Our Story
Built by someone who
refused to accept the loss.
Sentinel Smartwear was not founded in a boardroom. It was founded in grief, and rebuilt through obsession. At just 17 years old, Alan Messaver discovered that the gap between a person in danger and the help they need can be measured in seconds — and that the right technology, worn daily, could close it permanently.
Alan Messaver
Founder & CEO
Founded Sentinel Smartwear age 17 · London, UK
“I watched someone lose their life because the gap between danger and help was too wide. I decided I would spend mine closing it. Every coat we make is a promise that the same thing will not happen to the person wearing it.”
The Spark
At just 17, Alan Messaver watched a family friend — a construction site supervisor — collapse on a remote work site with no way to call for help. By the time emergency services arrived, it was too late. That day, Alan made a promise.
First Prototype
Working from his bedroom with borrowed equipment and a £400 grant from a local innovation fund, Alan built the first wearable SOS module from scratch. It was crude, bulky — and it worked. A local search-and-rescue team tested it in the Welsh mountains.
The Vision Expands
After two years of field testing with industrial workers, paramedics, and expedition guides across 14 countries, Alan assembled a team of engineers and fashion designers. The mission became clear: life-saving technology should never look like it came from a hospital.
Sentinel Smartwear
The company formally launched as Sentinel Smartwear with backing from a consortium of safety-technology investors. The Mark I — the world's first luxury survival coat — entered its final production stage. 500 founding units. Waiting lists in 38 countries.
Sentinel Smartwear has and will continue to save countless lives. Not as a side effect of good design — but as its entire purpose.