Flock Safety Raises $150 Million, Lead By A16Z
Flock Safety has raised one of the largest rounds ever for video surveillance led by one of the biggest and most aggressive VC firms, Andreesen Horowitz.
This funding signals a massive expansion of the company in the next few years. Inside this note, we examine the rationale for the funding, how Flock contrasts to conventional LPR, privacy concerns, and what this says about the future of video surveillance systems.
For background, see IPVM's 2021 test of Flock Safety.
A16Z's ************* ******* *******
********* ********'* (****) **************** *** ********** ********** ******* *******:
*** ***** ** ***** ****** ** in *** *******. *** **** ******* deployed, *** **** ******** ***** ** to ***** ******. **** ******* ****** was ***** ********* ****** ************ *********’* associations, ***** **** *** ******** ***** in *** **-**-****** ****** *** ***** account *** **** **% ** *** business. ******* ******** ***** ** ************* then ********* *** *********** ********, ***** now ********** *** ******** ** *** business.
** **********, **** ********** *** ** pooled ** ***** ****** ** ***** across *** *******:
**** ********* *** ***** ** ***** Safety **** **** ** **** *** digital ******** *** ** ****** ****** different *** *********** ******** *** * short ****** ** ****, ****** ** more ******** ** ******** ****** ****** a ********* *** ****** *** *.*. more *******. **** ***** **** * kidnapped ***** ***** ****** ****** ****** or ***** ***** *** ** ***** much **** *******, *** ******.
************, ***** ************ *** ****** ******* efforts, *.*., ** **** ************* **** Axis ** *********, ** *** ******* operational ******** *** ***** *****. ** contrast, ****** ******** **** ******* *******, the **** ****** ** ** ** Twitter, *** **** ********* ***** *** networks **** ** ******** **** ******.
***** ***** ****** ** * ***** LPR ****** ******** ** *****, *** more ******* *********, *** **** ************* to ******* *** ***** *** ** connect ******** *********. *** *******, **** local ******** ******* ******** *** ***** is ********** ** *** ***'* ********:
******* **** *** ********* ** *** FBI’s *******, **** **** ***** ****** when * ****** ***** ** * vehicle ** *** ******’* **** ****** list.
******* ** ** *** ***, *** local ****** **********, ** ***** ********* watchlists, **** ***** *** ******** ********** for **** ****** *** ** *** of ***** ********* ******* ********* ***** for ********* ******* ** ******** ********* or ********.
Conventional *** *********** ** ******** ***'* *** *********
** ********, **** **** ********* *** systems **** *** ******** **-******* / not ** *** *****, *** *********** is **** **** **** ***** ** build *** ******** ***** *** **********. That's ***** * *** ** **** and ** ********* ********** ** ***** the **** ** ********** **** ***** may ******* **** *** *********** ** build **** *** ******.
Reduce **** *****
** ******** **** ****'* ***** **** Flock ******* *****:
***** ****** ******* **** ** ***** of ********* **** **** *** ******* incumbents, ***** ****** ***** ********* ** cover *** **** ****** ** ******** in ***** ************* **** ***** ******* could ****** **** ****** **********
** $*,*** *** **** *******, ***** is *** *********** **** ********* *** LPR *** ********* *** ** ***** of ********* (*.*., **% ****). *******, it **** **** ***** ********, *.*., the ******* ****** / ********** ****** watchlists **** *** ********* ********** *** competitors.
Simpler *****
*** ***** ***** ******* ** *** simplicity ** *****. **** *** ******* presume ***** *** ********** **** ** provided ** *** **** ** **********. By ********, ***** ******** ** *** in *** ***** ******* ***. **** radically ******* *** ********** ** ************. Indeed, * **** **** ** *** Flock ******** ** **** ** **** not ******* ***** *********** (*** *** significant ****) ** *** *******. ********, like *******, ** ******* ***** ** sell **** ******* *** ******* **** depending ** ******* ********.
Reduce ***** ** **% ** * *****
***** *** ********, ** **** ** this *********** ************, **** **** "****** to ****** ***** ** ******* ** over **% ** *** **** ***** years." ** ****** **** *** ****** for *** ******* ** **** ********* that **** ********* ******* **** ********** ambitious **** *** *** ******* ** serious ***** *** **********, ** ** email ** **** **** "***** ********* is *** ***** ****".
***** ***** ** ****** **** *,*** US ****** ***** ** *,*** ** a *** ***** ******* ****:
***** *** ******* ********** ** ******, and **** *******, ** **** ** working **** +*,*** ****** **** ** do ***** *** **** **** ***** local *************, **********, *** ***********, *** city ******* ** ****** ******* ***** in ******* ** **%.
** ******* ** **** **% *********, Flock ***** ** **** **** ********:
- *** ********* ****% ** ******* ******** * ***** ***
- **% *********** ***** ** **** ****** **** year
- **% ********* ** ***** ** *** Marino, **
- **% *********** **** ** * ******, ** neighborhood
- **% *********** **** * ****** ** ****** County, **
- * ********* *********** ******** (***) **** welcomes **** * ******* ******** **** year **********% ******** *****-*** *** **% ***** ***** vehicle ******
- ** ** **% ********* ** **** theft ** *********** *************
** **** *** ********* ** ****** or ******* ***** ******* ***.
Fear ** ***** ******
***** ****** ** ***** ****** ** Flock ** ********* **** *** ******* is *********** *********** ** ***** ***** to ** ****:
*** ******** ********* *** ******* **** that “******** ***** ******* **** *** chance ** ***** ****** ** * vastly **** ********* ********* **** **** draconian **********.”
**** *** **** **** ** **** but ** ****** *** ******** ** whether ****** **** ** ****** ** drive ****** *** **** ** ***** generating ** ***** ** ***** *******.
Why $*** *******?
***** ********* *** ********* *** **** a ***** ***** (******** ** **** market):
****** ***, ** *** ******* ********** fast *** *** ****** ** **********. We *** *** ******* **** *,*** communities ** ** ****** ****** *** U.S., *** ******* **** ***+ *** enforcement ********. ***** ** **** *****, Flock’s ***** *** ****** ** ****** 1% ** ***** ***** ******** ** the ******* (+*** ********). ** **** to **** **** ********* ** **** local ****** (***** ***********, ***** ******** support, ******* ***********, *** *****) *** accelerate ******* ********** ****** *** ******** Falcon *******. ** *** ** ***** as *** ****** ****** ********* ****** for *,***+ ****** ** ***** ******** private ********, *** ***********, *** ******* officials ** **** ***** *********** *****.
Valuation *** *******
***** *** ******* *** *** ******** valuation *** *******, ** ****** ********* is ** ***** * ******* *** potentially **** ****** **** ****. ** estimate **** ******* *** ** *** low **** ** ******** **** *** company******* ***** ***** ** **** ******* 400% ** ****.
****** **** ******** ******** ********* *** hot *********** ********* *** ********* ******** is ***** ** *** ******** (*.*., recently **** **** *** * *** of ***** *** ********* **** *********).
******: ***** ****** ********* ***** ********* is $*.**.
Privacy ********
**, *** **, ***** ******** *** growth *******, ** **** *********** ****** a ******** ******* ****** **** ** performing ****** ******** ****, ******* *** sorts ** ******* ******** **** ** unregulated, ******* ****** ****** ******, *** such * ******** **** ** ***** reduction. ***** *** ********* ****** **** alerting ***** ** ******* ****** ****** than ******* ************ ***** ****** **** but *** **** ** **** **** might ***** ** ********* ****** ** their ******* ****** *** *** ***** become ****** ** **** ******* **** a *********** ********** ******* ***** ****-**** alerting ******.
** *** ***** **** ****** ** our ****** ****, ******* ************ *** southeast ***** ** *******, ******* **** in *** ****** ****** ******. ** speaking ******** **** * ********** ******** for **** ** *** ***** **** park ************, ** **** **** **** another ****** ** **** ********** *** recently ****** * **** *** ******* Flock ******* @ $*,***/**. **** ** first *** ***** * *** ***** ago, **** **** ** $*,***/**. **** $2,000/yr. * ***'* **** ** $*,*** is ***** *** ****** ** **** deal *** ** *******, *** ***** pricing ***** ** ** ****** ****** than ******* **** ****.
* ******** **** ** *******/********'* **********:
***** **** ******* *** ******* *** Motorola/Openpath **** **** ** **** **** the ***** *******,*** ***** ******* ** * **** significant *********** *** ****** ** ***** ************. Certainly, ********/******** ** * *********** **** and *** *** ********* ** **** Motorola **** * ****** **********, *** Flock ******* ** **** *** ***** rightful ******** ** ******* ******* *** the ********* ** **** ***** **** a ******* ********** **** * **** at ***** *** ******* ******** ** municipal ***** ************ ** *** **** decade, **** *** ****** **** **** and ********/********.
** ******, ***** ********* ***** ** this *** *** ***** **** **** will ** **** ** **** *** they **** ** **** ** ***** Flock **** **** * *** **** start **** ** **** ***** *** the **** ******** ******* ** ****.
*** *** ** *******, *** ***** of ***** / ** ** ** watchlists **** ******* ** *** ****** is ***** ** * ******** ************** for **** *****.
* **** *** *****, *******, ** al. ***** *** **** ********** ****** Shelby ****** (*******) **. **** *** point ** ***** ******** ***** *********** not *** **** **** *** **** and ****** *** ********* ** *** of ***** ************ **************, **** ********* involvement ******* *** ***. ****** * larger ***** ********* ******. *********** ** not *********.
******* ***** ******* ****** ** **** at *** ********* *** **** *** roads ****** * ***** ***** ******** center ******** ** ***-****, ******, ****’*, etc.
***** *** * ***** ****** ** localized ****** ***** ****** *** ***** two ****. ***** ******* ******* *** city ** ************ * ****** *****. Within ** *****, **** ******* ** was *** ******** ****** **** ********* and ********* *** ***** ** ******* property. *** ******* **** *****.
*****, * ****** ** ******* ** look ******* ** *** ************. ** was ******, ************ *** *** ***** panel ** ** *******.
* **** ***** *** ****** *******.
******* *** ******** *** ***** *** here - *** *** *** ******** to ** *** *** ********* **** them?
********* ****** *** ** #*,
** ****** ***** ****** *** ******** a ****** ** ******* **** ****.**** ** *** ****** ****. **** **** ** ******* ** those ******** ** *** **** *** questions!
****
******: * ****** *****,***** *** ****** ******* $*** ********* **** **** ****** *** ******** valuation, *** ** ** $*.* *******.
** **** ** ********* * **** new ****** ********.
**** ****** **** *** **** ** the ********* ****** **** *** **** of *******?
**** *****'* *******- $*,*** *** ******, *** **** - **** * ***-**** $*** ******* cost:
** ********* ******* ***** ******* **********(***,*,*), ***** *** **** ***** ***** to ******** *** ******** *************.
******: ***** ****** ********* ***** ********* is $*.**