Aerodome, an organization 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, goals 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 avoid wasting 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 invaluable source of real-time intelligence to first responders out in the sector.”
Aerodome was co-founded by CEO and reserve police officer Rahul Sidhu and Chief Architect Kenaniah Cerny. The corporate goals to revolutionize DFR technology with a turnkey solution that is quicker, safer, and more energy-efficient than existing alternatives. Aerodome’s fully automated and distant air support operating system is designed to offer continuous support, reducing the necessity for patrol officers to reply to calls by 15 percent and improving response times by 80 percent.
“Because the second officer within the country to launch a DFR program, I wanted to construct a more advanced, automated solution that would cut back the strain on officer resources,” said Sidhu. “Our DFR 2.0 solution is a real force multiplier, because it only requires a single operator overseeing multiple drones without delay. Our air traffic awareness system acts as a greater observer than human pilots – able to 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 corporate attributes its growth to its advanced, fully distant and automatic DFR system, which allows for a median response time of 86 seconds to 911 calls, in comparison with the 7-8 minute average with traditional response measures. Moreover, the DFR system offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to police helicopters.
“Aerodome’s willingness to have interaction 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 joyful 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 frontrunner in drone autonomy. Hextronics will provide a drone dock equipped with an automatic battery-changing system, HVAC system, and distant operational capabilities in any condition.
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