London-based safety technology startup eNOugh, founded by Bulgarian and Bosnian entrepreneurs, has secured $2.7 million (€2.32 million) in pre-seed investment to prepare the launch of its AI-powered wearable safety device, the eNO badge. The round was led by A*Ventures, co-founded by serial entrepreneur and investor Kevin Hartz, known for early backing of Airbnb and Pinterest. Additional participation came from Comma Capital, Karman Ventures, Intuition VC and several angel investors.
The investment will support eNOugh’s plan to bring what it describes as the first AI-driven wearable capable of real-time threat detection and deterrence to market, amid rising concerns about personal safety in major cities. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that in the UK, one in two women and one in five men report feeling unsafe walking alone after dark.
The idea for eNOugh was shaped by a personal incident involving its CEO and co-founder, Ina Jovicic. Four years ago, she was attacked by four men while walking home in central London. She was dragged into the street, robbed and injured despite being in a well-lit area. When police arrived, she was told: “You’re lucky you weren’t stabbed” and “You should never fight back.”
The experience prompted her to investigate why personal safety remains a persistent challenge globally and consider how technology could help address the issue. She later teamed up with Gaelic Jara, the company’s CTO, and Alex Chalakov, its CSO, who joined her in developing a device they believe might have altered the outcome that night.
The eNO badge is designed as a visible, AI-enabled wearable that takes a proactive approach to personal security. It uses multimodal AI models and custom-built hardware to assess a user’s surroundings in real time and determine when they may be at risk. If it detects a potential threat, the device begins recording through an integrated camera and microphone, contacts an emergency operator who can coordinate help, and streams live video and location details to authorities or designated contacts.
Building a consumer hardware startup remains a significant challenge, with only around 46% of companies in the sector going on to raise a second funding round. Despite this, eNOugh plans to launch the device in the UK market in 2026 while continuing to build the traction needed to secure future investment.
“What we are doing with our AI is taking it out of the lab and bringing it into everyday life. With the eNO badge, grounded in real-world, multimodal signals, we support people in the moments that actually feel human, like when someone feels unsafe walking home at night,” said Alex Chalakov, co-founder and CSO.
