Kāpiti Tech Powering Global Marine Safety
Inspired by a real-life breakdown at sea, tech entrepreneur Jerome Daste developed Rescue Zone—an all-in-one marine safety app now used worldwide. Built in Kāpiti, it provides instant access to emergency services, distress signals, and community support. With global partnerships and new innovations, Rescue Zone is revolutionising coastal navigation and safety.
When tech entrepreneur Jerome Daste found himself broken down at sea five years ago, it sparked the idea for Rescue Zone, an app to enhance marine safety.
It’s now a global all-in-one boating app for safe coastal navigation, run from Kāpiti.
Jerome, who was born in France, was stuck just out of Paraparaumu Beach and on hold with the Coastguard when he realised he had the software development skills to create an app.
“I’d worked on various mobile technology projects in the past,” he says, “including a microservices app named Nowsnapp that I co-launched from Kāpiti in 2019.”
Within months, Jerome and his business partner Laurent Guillon, based in France, began creating Rescue Zone with help from three developers in Jerome’s Paraparaumu office.
With emergency numbers being geolocated, the app offers instant access to maritime rescue coordination centres worldwide.
“Our goal is to have this safety tool in everyone's pocket”
It uses distress signals Mayday, for quick emergency assistance, and Pan-Pan for non-life-threatening emergencies.
The app also features a Community Help function to connect users with fellow boaties.
During business development for Rescue Zone, Jerome collaborated with local consultant Eric Holliday from FISH Safety Foundation. Together, they brought in the help of Kāpiti Police.
“The official launch was in France in April 2023, with Generali Insurance as partners under an exploitation license,” Jerome explains. “It was a major milestone as it was the first time Rescue Zone could generate a substantial income.”
Rescue Zone was initially tested at sea with emergency services five months earlier, ahead of a racing specific version they used for an Olympic sailing qualifier in Marseilles.
Although the app was straight out of the development phase, it was already accredited as a valid marine safety tool by the French government.
"A prototype system to guarantee safety and security was used by 40 officials,” Jerome enthuses, “mostly Maritime Police.”
He’s now collaborating with Air Vision Systems, in Levin, to create Rescue Zone Starlink brackets for high-speed internet at sea.
“Our goal is to have this safety tool in everyone's pocket," he says.