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Last week, police surveillance startup Flock Safety announced that it had bought drone startup Aerodome. The acquisition price was over $300 million, according to sources in the venture world. The number has not been previously reported.
Both Flock Safety and Aerodome are backed by Andreessen Horowitz and have raised over $680 million and $28 million respectively, according to PitchBook. Rahul Sidhu, a former police officer, only founded Aerodome 17 months ago, declaring it an “American Dynamism speed-run,” in reference to the name of a16z’s defense tech-focused initiative.
Sidhu also said the deal was “one of largest tech acquisitions” in public safety history. “Our acquisition isn’t the end of Aerodome, but the beginning of a golden era in public safety tech advancement,” he wrote.
Aerodome created technology that powers drones as first responders. Right now, many police drone programs require a human to pilot the drone, but drone companies like Skydio, Brinc Drones, and Aerodome are all trying to perfect an autonomous service. For example, when the police receive a 911 call, a drone could take off on its own and scope out the scene, informing police if the area is safe to enter.
Flock Safety has also zeroed in on law enforcement as a customer, building out cameras that can identify license plates and sensors that detect gunshots.
The acquisition accelerates Flock Safety’s aggressive expansion into police drones. Flock Safety announced it will be releasing its own drones over the next year, and, according to Sidhu’s post, will be hiring an additional 100 engineers for the company’s aviation team.
The drone expansion plan puts the company in direct competition with drone manufacturer Skydio, which is yet another 16z portfolio company.
Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, said the expansion into drones is a no-brainer. “Anyone who’s seen a drone-as-first-responder program in action knows that this technology will play a central role in the future of public safety,” he said in a company blog post. “No other technology helps law enforcement officers get eyes on the scene faster than a drone.”
Margaux is a senior venture capital and startup reporter at TechCrunch. She was previously a tech culture reporter at The Information. You can reach her at margaux.maccoll@techcrunch.com.
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