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Tech Topics In This Article: Atlanta companies, funding news
Flock Safety, the safety technology company and one of Atlanta’s homegrown tech unicorns, is now valued at $7.5 billion after a new investment round.
The team announced today that it had raised $275 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). Greenoaks Capital and Bedrock Capital. Meritech Capital, Matrix Partners, Sands Capital, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, Tiger Global, and Y Combinator also participated in the round.
“We’re honored and grateful that all of our previous institutional investors have returned to invest in this investment round — which demonstrates the strength of the partnerships we’ve built as well as the clear traction they see in Flock’s business metrics,” Holly Beilin, Director of Communications at Flock Safety, told Hypepotamus. “We began our relationship with a16z as a portfolio company in their American Dynamism practice and now work with their Growth team as well. The breadth of their expertise and experience, along with the vision we share for the future of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship, makes them an excellent partner for the next step in our journey.”
To date, Flock Safety has partnered with 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses, according to a press release. That includes police departments across Metro Atlanta and the South Downtown neighborhood, where Atlanta Tech Village has opened up its second location.
“While widely recognized for their work with the law enforcement community, we’ve seen remarkable demand across the private sector, as well, including financial services, healthcare, retail, and industrial firms. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Garrett and the Flock Safety team as they drive this next phase of growth,” said David George, general partner and head of a16z’s Growth Fund, in a press statement.
A Look At Flock Safety’s Growth
Since its founding in 2017, Flock Safety has grown to be a nationally-recognized leader in safety technology. Its License Plate Readers (LPRs), gunshot detection tools, AI-powered video cameras, and real-time crime intelligence software have been used in clearing thousands of serious crime cases, including homicides, assaults, human and narcotics trafficking, and Organized Retail Crime (ORC).
Last year, Flock acquired Aerodome, an American-made drone company designed for first responders. Earlier this year, Flock unveiled a new data intelligence platform, Nova, to help investigators and command staff synthesize data from multiple sources in order to solve active crimes.
While Flock Safety now works with law enforcement agencies and businesses across the country, the team is still firmly rooted in its homebase of Atlanta. Over 250 of the company’s 1,300 employees are based in the State of Georgia. Flock’s Atlanta team is heavily concentrated in revenue, operations, engineering, people, and field operations.
Part of the new funding round will go towards hiring, particularly for product, engineering, and sales roles, added Beilin.
Flock will also be growing its footprint in Georgia next month, unveiling a new 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the state that will be used to keep up with increased demand for its products and technology.
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Photos provided by Flock Safety
