TrapDtek secures investment to advance wearable rescue technology for signal-degraded environments
The Royal College of Art (RCA) and Infinity Asset Management LLP are delighted to announce that the RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Fund has completed an investment in TrapDtek, a safety-technology company developing wearable rescue indicators to help first responders locate people in hazardous and signal-degraded environments.
When emergency situations arise in environments where conventional communication, GPS, and location technologies struggle, such as collapsed structures, dense smoke, or remote wilderness settings, locating individuals quickly can make a critical difference. TrapDtek addresses this challenge by turning complex radio-frequency (RF) technology into a wearable physical device designed to aid rapid identification at the moment a person is least able to help themselves.
Unlike traditional rescue signals that rely on an individual to trigger an alert, TrapDtek’s wearable device can be remotely activated by first responders. This allows rescue teams to make the wearable visible and locate the individual without requiring any action from the person carrying it, a vital capability when someone may be injured or incapacitated. By placing the technology directly onto the body, TrapDtek provides an immediate, visible, and reliable location system for safety-critical operations.
The investment will be used to accelerate product development, refine the hardware and radio-frequency technology, and advance the platform towards field testing across rescue and emergency response environments.
“Securing this investment from the RCA Design & Innovation S/EIS Fund is a key milestone for TrapDtek. In emergency response, rapid identification is crucial, especially when standard location systems fail and individuals cannot signal for help. With the support of InnovationRCA, we can accelerate our technology development and deliver reliable, life-saving indicators to first responders on the front lines.”
Hunter McFarlane, Founder of TrapDtek
“We are thrilled to welcome TrapDtek to our portfolio. Hunter has tackled a human problem with a compelling combination of deep technology and user-centric design. By turning complex radio-frequency technology into a simple physical product, TrapDtek equips emergency responders with a powerful tool in difficult environments. The platform offers strong potential across rescue and broader safety-critical applications, and we look forward to supporting the team through their next phase of growth.”
Thomas Pedrick, Investment Manager at InnovationRCA
