myProtectify: Startup shows women a way out of domestic violence
35% of all women are victims of physical violence at least once in their lifetime – that is the shocking finding of a study by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. In most cases, this happens within their own homes, within a relationship. The startup myProtectify uses artificial intelligence to offer moral support to women affected by domestic violence and to show them ways out.
The founder, Sogol, is a survivor herself
A good startup pitch manages to captivate its audience right from the start. It illustrates an existing problem, offers a practical solution, and is particularly compelling when a person’s personal experiences have provided the decisive impetus for founding the business. Seen in this light, there is hardly a more impressive and moving pitch than that of Sogol Kordi for her startup myProtectify.
There, she talks about the abusive relationship that shaped four years of her life. She shows photos of injuries to her face and describes how difficult it was for her to break the vicious circle and find help to do so. Domestic violence does not begin with the first blow, she explains, and describes the insidious process that makes such a relationship so destructive, drawing on her own experience and the accounts of other victims. It often begins with the establishment of a relationship of dependency; the woman’s financial independence is made difficult or impossible.
Little support for victims of domestic violence
This is followed by social isolation, being cut off from family and friends, often on the grounds that they are ‘unsuitable company’. The erosion of self-esteem is also part of the repertoire of a toxic relationship. The woman is made to feel that she is constantly making mistakes and is herself to blame for her partner’s condescending behaviour. When physical violence then follows psychological abuse, it seems almost like a logical consequence to women who have been systematically manipulated. That is why many find it so difficult, by this point at the latest, to do the only right thing, namely, to end the relationship immediately.
A voice in the back of her mind telling Sogol that something was going completely wrong had been there early. But it had been too quiet for too long; it was only after three years that she could no longer ignore it. Isolated as she was, she couldn’t turn to relatives or friends, but she also realised that the public support available was inadequate and fraught with too many obstacles. Through Instagram, she built a relationship with a ‘buddy’ who ultimately gave her the strength to leave. She got back in touch with her father and former friends, who made her return to a self-determined life easier.
The desire to help led to the founding of myProtectify
Sogol soon felt a growing desire to use her experiences in some way to help other women in abusive relationships. Through a startup course during her economics studies in Kiel, she then realised the best way to achieve this goal. She made her very first appearance on 16 June 2023 at the Waterkant Pitch. Just under a month later, she took to the stage as Schleswig-Holstein’s representative in the final of the Female StartAperitivo startup competition. At that time, her project was still called Protectify, from which the startup myProtectify emerged, officially founded as a non-profit gUG in early 2024.
2024 was a year of rapid progress for myProtectify. In March, it received funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs’ exist Woman programme and secured a place in the GATEWAY49 accelerator in Lübeck. Another highlight was the company’s participation in the GOAL (Global Overseas Acceleration & Learning) programme in the autumn run by venture capital firm Plug and Play in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, the startup had relocated its headquarters to Hamburg, where Sogol is originally from. The year was crowned at the end of November with the IDEA Award, presented during a public ceremony at Hamburg City Hall. With this prize, the Senate for Equality and Gender Justice aims to raise the profile of women who are active in the digital sphere or who have successfully established themselves in tech professions and digital work contexts.
The business idea: the AI chatbot Maya
This points out that myProtectify is not just a non-profit aid project, but a startup with a strong technological component. Funding granted in early 2025 through the InnoImpact programme run by IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH accelerated the development of the chatbot Maya. An initial version went live in August and generated more than 250 conversations in its first four weeks alone. Maya is an AI-powered companion available round the clock to victims of domestic violence.
Firstly, it provides empathetic support without judging or putting pressure on the user, helping to alleviate feelings of shame and guilt. If there is an immediate danger, Maya provides information on the emergency number and connects the user to available crisis support services. In a case of distress, the website can be exited quickly with a single click that redirects to The Weather Channel and cannot be traced back to myProtectify. Furthermore, the AI chat provides assistance in planning the exit, offers an overview of counselling centres and their services, and also supports users in reorganising their lives after the violent relationship has ended.
A strong team and a great deal of expertise
The driving force behind myProtectify has been and remains Sogol, but she has a strong team by her side. The co-founder is Tobias Pörtner, who has since stepped back from day-to-day operations but still acts in an advisory capacity. The current core team consists of three other members. Communication designer Ann Rheinheimer has taken on the role of CEO. Ronja Zimmermann is a psychologist with a master’s degree, so she brings a wealth of specialist expertise to the table. And business psychologist Benedikt Görges has already founded himself and uses his experience to manage business development and finances. They are joined by several freelancers and volunteers who, among other things, develop the software.
myProtectify certainly has no shortage of public recognition; the founder and her startup have received numerous awards, including the IDEE-Förderpreis and the STARTERiN Hamburg award, and have been included in the prestigious Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list. Even more so there is no doubt about the importance of the issue that myProtectify addresses. In 2024, 265,942 people in Germany were victims of domestic violence. That is a sad record and only includes cases that appear in official crime statistics; the number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher.
Startup funding remains a challenge
A service like myProtectify’s is therefore urgently needed, and with greater awareness, there would likely be far more chats than the current figure of around 300 per month. However, this requires increased marketing efforts, which come at a cost. As with many non-profit startups, financing is the biggest challenge for myProtectify. The service is, of course, free of charge for the women affected and will remain so under all circumstances. Major funding rounds, as seen with profit-oriented startups, are also not to be expected.
One source of income comes from workshops aimed primarily at companies. Viewed objectively, domestic violence costs the economy millions, if not billions, due to absenteeism. So, when employers introduce their female employees to myProtectify, it pays off. Such partnerships are still the exception, which is why the startup relies primarily on funding programmes, foundations and donations. Sogol describes the first feedback from a victim of violence who managed to leave her relationship thanks to myProtectify as the finest moment of her startup career. Experiences like these are literally priceless. To make many more of them possible, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on 8 April under the slogan “Love should always feel safe”, featuring merchandise and an accompanying poster campaign in Hamburg. The aim is to raise 100,000 euros to support Maya’s long-term development.
