Neo News Today sources have confirmed that the Guardian Circle project has closed its doors. The application has been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play, while Guardian Circle’s website and Twitter have been taken down. The LinkedIn profiles of co-founders Mark Jeffrey and Chris Hayes note that their tenures at the company ended in Sep. 2021 and Aug. 2021, respectively.

Guardian Circle, a decentralized emergency response service, was among the longest-running dApps on Neo Legacy. Before joining the Neo ecosystem, the team had won various app contests and partnered with the Women’s Safety competition for XPRIZE. In March 2018, Guardian Circle announced plans to launch its GUARD token on the Neo blockchain.

The ultimate goal of the dApp was to provide “Uber-like” emergency first-response services, especially useful in places where the official response is slow, corrupt, or ineffective. The application was designed for use in cases such as personal injury, harassment, or medical emergency.

Following a series of delays and a downturn in the market, Guardian Circle launched its app on iOS and Android in Oct. 2019, which included a cryptocurrency wallet for storing NEP-5 GUARD tokens. The GUARD token was initially integrated with the application to create a marketplace of personal protection and 911-style services. Meanwhile, the team also released its Open API, designed to allow hardware manufacturers to connect any device to the Guardian Circle network by staking GUARD tokens.

While the application was initially slow to gain traction, Guardian Circle witnessed exponential growth in Q1 2020 associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was unable to sustain growth or maintain engagement.

Pre-pandemic, the team had worked to identify potential revenue streams. In March 2020, Guardian Circle identified a multi-billion dollar market for its product, targeting the hospitality and service industries. Various “panic button laws” were going into effect, requiring staff in venues such as hotels to be equipped with devices allowing them to signal and summon for immediate assistance when working alone.

The team felt that by making “a few key modifications” to the Guardian Circle app, it could offer a hotel housekeeper panic button service at 1/6th of market competition cost. The new product was dubbed “Saepio,” and was designed to provide an automatic safety response platform that utilized low-cost RFID stickers and mobile phones. However, the Guardian Circle team was unable to sign any contracts to offer the service exclusively.

In Aug. 2020, Guardian Circle stated that it had approximately eight months of runway left, barring any further revenue stream or investment. Having not signed any new contracts or attracted new investors, the Guardian Circle company was forced to shut down operations.

Guardian Circle has not issued a statement on its status.

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