Crime App Citizen Buys Disaster-Prep Startup in First Deal

The controversial crime-alert app Citizen is buying Harbor, a startup that gamifies emergency preparation and home security, in its first acquisition.

The Harbor app determines a user’s most-likely potential emergencies based on their location. It then guides users through weekly tasks such as stocking water and checking smoke detectors.

Harbor also has a partnership with security services firm ADT Inc. for emergency responses. Its technology, such as weather mapping and risk prediction, will be integrated into Citizen’s platform, but Harbor will continue to operate independently. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Expanding into disaster response is a logical step ...