LiveSafe Mobile Safety App & Platform Gains New Investment by Hearst Ventures & IAC

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LiveSafe, a smartphone app and mobile safety communications platform today announced that Hearst Ventures and IAC are investing in the technology which is transforming how universities, sports teams, and global businesses empower and protect their people. The two media and Internet companies together are investing $4 million in Series A venture financing for LiveSafe.

The funding announcement comes as noted Washington, D.C. mobile-technology and startup developer Carolyn Parent joins LiveSafe as chief executive officer and president. Parent has led growth in companies ranging from large public companies like Deltek, to small venture-backed startups like Gravy.

LiveSafe enables two-way, real-time interaction between individuals and security and facilities teams. The convenience of using a smartphone to text information or ask for help is a game-changing way to open up communication on safety- and security-related concerns. Users can send text, photos and videos and precise location information, reporting incidents ranging from routine maintenance needs to suspicious activity to safety threats and crimes.

"LiveSafe is leading a movement to put safety in everyone's hands," said Parent. "Our mobile safety communications platform empowers people in businesses, colleges, and other organizations to quickly upgrade security. In a world where personal and organizational security feels increasingly at risk, today's investment in LiveSafe by Hearst and IAC will allow us to more rapidly expand within our core enterprise and education markets."

LiveSafe clients include Cox Enterprises, Hearst, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, the 49ers' Levi's® Stadium (where the Super Bowl will be played in 2016), the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, Yale, and Virginia Tech.

"Maintaining safety of employees and security for company assets is a growing imperative for businesses and a rapidly growing field," said Scott English, managing director of Hearst Ventures. "We are investing in LiveSafe because we recognize them as a leader in providing that security in smart new ways."

Since its founding, the LiveSafe platform has expanded to serve nearly a million people on college campuses, in large sports and entertainment arenas, and at businesses across the country.

"IAC invests in organizations that transform the way people live," said Gregg Winiarski, IAC Executive Vice President, General Counsel. "We believe that LiveSafe's mobile application and platform have the tremendous potential to improve safety for individuals and communities worldwide."

LiveSafe's advisory board includes Jan Fedarcyk, former assistant director, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Mark Sullivan, former director, U.S. Secret Service; Dick Newton, Lt. General, U.S. Air Force, Ret.; Patrick Gross, chairman of the Board, Rosetta Stone; and Alan Merten, president emeritus, George Mason University.

About LiveSafe Inc

LiveSafe is the leading mobile safety communications platform delivering actionable crowdsourced safety and security intelligence, preventing incidents before they occur and connecting people to the help they need. Used by businesses, colleges, and universities, LiveSafe's enterprise-class platform is backed by a team with safety in their DNA and combines a cloud-based Command Dashboard with customizable mobile applications. Every minute of every day, we deliver two-way, real-time interactions that include location-tagged text, calls, photos and videos, scalable mass notification, relevant safety resources, and peer-to-peer safety tools like SafeWalk™.

Follow LiveSafe on Twitter @LiveSafe, and learn more at http://www.LiveSafeMobile.com.

About Hearst

Hearst is one of the nation's largest diversified media, information and services companies with more than 360 businesses. Its major interests include ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; majority ownership of global ratings agency Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; 30 television stations such as WCVB-TV in Boston and KCRA-TV in Sacramento, Calif., which reach a combined 19 percent of U.S. viewers; newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Albany Times Union, more than 300 magazines around the world including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Car & Driver; digital services businesses such as iCrossing and KUBRA; and investments in emerging digital and video companies such as United Artists Media Group, BuzzFeed, VICE and AwesomenessTV. Follow us on Twitter @HearstCorp and subscribe to Hearstlink. Since its initial investment in Netscape in 1995, Hearst Ventures has grown to become one of the most active and successful corporate venture funds, with more than $1 billion in strategic investments in companies operating at the intersection of media and technology.

About IAC

IAC IACI is a leading media and Internet company. It is organized into four segments: Match Group, which includes dating and education businesses with brands such as Match, OkCupid, Tinder and The Princeton Review; Search & Applications, which includes brands such as About.com, Ask.com, Dictionary.com and Investopedia; Media, which consists of businesses such as Vimeo, Electus, The Daily Beast and CollegeHumor; and eCommerce, which includes HomeAdvisor and ShoeBuy. IAC's brands and products are among the most recognized in the world reaching users in over 200 countries. IAC is headquartered in New York City and has offices worldwide.

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