Aerodome, a leader in Drone-As-First-Responder (DFR) technology, announced it has raised $21.5 million in Series A funding to enhance its DFR solutions and expand its engineering and go-to-market teams. The funding round was led by CRV, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Karman Ventures, Immad Akhund (CEO, Mercury), and Ford Street Ventures. This follows a seed round in October 2023, led by a16z and 2048 Ventures, bringing Aerodome’s total funding to $28 million.
“Upon experiencing Aerodome’s technology firsthand on a fly-along, I immediately recognized its potential to have a scalable impact on public safety and its ability to save lives,” said Saar Gur, General Partner at CRV and Aerodome’s newest board member. “Speed is of the essence in emergencies. Aerodome doesn’t just provide police agencies with ROI, it also gives them an insanely valuable source of real-time intelligence to first responders out in the field.”
Aerodome, co-founded by CEO Rahul Sidhu and Chief Architect Kenaniah Cerny, is advancing DFR technology with a faster, safer, and more energy-efficient solution. Their fully automated and remote air support system reduces the need for patrol officers by 15 percent and offers 80 percent faster emergency response times.
“As the second officer in the country to launch a DFR program, I wanted to build a more advanced, automated solution that would reduce the strain on officer resources,” said Sidhu, who is also a former paramedic, crew chief, and pilot. “Our DFR 2.0 solution is a true force multiplier, requiring only a single operator to oversee multiple drones. Our air traffic awareness system acts as a better observer than human pilots – capable of tracking planes, helicopters, other drones, and even birds in all directions, which saves precious time and resources for agencies.”
In its first year, Aerodome has secured contracts with several police departments, nearly doubling its earnings projections for Q1 2024. The company’s growth is attributed to its advanced DFR system, which is fully remote and automated, multi-station, and multi-drone. Agencies using Aerodome’s system achieve an average response time of 86 seconds to 911 calls, compared to the 7-8 minutes typical of traditional methods. Additionally, with two aviation-related deaths annually and pollution from helicopters, DFR offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative.
"Aerodome's willingness to engage with our staff on the unique characteristics of our jurisdiction, and future directions with which to grow DFR capabilities, has led to high levels of confidence between our Department and their company," said Lieutenant Robert Mitchell at Hawthorne Police Department. "We were happy to partner with Aerodome. They did what they said they were going to do, and more."
Aerodome has also entered an exclusive partnership with Hextronics, a leader in drone autonomy. Hextronics will provide a drone dock equipped with a rapid, automated battery-changing system and HVAC system, enabling remote operations in any condition.
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