Vancouver-based emergency network ePACT has raised a $4.5 million Series A funding round for its digital emergency preparedness platform.
ePACT wants to replace paper forms with its digitized system in order to make it easier to manage personal information.
As first reported by PE Hub Canada, the $4.5 million round was co-led by Disruption Ventures Yaletown Partners. As part of the funding round managing partner at Disruption, Elaine Kunda, will join as director of ePACT’s board.
ePACT will use the funding to help expand its product features “for new and current markets” and develop more integrations with software partners. The startup will also use the capital to triple its team.
According to ePACT, the Series A round brings its total funding to more than $12 million, to date. As BetaKit reported in February 2014, ePACT raised a $1 million round, followed by a $1 million repayable contribution from the Government of Canada’s Western Innovation Initiative, in 2015. According to Crunchbase, ePACT has also raised more than $1.5 million in seed funding.
Founded by Kirsten Koppang Telford and Christine Sommers in 2012, ePACT offers an emergency-preparedness and communications network. The startup is looking to replace paper forms with its digitized system in order to make it easier to manage personal information. ePACT’s system connects, stores, and communicates critical data for approximately 400 community organizations across North America and two million families spanning 140 countries.
The startups “peer-to-peer-to-peer network” allows users to invite a third user to receive full access to their emergency contacts, medical issues, allergies, immunizations, special needs, waivers, and consent forms. ePACT states that its cloud-based app enables “three-way connections to better respond to emergencies.”
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ePACT currently partners with the National Recreation and Parks Association and 70 percent of YMCAs in the US. In Canada, the startup works with the YMCA, Girl Guides of Canada, Scouts Canada, BC Hockey, and several community and non-profit organizations.
ePact’s Series A marks Disruption’s first Canadian investment since it was launched by Kunda in May 2018. The venture capital fund that focuses on investing in women-led businesses made its first investment earlier this year in San Francisco-based vacation rental SaaS solution Hostfully.
Kunda founded Disruption seeking to deliver early-stage capital to female founders, with the goal of being the starting point for female founders and entrepreneurs. Disruption cuts cheques ranging between $500,000 to $1 million, either as a lead investor or co-investor. The firm has currently raised $13 million of its targetted $30 million fund.
