Assistive-AI company and 911 technology pioneer accelerates mission to support 911 call takers with innovative software that saves lives
NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Prepared, the leading AI platform built to revolutionize emergency communications, announced today a series B funding of $27 million led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from returning investors First Round Capital and M13. New investor NewView Capital also participated in the round. This second round of funding from a16z, First Round, and M13, and first from NewView, brings Prepared's total investments to $57 million.
"Prepared is proud to announce a new investment and major step forward to realize our vision of all 911 call takers using AI-powered systems to guide them through high-stress situations with unprecedented clarity and efficiency," said Michael Chime, CEO and co-founder of Prepared. "This investment is more than just capital — it's fuel for Prepared's mission to transform public safety systems."
"Rapid response is critical for crime mitigation and emergency response — yet local departments have historically lacked the modern tooling to meet the needs of their citizens. In a short amount of time, Prepared has built and deployed an innovative solution — at scale — that can extend the efficiencies of first responders and empower and protect the local communities they serve," said David Ulevitch, general partner, Andreessen Horowitz. "We're thrilled to double down on our investment in Prepared as they continue to make their vision for public safety a reality."
Emergency response systems in the United States serve as lifelines for our communities and answer around 240 million 911 calls every year. However, while many industries benefit from technical innovation, the public safety industry has lagged. Many 911 centers still rely on legacy technology, built in the era of landlines, even though 80% of 911 calls come from wireless devices. This makes it challenging for centers to use valuable data that 911 call takers need, such as an accurate location of the emergency, photos, video and text messages.
"The disparity between 911 centers that can access assistive-AI technology and those that can't isn't simply inefficient, it's a matter of life and death," said Chime. "At Prepared, our vision is to equip all 911 centers with our technology and this new investment allows us to build that future now."
Currently partnered with nearly 1,000 agencies, Prepared clients help protect around 30% of the U.S. population (97 million people in 49 states). By introducing and synthesizing mission-critical data through an affordable, browser-based platform, that can be used without changing call-handling systems already in place, Prepared ensures agencies can rapidly experience the benefits of their technology.
This series B funding follows the announcement of Prepared's two-way audio translation, a life-saving feature for 911 calls in Spanish that will automatically translate to English text for the call-taker and be spoken back to the caller through an AI-generated voice. Today, in most 911 centers, a 911 call-taker must conference with a third-party translator and wait for them to join the call, which wastes precious time during an emergency.
Prepared's other recent innovation includes an Emergency SOS Live Video integration with Apple® that enables iPhone® users to share 911 call context through live streaming, recorded video, photos and texts. During a 911 call, dispatchers simply send a request for the iPhone caller to share live video or media from the camera roll over a secure connection, which makes it easier and faster to get help. The new feature launches with the release of iOS 18 for iPhone in September.
About Prepared
Prepared is a leading provider of mission-critical multimedia and text to public safety agencies and the pioneer of assistive 911 technology. The company's flagship product, Prepared Assist, is an AI-powered, assistive 911 platform that introduces and synthesizes next-generation data to increase call-taking and dispatch efficiency. Since its founding in 2019, the company now partners with nearly 1,000 agencies in 49 states that protect 97 million people. In the process, it has raised $57 million in venture funding from leading investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (aka a16z), M13 and First Round Capital. For more information, visit Prepared911.com
Media Contact
Nina Poulaki, Prepared, 1 9129964969, [email protected], https://www.prepared911.com/
SOURCE Prepared
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