Investment led by CRV to accelerate development and deployment of advanced public safety solutions.
Aerodome, a company specializing in Drone-As-First-Responder (DFR) technology, announced it has raised $21.5 million in Series A funding. The funding round, led by CRV with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Karman Ventures, Immad Akhund (CEO of Mercury), and Ford Street Ventures, aims to support the continued development of DFR solutions and expansion of Aerodome’s engineering and go-to-market teams. This investment brings Aerodome’s total funding to $28 million, following a seed round in October 2023.
“Upon experiencing Aerodome’s technology firsthand on a fly-along, I immediately recognized its potential to have a scalable impact on public safety and its ability to save lives,” said Saar Gur, General Partner at CRV and Aerodome’s newest board member. “Speed is of the essence in emergencies. Aerodome doesn’t just provide police agencies with ROI, it also gives them an insanely valuable source of real-time intelligence to first responders out in the field.”
Aerodome was co-founded by CEO and reserve police officer Rahul Sidhu and Chief Architect Kenaniah Cerny. The company aims to revolutionize DFR technology with a turnkey solution that is faster, safer, and more energy-efficient than existing alternatives. Aerodome’s fully automated and remote air support operating system is designed to provide continuous support, reducing the need for patrol officers to respond to calls by 15 percent and improving response times by 80 percent.
“As the second officer in the country to launch a DFR program, I wanted to build a more advanced, automated solution that would reduce the strain on officer resources,” said Sidhu. “Our DFR 2.0 solution is a true force multiplier, since it only requires a single operator overseeing multiple drones at once. Our air traffic awareness system acts as a better observer than human pilots – capable of tracking planes, helicopters, other drones, and even birds in all directions, which saves precious time and resources for agencies.”
Since its inception, Aerodome has rapidly grown, securing contracts with police departments and nearly doubling its earnings projections for Q1 of 2024. The company attributes its growth to its advanced, fully remote and automated DFR system, which allows for an average response time of 86 seconds to 911 calls, compared to the 7-8 minute average with traditional response measures. Additionally, the DFR system offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to police helicopters.
“Aerodome’s willingness to engage with our staff on the unique characteristics of our jurisdiction, and future directions with which to grow DFR capabilities, has led to high levels of confidence between our Department and their company,” said Lieutenant Robert Mitchell of the Hawthorne Police Department. “We were happy to partner with Aerodome. They did what they said they were going to do, and more.”
Aerodome has also entered into an exclusive partnership with Hextronics, a leader in drone autonomy. Hextronics will provide a drone dock equipped with an automated battery-changing system, HVAC system, and remote operational capabilities in any condition.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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