Prague students launch community-driven safety app for women and LGBTQ+ residents

A team of students from the Anglo-American University (AAU) in Prague has developed a new mobile application designed to help women and members of the LGBTQ+ community navigate the Czech capital with greater security. The project, named SOLACE, recently secured top honors at a national startup competition and is now preparing for a European rollout.

The application functions through community-based information sharing, allowing users to crowdsource real-time data on their surroundings. Users can flag specific locations as risky, recommend well-lit or populated routes, and share personal experiences to create a dynamic safety map of the city.

The developers, students Shania, Neha, Liza, and Abigail, designed the tool to address the specific anxieties often faced by vulnerable groups in unfamiliar urban environments. By focusing on "safe guidance," the app aims to provide a reliable digital companion for those moving through various Prague neighborhoods.

"Women and members of the LGBTQ community often think about where they will feel the safest and most comfortable," the university stated in a press release. "SOLACE responds precisely to these needs."

The project’s impact has already been recognized on a professional level. It swept the university division of the Junior Achievement (JA) Start-Up competition in Czechia, taking first place in both the "Top Project" and "Top Brand" categories. A panel of marketing experts and investment specialists evaluated the entries based on both systematic business planning and graphic design.

"Creating an app which crowdsources the LGBTQ community... to provide safe guidance when moving through unknown neighborhoods is a simple idea with huge value," said AAU Business Lecturer Jeff Medeiros.

The success of the app marks the fourth consecutive year that AAU students have won the national competition. Following their victory in Prague, the SOLACE team has been selected to represent the Czech Republic at the JA European finals, which are scheduled to take place in Riga, Latvia, this July.

"We’re incredibly proud to represent Solace on the European level," said team member Liza Potts. She noted that the project reflects a drive for "responsible action" in addressing complex social challenges within the city.

The developers hope the app will eventually become a staple tool for internationals and locals alike, fostering a more inclusive and secure environment across Prague’s districts.

The push for such community-driven tools comes amid data highlighting persistent safety gaps in the Czech Republic. According to a 2024 survey by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, 63 percent of LGBTQ+ respondents in Czechia reported experiencing harassment in the previous year, a figure significantly higher than the EU average of 54 percent.

Local transport data from ROPID further indicates that one-third of women in the country have experienced sexual harassment on public transit. Despite these figures, the advocacy group Prague Pride reports that 90 percent of prejudice-based attacks go unreported to police, often due to a lack of trust in official systems.

While Prague maintains high safety rankings on a macro level, 2025 data from the Gender Equality Index and the organization In Iustitia suggest that "perceived safety" continues to fundamentally alter how these communities navigate the city streets.