South Australian startup WorkSafe Guardian acquired by UK risk management software firm Ideagen

British risk management firm Ideagen has acquired WorkSafe Guardian, a smartphone safety app for lone workers.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition delivers an exit for South Australian VC Eastend Ventures just three years after investing in the decade-old Adelaide startup.

WorkSafe Guardian was founded by Greg Lindner and Adam Whittaker in 2015 is is used by more than 100 companies, industries such as health, government, community services, utilities, construction and real estate across Australia and New Zealand, including Relationships Australia, Stockland, Medibank, Sydney Health District AusNet and Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

More than 15% of the global workforce is classified as lone worker and the WorkSafe’s app offers 24/7 monitoring, real-time emergency response, and comprehensive reporting

Lindner said joining Ideagen is an important milestone for the startup and its global ambitions.

It provides us with an incredible opportunity to bring our innovative solutions to a much broader global audience, while also enabling us to offer our customers an expanded portfolio of tools and resources to address their compliance needs,” he said.

“We’re excited to combine our expertise with Ideagen’s global network and industry-leading solutions.”

Ideagen specialises in health, safety and risk management software and CEO Ben Dorks said the deal adds to their portfolio of environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) solutions and bolsters their presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Lone workers are often the most vulnerable of any workforce, either because they are going into unpredictable environments or because it’s difficult to alert help if they get into difficultly,” he said.

“Organisations have a duty to protect their people but this is a challenge when the nature of their work takes them into situations they can’t control. For industries like health and social care, agriculture or construction, this is a daily occurrence.”

It’s Ideagen’s fifth acquisition this year.

Eastend Ventures partner JD Sheard said they backed WorkSafe in 2022 with the VC’s pilot Fund 0, and that investment helped validate Eastend’s thesis to support experienced founders with clear liquidity pathways.

“Greg and Adam are a textbook example of what can be achieved when experienced founders pair deep market knowledge with disciplined execution,” he said. “From our initial investment to this sale, they’ve consistently delivered on their plan, culminating in a strong outcome for investors.”

Lindner praised his team and investors saying: “The growth we’ve achieved in the last few years is a testament to our team, our customers, and the support we’ve had from our peers like JD of Eastend Ventures when he joined our board as non-exec director.”