ZoraSafe Cybersecurity App for Seniors Fights Online Scams with AI, Gamified Learning, and a TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Launch
ZoraSafe: Revolutionizing Consumer Cybersecurity and Scam Protection for Seniors
While the cybersecurity industry has long focused on the business-to-business (B2B) market, individual internet users—especially those who didn’t grow up with smartphones and digital technology—are often left dangerously exposed to modern threats. These older adults are arguably the most vulnerable targets for sophisticated online scammers, hackers, and phishing attacks.
ZoraSafe, a groundbreaking startup founded by sisters Catherine Karow and Ellie King Karow, is stepping into this critical gap. Their mission is to create a specialized cybersecurity app that not only actively protects older people against these persistent threats but also empowers them through education. The platform achieves this by incorporating gamified microlearning lessons designed to teach users how to spot and navigate digital dangers. The sisters shared these details with TechCrunch ahead of the prestigious TechCrunch Disrupt conference, where ZoraSafe has secured a coveted spot in the Startup Battlefield competition.
The development of the ZoraSafe app is nearing completion, with Catherine and Ellie confirming their anticipation for a public launch within the next month. The planned pricing structure will be $12.99 a month for individual subscribers, with slightly higher rates planned for comprehensive family and group plans.
Catherine outlined the core features of the app’s inaugural version during a recent phone call. These features will include a dedicated mode to quickly scan QR codes for malware or phishing threats. A crucial safety function allows users to instantly send suspicious SMS text messages and emails directly to ZoraSafe’s team for immediate analysis and verification. Additionally, the app will have a unique social sharing feature, allowing users to report a known scam or threat.
“We’re actively trying to incentivize the social sharing of scams, enabling us to immediately alert the entire Zora network at once,” Catherine explained. “When one person is alerted by a new scam, we can ensure every individual within that community is protected right away, boosting collective security.”
Future software releases for the ZoraSafe cybersecurity app are expected to include a cutting-edge feature allowing users to discreetly invite ZoraSafe to join a suspicious incoming phone call. This system leverages the company’s proprietary AI engine to analyze the call audio in real-time, detecting the hallmarks of a scam or a deepfake call. Importantly, Catherine confirmed that the app’s technology is designed to respect user privacy by not listening to or recording the conversations themselves.
Once any type of threat is successfully detected and neutralized, the app will immediately initiate an interactive chat session, as detailed by Ellie. This chat will provide a clear explanation of the specific threat, educating the user on how the danger was identified and, crucially, offering instruction on how to better spot and safely deal with similar dangerous situations in the future.
“The core purpose of this educational component is to actively build digital resilience,” Ellie added. “The goal is to increase user awareness so that even when a user is not directly interacting with the app, they become significantly more aware and prepared when navigating the complexities of the online world.”
The AI engine that powers ZoraSafe is designed with an explicit focus on user privacy. Ellie claimed that an estimated 85% of the processing occurs directly on the user’s device, with only a small 15% processed in the cloud. Furthermore, she stated that this small amount of cloud-bound data is “sanitized of your personal information before it ever leaves your device,” minimizing privacy risks for seniors and older adults.
Catherine also shared plans for innovative hardware integration, including an “NFC sticker” that will be incorporated into custom phone cases. This accessory will allow users to quickly pull up the app in emergencies, such as falling down or immediately after receiving a potentially dangerous deepfake call. This hardware solution is designed to work around the stringent limitations of iOS’s restrictions on apps monitoring others. Another workaround involves implementing a dedicated “Share to ZoraSafe” option within the iOS menu, which will allow users to securely send suspicious text messages or emails directly to the company’s detection systems for analysis.
Looking forward, the founding sisters expressed a clear ambition to expand ZoraSafe’s reach beyond seniors. They eventually want to offer protection to children, too, potentially partnering with schools to deliver their educational microlearning content. International expansion is also on the horizon, with plans to launch the cybersecurity app in various languages, beginning with Spanish.
If you want to learn much more about ZoraSafe—while simultaneously checking out pitches from dozens of other cutting-edge companies, hearing expert talks from guest speakers across four different stages—be sure to join the vibrant community at TechCrunch Disrupt, running from October 27 to 29, in San Francisco. Learn more about securing your tickets and event details here.
What do you think of ZoraSafe’s approach to protecting older internet users? Do you believe gamified microlearning is the future of consumer cybersecurity training? Leave a comment below and/or share this news on your social media. This way, we can inform more people about the hottest things in technology, AI, and consumer protection!
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