What MyShake does

MyShake is a free mobile application developed and operated by the UC Berkeley Seismology Laboratory that delivers USGS ShakeAlert®-powered earthquake early warning (EEW) alerts to consumers in California, Oregon, and Washington. The app combines real-time seismic detection with a citizen-science data collection network built from smartphone accelerometers. Users receive audible "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" alerts for earthquakes at or above magnitude 4.5 affecting their HomeBase location, submit experience reports after felt shaking, view damage reports from other community members, and configure a HomeBase grid reference (a 10 km × 10 km MGRS cell) for targeted alert delivery.

The technology stack consists of a proprietary on-device detection algorithm that monitors accelerometer data and distinguishes earthquake-related motion from ordinary device movement, a backend hosted partly on Amazon Web Services for processing trigger and heartbeat messages, Firebase cloud messaging for push delivery, and a secure waveform archive at UC Berkeley that supports research use cases including structural health monitoring and ground-motion modeling. The app supports six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog) and is distributed exclusively through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store with no enterprise channel.

The business model is structurally a public-sector research project rather than a commercial enterprise: there is no charge to users, no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no disclosed revenue, and no external venture funding. Financial support comes from sponsorship by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the firm's strategic anchor, alongside partnership with the USGS ShakeAlert® system. User acquisition is product-led and earned-media-driven (coverage in the New York Times, Scientific American, BBC News, and the LA Times), supplemented by participation in the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill. Headcount of 101–250 in firmographics reflects the broader UC Berkeley Seismology Lab rather than a discrete MyShake P&L; the legal entity is named MyShake, operated by the University of California at Berkeley.

Name

MyShake

Legal name

MyShake

Website

https://myshake.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MyShake is a free mobile app from the UC Berkeley Seismology Lab that delivers USGS ShakeAlert®-powered earthquake early warnings to consumers in California, Oregon, and Washington while collecting citizen-science accelerometer data for seismic research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Mobile Application: The MyShake app is completely free to download and use with no in-app purchases or subscriptions. The app is sponsored by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and operated by the UC Berkeley Seismology Lab, suggesting government funding as the primary financial support model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MyShake is a free mobile application (iOS and Android) developed by the UC Berkeley Seismology Lab that delivers ShakeAlert®-powered Earthquake Early Warning alerts to users in California, Oregon, and Washington. The app also functions as a citizen science platform, using on-device accelerometer data to capture earthquake waveforms and crowd-source shaking intensity and damage reports for seismology research and public safety.

Product overview

MyShake is a free mobile application developed by the UC Berkeley Seismology Lab and sponsored by Cal OES. The core MyShake App delivers USGS ShakeAlert®-powered Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) alerts across California, Oregon, and Washington, combined with citizen science waveform data collection on Android devices. Key features include real-time earthquake notifications (default: M6.5+ global, M3.0+ near Homebase), user-submitted earthquake experience reports, HomeBase location-based alert targeting, interactive earthquake maps with USGS data, and earthquake preparedness information. The app supports six languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyShake Mobile App Free iOS and Android application for individual consumers that delivers USGS ShakeAlert®-powered earthquake early warning alerts in California, Oregon, and Washington; enables users to submit experience and damage reports, view real-time USGS earthquake maps, set a HomeBase alert location, capture accelerometer waveform data as citizen scientists, receive global earthquake notifications, and access earthquake preparedness information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Users receive earthquake alerts seconds to 30+ seconds before shaking, depending on distance from epicenter
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USGS ShakeAlert®coreTechnology or IntegrationMyShake delivers ShakeAlert®-powered earthquake early warning alerts across California, Oregon, and Washington. The alerts are powered by USGS earthquake detection infrastructure and seismic sensor networks that enable real-time earthquake detection and rapid alert generation.
• California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlerts are provided in partnership with Cal OES. The app is sponsored by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, which provides funding and strategic support for the earthquake early warning system.
• UC Berkeley Seismology LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe app is operated by the UC Berkeley Seismology Lab (also referred to as Berkeley Seismological Laboratory). The lab develops the MyShake algorithm, processes citizen science data, maintains waveform archives, and conducts earthquake research using the collected data.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VolcanoDiscovery Earthquakes: VolcanoDiscovery provides global earthquake and volcano monitoring through a website and mobile app with real-time alerts and user-submitted reports. It is a comparable global seismic-awareness service targeting enthusiast and preparedness users.
• Apple Earthquake (iOS): Apple's built-in earthquake alert feature on iPhone delivers EEW notifications sourced from government and partner seismic networks. It directly competes with MyShake on the iOS platform where MyShake lacks the citizen-science contribution features.
• Earthquake Network: Earthquake Network is a citizen-science earthquake detection app that builds a smartphone-based seismic network and issues early-warning alerts. It overlaps MyShake on both the alert-delivery and crowdsourced-detection dimensions.
• Google Android Earthquake Alerts: Built into the Android operating system, Google Android Earthquake Alerts uses smartphone accelerometers and ShakeAlert data to deliver OS-level earthquake warnings. It is the most direct substitute for MyShake on Android devices and ships with zero install friction.
• LastQuake (EMSC): LastQuake is the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre's mobile earthquake-notification app, offering real-time alerts, crowdsourced felt reports, and earthquake maps. It is functionally analogous to MyShake but focused on the Euro-Mediterranean region.
• QuakeFeed: QuakeFeed is a long-standing earthquake-tracking app delivering push notifications, maps, and USGS data to consumers. It competes with MyShake on the global earthquake-notification and map use cases, though without a citizen-science sensing network.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Disaster Center Disaster Alert: Disaster Alert (by the Pacific Disaster Center) aggregates global hazard events including earthquakes and delivers map-based alerts to emergency managers and the public. It overlaps MyShake's map and global-notification features while serving a more operations-oriented audience.
• FEMA Mobile App: The FEMA Mobile App delivers federal emergency alerts (including earthquakes), safety tips, and disaster resources to U.S. consumers. It addresses a broader hazard portfolio than MyShake and competes for the same preparedness-conscious user install base.
• American Red Cross Emergency Apps: The Red Cross offers multiple hazard-specific apps (earthquake, wildfire, first aid) backed by a nationally recognized brand. They compete for emergency-preparedness engagement while operating at a broader, multi-hazard scale.

Others

• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: USGS operates the authoritative U.S. seismic sensor network and the ShakeAlert® EEW system that MyShake integrates with. It is an upstream data provider and partner rather than a direct app competitor, but its public-facing earthquake maps and feeds partially overlap MyShake's information features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/myshakeapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmyshake.berkeley.edu%2F&src=sdkpreparse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 MyShake