Oosto CEO Interview 2023
Nearly 2 years ago Oosto (then AnyVision) raised $235 million but now the VC market has chilled and facial recognition acceptance is slower than its proponents, including Oosto's CEO, have hoped.
The previous AnyVision leadership had aimed for a billion in revenue last year, a number the current CEO Avi Golan acknowledges the company is not anywhere close to achieving.
However, Golan also contends in an interview with IPVM that Oosto is aggressively growing revenue and customers while there are signs of AI enthusiasm in the still "old fashioned" security industry.
In this post IPVM interviews Golan about the Oosto and its future.
"Hundreds ** ********" *** ***** ******
***** **** ** "******* ****** **********" hundreds ** ******** ** ******* "***" in ******* ** * **** ********* target **** *** ****-************ ******* *******:
***** **** * *** ** ******** in *** ****, * ***'* ***** this ** *** **** ***** ***. In ******* ****** **********, **'* ******** of ********-*** *******
**** ********** ***** ** ****** ****** *********** ****** (******* *** PRC, ***** *** ********** *** ******** the ****) ******* ***.
Touts ********** *******, ***+ *********
***** ***** ******** ** ******* *****'* current *******, ** ******** **** ***** is ******* ****, ****** ********** *** revenue **** **** *** ***** ** over *** ********* **** *** "*** tens", ******* ***** ***** **** ******* Fortune *** *********:
**** ** ****, **grew ** ** *** ********, and we grew our customer base from the low tens of active customers to 300-plus ********* [...] Over **% of the projects we signed 2022 and 2023 is from ******* *** ********* [emphasis added]
***** ***** ** **** ******* *.** to ** ** ******* ***** ** ********* "** *** end ** ****", ***** *****.
**** **** ****** **** *** ******* companies ******** ******** ******* (****** **** European *********) ** **** ** ****** to ****** ******** ******* ******. ** roughly ******** ***** ******* ** ** in *** *** **** ** ******** of ******* ********.
Deployed ****** "**** ** *********" ** *******
***** *** *** **** ******** ****** "tens ** ********* ** *******" ***** says, ******* ********** ***** **** ********* of ******* *****.
*******, ***** *** *** ******* ******* retail ******* ** *** ** **** supermarkets ** ******* *** **** *** to ******* ********, ***** ********.
Oosto ***+ *** ******** *********
***** ** *** "****** ** **** away **** ***** ********" ** ******** on "***** *****" ***** **** $**, Golan ****,**** *** *** ********* ** *** transportation, ************* (*******/ ********/******), ********** (*** not ********), *** ********* *******:
** ******20 *** ******** ** ****, went into train stations, continue to grow that vertical as well. We did build a new ******** ** ********* ************, large banks with branches around the world are protecting their branches with the OnWatch application. [emphasis added]
Headcount ****
***** ********* **** *** *******'* ********* is ******* **** ** *** ***** of ***+ *********, ** **** **** what ******** ***** *** *** *******:
** *** *******'* **** **** ** 2020, **** **** ********** *** * ******* ** ****, **** *** **** *** *********, before********* ******* *******.
***, ** ****** *** *********, ** the **** ***** ** ********** ********, the *******'* **** **** ** **** lower ****** ** ********** ***** *********** and ***** ******* (*.*., *** ******* only *** ~** ***********).
"Enough **** ** ******* * ********"
** *** ******** ****, ***** *** "enough **** ** ******* * ********", Golan ****:
* ** **** ****** **** ** outlast * ********, ** ** **** it ****. **** ** ****** ********* will ** *****, ** ***** **** the ******* ** ******** **** *** product ******** *** *** *********** ******.
***** ********* **** $**** **** *** *****, giving ** * *********** **** ********* over ***** ******* ******** *********.
VC ****** *******
***** ***** **** *****'* ********* *** still ******, *** ** ***** "** very *********" ** ******** ** ******* due ** *** ******* ****** ********. This ********* **** ******* **** ******* of **** **** ** **** ********* than ** *** ****, **** ***** focusing ** ************* *** ******* *******.
Core *********** "*** *******"
***** ********* ******** **** *********** *** **** ** ******** *** Chief ** ************** **** *** ********* ************, ******* "**** *********** ***** *** ***** *** been *******."
Not ******* ******
***** **** ** ** *** ******* direct:
** **** ****** ***** ************ **** with ***** ******* ****** *** ***** [...] **'** *** ******* ********
***** ****** ****** "********" ** *********, which ***** ***** ***** * ******** per ******** ***** ** ****** "***+" customers. *******, ***** ********* **** **** resellers **** **** ** ********* ***** others *** *** ********* ******.
No ******** ** ******* / ****** ******* / ***
***** ***** *** ******** **** **** areas, *** **** *****'* *** *** clear ***** *** **** **** *** not ********** ** ******* ** ****** their *** ******* ** ***, ****** competitors ********, ******, *******, ***.
** *** **** ** ** ********* matchup *** ***** ** ***** **** have ** ****** ***** ****** *********** and ********* *** ************* ****** **** their ***-**-*** *********** *** ****** **** away ** **** ***** ********* ** far ***** ****** **** ***** (****** given, *.*.,*******'* **** ****** *********** *******, ***** ** ***** ***************, ****** Verkada ****** ** *** ** ********** cost).
Analytics ************* *** ********* (***)
***** **** ***** ********* ********* ****** expect *******-****** ******** ******* *********** ******** consolidation, *******, **** ** *** ********* because ******* ********** *** ****** **** are **** *********. ***** *** **** looking **** ********* ***** ****** *** needs * ************ ********** **** ***** these ***********, ***** ****.
****** ***** *********** **** ** ********* ********* ******* ******** ************ **** *****;*** *** ******** ******* "****** **** With *** ***** ****".
Face *** "*** **** *****"
*****'* ****-**** **** ** *** *** Vision ******** ** ********** ****** "**********" thanks ** *********, *** **** **** recognition:
*** ****** ** ** **** **** that ** ********** **********, *** **** predict, ****'* ***** ** ******. ***** now ** ******* **** ****, **'** now ********* ** ****, **'** *** stopping ****. **'** *** ****** ****** is *** **** *****.
**** ** *** **** ****** *** Oosto's**** **** *** *********.
Current ******** "*** *********"
*** ******* ******** ******** ** "**** old *********" **** **** ********* ** with *** ***********, *******, *** *****, Golan ********:
********** *** ****** ** ******** ***** where **’*very *** *********, based on very expensive hardware [...] **** * **** ** *********, **** I *** ** ******, *****'* **** of ********** ** ********** *** ****** security ******, **'* ********* ** ************ of ***** ********* **** ****low ***********, *******, *** *****, and I *** ********* **** *** ** **** **** [emphasis added]
**** ** * ****** ********* ** startups ****** ** ******* * ***** market. ** ******* ** ** **** if*****'* ****** ******* ****** **** ********* ***** **** are.
Future ****** "************* ******", ***** ********* ****
***** ***** "** ** ******* * little ***" **** *** ******, ***** will ********** ** "************* ******", ***** said, *************** ******* ** ****** *********** ** RFPs:
*’* **** * ****** *** ********* that **'* ***** ****** * ****** time, ***I ** *** *** *****. Two years ago, privacy concerns was at the top of the list and it was very difficult to talk face rec [...] I see in the past year a *** ****** ** *** ****** specifically *** **** *** ** **** [emphasis added]
******* ** ********** *** ****** ***** benefits *** *** ***** ***** **** ********* **** **"******** **********", ***** *******.
*****'* *** ******** *** "********** **** open" *** ** * "*** ********" in *** ****** ******** "************* ******".
Shift **** **** ****** **** ****, *******
***** ***** ** ********** ***** *** future ** *** "******* ****** ** a ****** *** *** ********* *** us" *** ** *** ******* ******** and ****************** **** ** ****. ***** ***** *** *** ******* this, *** ******** ** ** **** which***** *** **** ****** *************** *** ******.
***** ** *** ******** ****** ********** but ******** *** ********* ** ***** America, ****-*******, *** *** ****** **** ("not ************ ** **** *****") *** Golan. *******, ***** *** **-****** *** UK ** *** ****** ** *** privacy ********* ********** *** ********** ** ****** ***********/*********.
Disputes **** ********
***** ******** ****'* ******* **** *****'* facial **************** ********* ********* *********** **** ******** *** ********:
* **** *** **** **** * lot ** *** ***, *** ** you ** ****-**-**** ***** ** *** field ** ******* **** *****, *** that's ***** ** ********* **** ** win ***** **** ** * ******/***** basis
****, ***** ******** ** *** **** test ***** ******* *** *** ************ *** **** *** ********(************, *** **** ****** **** *** our ***** ********* ****) *** **** refused ** *********** ** *** ********* Search ********. **** *** *** *** tested *****'**** ********* *** *****-**-**** *********.
*******
*****'* ******* **********'* **** ************ ******** is *****, ****** *** ********* *** Oosto ******:
- *** **** ******** **** ****** *********** and ***** ************ (**** ****************) ******?
- *** **** ** * ****** **** end-to-end *********** **?
- *** **** *** ***** ******* ***** its ****-******* ********* *********** *** ******* team **** *** ***?
****** **** ***** *** ** ******* the ***** ****** *** **** ****** to "*****". ****** **** * **** with ***** ****** **** *** *** how **** ******* **** *** **** Oosto **** *********.