Prepared, a public safety startup based in New York, recently secured $27 million in funding during its Series B round. This brings the total amount of funding raised by the company to nearly $60 million. The investment was led by notable investors such as Andreesen Horowitz, First Round Capital, M13, and NewView Capital.
The primary goal of Prepared is to enhance emergency response systems and ultimately save lives. The company utilizes AI technology to provide assistance to first responders in 911 centers. By offering tools like real-time translation and transcription services, advanced speech processing, and precise location data for incoming calls, Prepared aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operators, dispatchers, and field teams.
One of the standout features of Prepared’s platform is its ability to enable 911 callers to share videos, photos, and sounds with emergency responders in real time. Additionally, the platform offers two-way audio and text translation capabilities. Prepared can recognize audio in 33 languages and text in over 140 languages, with the ability to translate 911 audio transcripts into more than 30 languages.
The founders of Prepared, Dylan Gleicher, Michael Chime, and Neal Soni, all graduates of Yale University, established the company in 2019. Their motivation stemmed from their proximity to school shooting incidents and a desire to enhance safety measures for students. Currently, around 150 U.S. schools are equipped with Prepared’s AI-based public safety technology.
Neal Soni, who serves as the Chief Product Officer at Prepared, has been recognized for his innovative contributions. He received the Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity as well as the prestigious Miller Prize cash grant for Top Tech Startup during his time at Yale. Along with his co-founders, Soni was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024.
The impact of Prepared’s technology is evident through the positive feedback received from 911 operators. Soni shared in a LinkedIn post how operators have used the platform to save lives, from providing CPR instructions via live video to communicating with non-English speakers through the AI assistant. These success stories inspire the team at Prepared to continue their work in public safety.
In conclusion, Prepared’s innovative approach to utilizing AI technology in public safety has garnered significant support and recognition. With their recent funding round, the company is poised to further enhance emergency response systems and contribute to the safety and well-being of communities across the United States.
