PRESS

Our Story

Fresh out of undergrad in 2012, Kuro took a backpacking trip to Pakistan, India and Nepal. As he talked with locals, he discovered how women in developing countries faced extreme gender-based violence and assault on a daily basis. Sadly, it wasn’t a matter of if a woman would get attacked, but when. As if the attacks weren’t bad enough, local law enforcement does little to help. In some cases, victims are killed by their families to avoid shame. Women live in such fear that they can’t get an education or travel to work to improve their livelihood.

Kuro returned to the U.S. with a powerful idea. What if he could provide these women an effective way to protect themselves – a chance to fight back against these attacks? Imagine how that could elevate their confidence and their outlook on life. So in 2013 KUROS was born; started with the mission to create a sustainable company that could provide free safety tools (pepper spray) to at-risk women in need.

Six years and eight international trips later, KUROS has impacted the lives of more than 100,000 women in El Salvador, India, South Africa and the Philippines. KUROS partners with NGOs and local governments in these countries to ensure the pepper spray and training are distributed safely and correctly. KUROS sees and hears, firsthand, the empowerment that comes with protection of pepper spray. Many women express that carrying pepper spray deters violence in their communities. Even better, they feel confident when they leave their homes and walk through the world.



Frequently Asked Questions

WHO ARE WE?

KUROS is a socially impact brand from Austin, Texas focused on enhancing the safety and mobility of women around the world. We sell ethically made products to fund the distribution of pepper spray to women in our global network. Our mission is to give women in developing countries a fighting chance at protecting themselves from assault and living their fullest life without fear.

 

WHAT WE DO?

KUROS offers free pepper spray & training to women in developing countries as a self defense option against rape and assault. We partnered with one of the best pepper spray manufacturer in the world to supply our pepper spray, and many of the free cans that we distribute are the same formula that is carried by American police departments.

 

WHY DO WE DO IT?

Up to 70% of women around the world experience violence in their lifetime*, potentially even more in developing nations. In many of these areas there are no recorded statistics because crimes like assault and rape go unreported. KUROS believes that everyone has the right to defend themselves from such attacks; but more than that, we have seen that giving someone the ability to defend themselves can not only save their life, but it can have huge a impact on their life outlook and self confidence level.

 

HOW DO WE DISTRIBUTE PEPPER SPRAY TO WOMEN IN NEED? 

KUROS partners with recognized and established organizations around the world to ensure that our pepper spray donations gets into the hands of women who need it. We work closely with our partners to ensure that the pepper spray is not only distributed correctly but also safely as well; training our partners how to organize distribution events and provide training on the correct and safe usage of pepper spray.

 

WHY PEPPER SPRAY?

Pepper Spray is widely regarded as one of the most effective non-lethal self defensive measures available. It is extremely easy to use, requires minimal training, and is capable of stopping multiple attackers of any size, without causing lasting physical damage. This is why police and military around the world use pepper spray.​When sprayed into the face of an attacker, pepper spray affects the eyes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, causing rapid swelling of the membranes and forcing the eyes to shut. Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent and not an irritant, meaning that it is still effective on those who may have a high pain tolerance or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It’s effects begin to wear off anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour after exposure, allowing more than enough time to get away from an attacker or a group of them.