FocusAI VSaaS Startup Profile + Co-Founders Inteview
With cloud going mainstream in video surveillance, Focus AI, led by an ex-Turing CFO (who helped Turing raise $80 million) and an ex-Google Nest Architect, aims to compete with its mega-backed Silicon Valley rivals.
In this note, based on an interview with the co-founders Qing Lu and Sudhakar Ram, we examine the company's pitch and competitive positioning compared to Silicon Valley rivals and incumbents.
Also, see our profile on Lumana, another recent Silicon Valley startup.
Executive *******
***** **** ** ** / ***** ******** that ******** *****-***** ******* *** ** appliance / ******, ********* ** "****" alternative ** *** ******, ****** **** of *** ******* ****** ******. ************, Focus ** **** ** ******* ***** direct-to-end *****, ****** *********** **** **** a ******** **** ** ******* **** and ***** *** ********.
***** ** ********* ****** ** * software ******** *** **** ** ******** its ********* *** ******** **********. ***** AI ****** *** ******* (*****) ******** with "********" ********* ***** **** *** subscription ****, **** ** *** ****** LLM, **-************** / *****-****** ********, ****** recognition, *** ****, ***** *** ******* views ** *** ********* ***************. ** have *** *** ****** **.
******** ** **** ** *** ***********, Focus ** *** ********** *** ******* at $* ******* ** **** *** is *** ******* ** ***** ********** money ** **** *** **-** ******.
***** ***** **'* ***** *****, ***** AI ***** ** *** *** ***** looking *** * *** ******* ** differentiate ***** ********* **** ** "****" approach ****** * **** *****.
*** **** **** **** **** *********** how **** *** ******* *** ******* as ** **** ** ***** *** its ***** **** *** *** ******** as * *******.
Focus ** / **-******* **********
***** ** ** * *****-** **** was ******* ** **** ** **-******** Qing ** *** ******** ***, *** both **** ********** ** ******** ******** and ***** ************.
**** *** **** ******* ********* ********* in *** ****. *** **** ****** experience ****** **-******** ***** ** *** as ******'* ***, ** ******* *** ********:
************,**** ********** ******* $** ******* ** Turing.
*** ***** **-******* / ***, ******** Ram's ******** ********** *** ** ******'* Nest *** *********, ** ***** ***** ******** *******:
Funding / *********
***** **-****** ********* **** *** ********** raising ***** ** * ******** ******** / ***** ******* (**** *** ***** *********), *** ******* ******** ** ******** their ********* / ********** ******* *** confirmed **** ****** $* ******* ** seed **** **-***** ********* *** *** looking ** ***** ** ********** *****.
*** ******* ********* ***** **** ** mostly ** *********** / ********** **** 6 **** ****** ******** ********** ** AI, ******** ******, *** ********** ******* technology. ******** ***** **** **** ** employees:
Pricing / ****
***** ***** ** *** *** ********* its ******* *** *** ******, **** have ********* *** ******* ** *** hardware *** ******** **** ** "***********" with ****** (*** **** ********* **** Verkada) ** *** ****** *** ********* its ********* ***** ** $*** *** device *** ****, **** - ******** the "*******" ***** **** **** *** cost ** ********, ** *** ********* MSRP ** *** **** ** *******'*.
************, **** *** ***** **** ** 3,5, *** **-**** ********* ******* **** additional ********* *** *** ******-**** ********.
Open / *** ***** ****** *******
****** **** ** *** ***********, ***** are **** / ***********, ***** ** is **** *** ****** *****-***** ******* to ******* ** *** *****. ** the ******* ***** *****:
***** ** ********* ** *** *** yet ********* ******* ** *** ****** hardware, *** *** ***** ********** **** support ***** *****-***** ******* **** * 16-channel ****** ****** ***** **** ****.
OEMing *******, ******* ****-**
***** ** ********* **** ** *** manufacture / ***** ***** *** *******, but ****** *** *** *** ****-*********. However, **** ******** ** ******** *** their *** ******* ** ************, ****** their ************* ** ** *******.
*** ******* ********* ** ****** *** and ** ****** ** **** ** bullet ****-******* *** **** *** **** any "*********" ******* **** ** *****-*******, PTZ, ** ********. ***** ** * screen **** ** * **** ****** from ***** **'* *******:
Partner ************ & ***** ***** *** ****** *******
***** ***-**-*** ** ************ ********** ********* are * ***** *****, ***** ** says **** **** ******* **** ********* in *** **** ****:
*********, ** ** ***** ** ** a ******* **** ** ********* ******* with **** **** ** ***** *******, but ** **** ********* **** ***** access ******* *********. *** **** **** be ** ******* ********** ********* ******* to **** ******* ****.
*******, ** **** *** ** *** early *****, **** **** ** ******* integrations ****** ******** ***** ***, *** they *** ** ** *** ***** to ************ *** **** **** *** build ***** *** ****** *******, *********, etc, ** ****** ************.
Software ********, ********** *********
******* ****** *******, ***** ** **** they *** * ******** ******* **** develops *** *** ********* *** ********:
********** ** ********* **********, *** ** look ** ********* ** * ******** company. ** ******** ************* ** ** the ********, *** ** *** *** application ********** *** ******, ** *** cloud, ** ******, ********** ** **** internally ** *** ** *** ********* are ** *** **.
*********
** ***** ** ***** ****** ** a ******** ********, **** **** * hybrid ************, **** ********* ***** *** detection, *.*., (******, ********, ***.) ******* that ******** ** *** *****, ***** allows * **** ** **** *** that **** *** ********, ***., ***** AI *******:
***** ** ******* ** *** ******* to ** ***** ****** ******** *** cross ****** ********. *** *** *** heavy *******, ***** ****** ** ***** its ***. *** ***** ***** ** the ******* ** ** **** ******** service, ***** ** ********* ****** *** that **** **** ********* *******, *** then **** ***** ******** *** ********** it.
***** *** *** ********** ******* * person's **** / **** ******* ***** searched *** ****** *** ******* ***** facial *********** *** "********* / **********" search:
************, ***** ** ******** ********** "******* types" **** ******** *****, ******** ****** on ******** **** ******** **** ** Amazon, *****, ****, ***, ** ***** from ***** **** *****:
*******, ** **** *** *** *** tested ****, ** ****** *** ****** its *********, **********, ** ***********, *** we **** ** **** **** ***** (and ******* ***** *** ********) ** the ******.
Merlin ***
***** ********** ** / **** ***** in ******** ******** ** ******* ****, and ** *** ******* ***************** ********* next ****, ***** ** ** *** of *** ***** ******** ** **** technology **** *** ****** ** "******** Assistant," ***** ** ***** ** ******* and **** ** ******** ****** ****** / ******* ******* ******.
****** *** ****, ***** ** ******** for ** ******** "*********," *** *** LLM ******** ********** / ****** ** that ****** *** *** **** ****** cameras (***** ****** *********** / ******** events). *** ***** ********* *** *******, and ** *** ** ****** ****** this ****:
*** ******* ********** ****** ** * strategic ******* *** *** **** **** compete ** ** ** ****-********, ****** are "**** **" *******, *** *** reduce *** **** ***** ******** ********* events *** ****** ******** ** *** subscription.
**** **** *** **** / ******** we ******** *** ********** *****, *** the ******* **** ******* ** ***** AI's **** / ********** **** ***** control. ** ****, ** **** *** yet ****** **** ********, *** **** to ** *** ****** ******. *** more ** ********** ** / ****, see:
- ********** ** *** ***** ************ **** - *******, ******, *******
- *** ****/******* *** ************* ***** ** Protests ******
- *** ****** ** ***** ********* - CNNs **. **** (****** ********* ************)
"Big" ******** ** *********** / *******
***** *****-***** ******** **** ** ** directly ** *** ***** ** ********* their ********, ***** ** **** **** are "***" ********* ** ***********, ******** on ***** *** ** ******, *** themselves **** ** ******* *********** ********:
** *** * *** ******** ** integrators. ** *** * *** ******** in *** ******* ******. *** **** way *** ******* *** ***** ** to ******** *** ******* *********. *** can *** **** ** *** ** one [****** ** *** *** *****]. It **** *** ***** **** ***.
** *********, ** *** ***** *** channel, ***********, *** ********. **** ** absolutely *** ***** *** ********* ********. We **** **** **** ******* *** done, *** **** ** *** *** philosophy, ** *** ***** ** ****** the *********** *** ** ** ******** and **** ** ********.
** **** *** ** ****** ****** relationships **** **** ** *** *********, and **** ** *** ***** ****** that ******* *** **** ** ******, but **** **** **** * ******** role ** ***** **** ** ***** and ****** *** ********, ********* ***** AI.
*******
** **** ***** *****-***** *******, ******* on ******** ** ********** ****** ********* will ********* ** *******, ** ** is *** ********** ** ******** *** company ** **** ***** *****.
*** **** ********* *** *** ******* who **** ** **** ** **-***-****** line **** ***** **** ** *** cloud *** ** ***** ****, ** long ** **** ********* *** ******** limitations ** * ******* ** **** an ***** *****.
*******, ** **** ** ******** ***** AI *** ***** *** ***** ******** as **** *** ** ***** *** compete ** **** ****** ** ******** **** ********** ** ***** ************.
* ****** ** ****** **** ** scalable. ***** ** * ***** ** use ******* *** ****, *** **’* not ***** **** **** * **********. Perhaps **** *** **** **** **** more.
* ******* ***** ***** ** *** West *** **** ** *** ******** did *** **** *** *** **** with *** **** ****** *** **** not *********** ********. ***** *** * bit ** * ****.