Terms were not disclosed.
From the point of view of Flock, the deal means the company can add drones as another “rapid-response solution that law enforcement can use to cut response times,” according to an email from a spokesperson for the company.
Aerodome, which has reportedly raised $28 million since its founding in 2023, sells drone and remote piloting software.
Flock, which traces its roots to 2017 after a bout of property crime in the founder’s neighborhood, has raised more than $300 million from Andreessen Horowitz and other investment heavyweights. Besides license plate reading tools, the company sells audio and video detection products, among other offerings.
Flock says the new acquisition serves its larger plan to sell “a suite of American-made, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant drones, set to be released over the next 12 months,” according to the company’s statement about the deal.
The deal foreshadows what’s to come in public safety technology, according to Flock CEO and founder Garrett Langley.
“Anyone who’s seen a drone-as-first-responder program in action knows that this technology will play a central role in the future of public safety,” he said in the statement. “No other technology helps law enforcement officers get eyes on the scene faster than a drone.”
Aerodome’s software can help drones avoid other aircraft and operates to fly the crafts beyond visual range, according to the statement. The company’s clients include the Scottsdale, Ariz., police department.
"The integration between Aerodome's best-in-class technology and Flock Safety's suite of collaborative policing tools will transform our Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC), empowering our first responders to protect lives and shape a safer Scottsdale,” said Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther in the statement.
Automatic license plate readers and drones stand as two technologies that could potentially help police agencies as they deal with hiring and retention challenges. Meanwhile, drones in general — backers say the craft can help not only with emergency responses but also disaster management and various other tasks done by local and state governments — continue to attract investment.
