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Wisconsin partnership brings Swiss company to Waukesha County
Back-to-school safety and fashion combine in a new product that's being developed and honed in Wisconsin. An attack led the developer to come up with a fashion bracelet that also functions as an emergency alert.
PEWAUKEE, Wis. - Back-to-school safety and fashion combine in a new product that's being developed and honed in Wisconsin. An attack led the developer to come up with a fashion bracelet that also functions as an emergency alert.
The company is now in Wisconsin through a unique partnership. Two taps is all it takes to let friends and loved ones know a person is in trouble.
"They will know exactly where you are and what is up," Cerret CEO Alex Cerret said.
What is a Cerret bracelet?
The backstory:
Cerret developed the product after his girlfriend was assaulted walking home alone. Cerret lives in Switzerland, but came to the U.S. this year through a partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and venture capital firm gener8tor.
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"Ninety percent of our users – they are people going to college, university or traveling a lot," Cerret said.
How it works:
The bracelet sends an instant SOS to up to five emergency contacts and an exact location. Cerret said a discreet, wearable alarm became a priority when his girlfriend told him she froze during the attack.
Why Wisconsin?
Local perspective:
In return for helping small international companies like Cerret, gener8tor asks that they stay in Wisconsin for at least a year. Pushkaraj Kalkar is a program manager at gener8tor. He works with companies sponsored through Waukesha County Technical College, mainly in the AI field.
"That leads to hiring, partnerships with local manufacturing companies," Kalkar said. "It also benefits the local economy."
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Cerret said as people head back to school or walk around town, he hopes this bracelet can give some peace of mind.
"When this happened, this changed everything in terms of how you view the safety of your loved one," Cerret said.
How to get a bracelet
What you can do:
There is no ongoing subscription cost to use the bracelet, just the one-time purchase price. At WCTC, officials will solicit partnerships with a new round of startups on Oct. 1. WEDC is also looking for new partnerships.
Cerret is offering a 10% off discount to FOX6 viewers when you use the promo code "FOX6" at checkout.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Cerret CEO Alex Cerret, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, venture capital firm gener8tor, gener8tor Program Manager Pushkaraj Kalkar and WCTC.