Brave Technology Coop

What Brave Technology Coop does

Brave Technology Coop is a Vancouver, BC-based multi-stakeholder cooperative that develops and deploys overdose detection hardware and software for harm reduction service providers, supportive housing operators, and civic spaces across North America. Its product suite consists of three integrated offerings: the Brave App (a mobile application providing anonymous virtual supervised consumption), Brave Buttons (wall-mounted alert devices installed in supportive housing units that connect residents to staff via SMS), and Brave Sensors (passive Doppler radar-based systems that monitor public washrooms for overdose indicators). The underlying technology combines 7-8 GHz Doppler radar with proprietary machine learning algorithms that detect motion stillness combined with prolonged occupancy as overdose risk signals, dispatching alerts via SMS and Microsoft Teams in under five seconds while storing no personally identifying information.

The company generates revenue primarily through annual hardware leasing subscriptions priced at $100 per Button and $500 per Sensor, supplemented by one-time setup and configuration fees of $1,980-$2,000 per building. Distribution is conducted via direct enterprise sales (account executives managing relationships with libraries, housing providers, and community organizations) layered on top of a community-led go-to-market that leverages harm reduction networks, peer advocates, and the cooperative's member structure. Brave is B Corp certified, GDPR compliant, and partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and partners with organizations including Grenfell Ministries, RapidSOS, Microsoft, and Dr. Monty Ghosh on NORS and related initiatives.

Name

Brave Technology Coop

Legal name

Brave Technology Co-Op

Website

https://brave.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brave Technology Coop is a Vancouver-based multi-stakeholder cooperative that builds overdose detection hardware (Buttons, Sensors) and software (App, NORS hotline) using Doppler radar and machine learning to activate community response for harm reduction providers, supportive housing operators, and civic spaces across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Overdose Detection Systems

NAICS

Home Health Equipment Rental (532283), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (62142)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Elderly/Frail & Assisted Living Connected Care (PERS/Fall Detection) (HLACAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Emergency Response (PERS) & Medical Alert Monitoring (HSAHAAAL), Guard Tour / Lone Worker / Duress & Panic Alarm Monitoring (BPAKAFAF), Two-Way Voice Emergency Communication Devices & Services (HSAHAHAF)

Keywords

• Overdose detection hardware
• Harm reduction technology
• Remote overdose monitoring
• Supportive housing safety
• Public washroom monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Device Leasing: Brave leases devices (Buttons and Sensors) on annual subscription basis. Devices remain property of Brave throughout the contract. 3-year contract terms with automatic renewal. Fees cover hardware, software access, real-time alerting, and full tech support.
2. Setup and Configuration Services: One-time setup fee per building covering remote installation support, calibration, database setup, staff onboarding and training, and technical support access. Buttons: $1,980/building. Sensors: $2,000/building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brave provides a suite of overdose detection products that detect overdoses in the critical 5-minute window between occurrence and fatality and activate life-saving community or emergency response. The portfolio includes Brave Buttons (hardware alert buttons installed in supportive housing units), Brave Sensors (passive Doppler radar sensors that monitor public bathrooms and washrooms for stillness and prolonged occupancy), and the Brave App (mobile supervised-consumption tool). Devices are leased on annual subscription contracts that bundle hardware, software, alerting, and technical support, with separate one-time per-building setup fees.

Product overview

Brave Technology Co-Op operates as a multi-stakeholder cooperative offering a suite of overdose detection tools designed to activate life-saving community response. The product portfolio centers on the Brave Overdose Detection System, which encompasses three core products: the Brave App (a mobile application enabling anonymous virtual supervised consumption), Brave Buttons (hardware alert buttons for supportive housing), and Brave Sensors (passive radar-based bathroom monitoring systems). All products connect to a common alert infrastructure that sends notifications to designated responders via SMS text messages and Microsoft Teams channels. The company also offers a Set-up & Configuration Fee for installation and onboarding services. A related service, the National Overdose Response Service (NORS), provides a phone-based overdose prevention hotline for Canadians. Products are available through annual subscription leasing rather than direct purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Brave App: A smartphone application that provides anonymous virtual supervised consumption, connecting people who use drugs with Supporters for overdose prevention and emergency response.
• Brave Buttons
• Brave Sensors
• National Overdose Response Service (NORS)

Products and services

• Brave App Mobile application that provides anonymous virtual supervised consumption for people who use drugs, connecting callers with designated Supporters. If a caller becomes unresponsive, the app activates community or emergency response through a Rescue Plan.
• Brave Buttons Wall-mounted hardware buttons deployed in supportive housing units that allow residents to request a safety check before using drugs. When pressed, Buttons send discreet SMS alerts to designated responder phones, connecting residents to staff support to prevent overdose fatalities.
• Brave Sensors Passive overdose detection system using 7-8 GHz Doppler radar sensors installed in bathrooms and washrooms. Sensors detect potential overdoses by monitoring for reduction in motion (stillness) and prolonged occupancy, then instantly alert on-site personnel via SMS and Microsoft Teams notifications.
• National Overdose Response Service (NORS) National virtual overdose prevention hotline providing Canadians with confidential, nonjudgmental support from trained supporters available 24/7 via phone call. Operates as a phone-based supervised consumption service that activates emergency response if a caller becomes unresponsive.
• Set-up & Configuration Fee One-time installation service covering remote installation support, system configuration, per-room calibration, secure database setup, staff onboarding and training, and access to the technical support team for each building where Brave Buttons or Sensors are deployed.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ connections to care facilitated through Brave tools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RapidSOScoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Integration partnership to accelerate 9-1-1 response times. Enables real-time intervention for accidental overdoses by alerting emergency contacts or 911 responders through the RapidSOS platform.
• Grenfell MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Here4U Scotland virtual overdose prevention pilot program and National Overdose Response Service (NORS) hotline launch.
• Dr. Monty GhoshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed NORS (National Overdose Response Service), an overdose prevention hotline for Canadians providing confidential, nonjudgmental support for people who use drugs.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationBrave alert system integrates with Microsoft Teams, allowing organizations to receive overdose alerts on Teams channels alongside phone alerts. Brave hosts external Teams Channel and invites responders.
• PHS Community Services SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly pilot partner for app beta testing in 2017.
• Research Bodies and Harm Reduction Service ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrave openly exchanges knowledge and creates solutions with research bodies and harm reduction service providers around the world. Multiple collaborations on research papers and implementation studies.
• Alcohol and Drug Action AberdeenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Here4U Scotland virtual overdose prevention program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Medical Guardian: Medical Guardian is a leading US medical alert systems company offering in-home and mobile PERS devices with 24/7 monitoring and cellular connectivity. It is a direct peer in business model (hardware lease/sale + monitored subscription) and customer outcomes (emergency detection and response activation), though targeting seniors rather than PWUD.
• Bay Alarm Medical: Bay Alarm Medical provides in-home and on-the-go medical alert systems with US-based 24/7 monitoring centers and cellular-connected devices. Closely comparable subscription hardware-plus-monitoring business model to Brave Buttons and Sensors, with similar reach into housing and care settings.
• MobileHelp: MobileHelp offers cellular-enabled PERS devices including in-home base stations and mobile alert buttons with subscription monitoring. Direct peer to Brave on hardware-as-a-service for emergency detection, though serving senior rather than harm reduction customers.

Emerging players

• Aloe Care Health: Aloe Care Health is a modern connected-care platform combining in-home sensors, voice-activated help, and a caregiver dashboard for elderly monitoring. Comparable to Brave Sensors in using non-camera passive sensors and an integrated alert platform, but focused on senior falls and caregiver coordination rather than overdose.
• Biofourmis: Biofourmis is a remote patient monitoring and virtual care platform that combines wearable biosensors with AI-driven analytics for continuous monitoring outside the hospital. Comparable to Brave in its connected-care + AI-on-sensor-data approach, though applied to chronic disease management rather than overdose detection.

Broad incumbents

• Masimo: Masimo is a global medical technology company specializing in non-invasive patient monitoring sensors and signal processing algorithms used in hospitals and increasingly in remote settings. Comparable to Brave in using proprietary signal-processing technology to infer physiological state, but operating at hospital-grade scale across many clinical parameters rather than overdose-specific detection.
• Philips Lifeline: Philips Lifeline is the largest and longest-established medical alert/PERS provider in North America, offering monitored emergency response for seniors through in-home buttons and wearables. It is the most direct broad incumbent analog to Brave's monitored alert model, but focused on elderly fall/medical events rather than overdose detection.

Others

• RapidSOS: RapidSOS is an emergency response data platform that links connected devices directly to 911 dispatchers and first responders. Brave is integrated with RapidSOS to accelerate emergency response, making RapidSOS a direct technology/integration partner and an adjacent ecosystem player whose platform Brave's alert flow depends on.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BraveCoop
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrOLFzRMW0o1a0tR0DqUiJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BraveTechnologyCoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brave-technology-co-op
• Instagraminstagram.com/bravecoop

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brave Technology Coop