Technology is often talked about in terms of making life faster, smarter or more convenient. But what if it could help solve a problem that existing systems have struggled to address?
Tika is a platformt that launched in New Zealand to help survivors of sexual harm report their experiences, access free independent legal support and identify potential patterns of repeat offending.
Behind the platform is V1 Innovation, founded by James Boult and Eoghan Neligan (below), who worked alongside journalist Alison Mau and lawyer Zoe Lawton to turn an idea shaped by years of supporting survivors into a working technology solution.
Putting trust at the centre of the technology
Reporting sexual harm can be an incredibly difficult experience. Survivors may be unsure where to turn, concerned about what will happen to their information or reluctant to navigate systems that have failed them in the past. They may also want to know whether someone else has reported a similar experience involving the same person.
Tika was designed to address these barriers by bringing technology, legal privilege and human support together. The service operates through Tika Legal Limited, an incorporated law firm, with users entering a lawyer-client relationship from registration.
The platform’s technology can identify potential connections between independently submitted reports. Importantly, every potential connection is subject to legal review and survivor consent, with each person retaining control over whether, when and how they proceed.
For V1’s founders, building the technology was only part of the challenge. They also needed to develop a financial and operating model that could sustain the service while keeping legal support free for survivors.
Where AI and big data can serve a greater purpose
Tika shows how technology can tackle complex social problems, rather than simply serving commercial interests. Instead of using data to sell more products or predict consumer behaviour, the platform uses technology to help identify potential patterns that might otherwise remain hidden across separate reports.
The team had to consider how to handle deeply personal information, protect confidentiality and build a system people could trust. These requirements shaped the technology, legal structure and operating model from the outset.
As V1 co-founder James Boult explains, asking someone to disclose something deeply personal through software requires more than simply asking them to trust the platform afterwards.
That emphasis on trust is central to Tika’s approach, with technology supporting the process rather than making decisions on behalf of survivors.
Could this technology work beyond sexual harm?
While sexual harm is Tika’s first application, V1 believes the underlying technology and operating model could have potential in other serious-harm settings, including workplaces, institutions and professional environments.
International expansion is another possibility, although adapting the service for other countries would require careful consideration of local legal, privacy and regulatory requirements.
For V1, the project also demonstrates how an early-stage idea can become a functioning venture when technology, commercial thinking and a clearly defined social need come together.
Tika is now publicly available in New Zealand, marking a significant step towards giving survivors another way to report harm and access legal support.
It’s an important reminder that some of technology’s most meaningful applications may not be the ones that grab our attention with flashy new features, but those that help tackle difficult problems and give people more control over what happens next.
