Flare – The Life-Saving App That's Revolutionizing Africa's 911

In an instant, this Kenyan tech startup turns turmoil to tenderness.

The Crisis: People pass away Waiting for Help

Imagine your loved one gets sick. You call for help—nothing. No single emergency number, no dispatcher, no ambulance on its way promised. That is the experience for millions of Africans.

In Nairobi, traffic is a nightmare. On the countryside roads, they are dirt. There are ambulances—though few in number, disorganized, and inaccessible to many areas. The result? Thousands of people die each year, not because help isn't available, but because there is no means of getting it to them in time.

Come Flare: Africa's Emergency Tech Lifeline

Founded by Caitlin Dolkart and Maria Rabinovich, Flare is a digital emergency response platform—Africa’s answer to 911. Think of it like Uber for ambulances—only smarter, faster, and built for the toughest conditions on Earth.

At its core is Rescue.co, an app that connects users with a nationwide network of emergency services—ambulances, fire, security, hospitals—all in real time, all at the tap of a button.

Where 911 didn't exist, Flare built it from scratch.

Why Flare is Magic (But isn’t)

Tap Once, Lifeline Ensures

No more guessing whom to call. A single app connects you with vetted ambulances, on-call physicians, and hospitals instantly.

Uber-Like Intelligent Dispatching—But for Lives

With GPS location and real-time availability, Flare sends the closest ambulance from a network of 800+-cutting response times by half to under 15 minutes in Nairobi.

Membership Plan That SAVES Families & Businesses

With Rescue.co, members pay for 24/7 emergency access—to health, security, even roadside help. It's peace of mind in your pocket.

Built for Africa.

Offline-capable, with SMS integration, and connectivity to even rural clinics—because life-saving tech only matters if anyone can use it.

Impact That Speaks for Itself

Over 100,000 emergencies managed

Operating in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and beyond

15-minute or less response time in high-density areas

Cooperated with leading hospitals, embassies, and insurance agencies

Empowering medical professionals to respond faster and smarter

Lives Changed. Futures Saved.

A woman in labor is triaged using Flare, an ambulance arrives within 10 minutes, and she safely delivers at a well-equipped hospital.

A boda boda rider is hit in traffic—Flare alerts the closest unit, takes him to a trauma unit, and saves his life.

An HR administrator in Nairobi signs up her office staff at Rescue.co—and weeks later, it saves a co-worker from a diabetic shock attack.

These aren't "maybes"—they're everyday life with Flare.

What's Next?

Launch into Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania

Offline-first technology for low-bandwidth regions

Emergency-anticipating AI solutions

Government and hospital APIs to build smarter cities

Flare isn't just re-meditating emergency response. They're re-designing it from scratch.

Here's how 911 would be built if it were created today—on the African continent, for the African people, by visionaries who understand that time is not just money—it's life.

The future of AI in Africa isn’t waiting—it’s being built right now. Don’t just watch the change happen—be part of it. Subscribe to GAiF to get the insights, tools, and strategies that keep you ahead, informed, and unstoppable in an AI-powered world.