking, so commercial deployment at scale remains unproven. Manufacturing the first batch and building a market presence are early-stage hurdles.
The signal: The grant reflects steady momentum in Europe's deeptech and emergency-response segment, where hardware startups are drawing early non-dilutive backing to bring safety technology from pilot to market.
Read more: Tech.eu
Image credit: John Chroston
