Flock Safety, a leader in computer vision-powered video surveillance technology, announced on Thursday that it has raised $275 million in its latest funding round, increasing its valuation to $7.5 billion. The funding round was led by Bedrock Capital, one of the company’s long-time investors.
Founded in 2017 and participating in Y Combinator the same year, Flock has revolutionized law enforcement and property management surveillance with its automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology. The company also provides gunshot detection systems, primarily marketed to schools, and recently expanded its product portfolio by acquiring Aerodome, a public safety drone company.
Flock’s rapid growth has been significant. Last year, the company surpassed $300 million in annual recurring revenue, marking a 70% year-over-year increase. According to Holly Beilin, a spokesperson for Flock, this milestone highlights the growing demand for its technology in both public safety and private sector applications.
The Atlanta-based startup has raised over $950 million to date, according to PitchBook data. Its valuation, which stood at $4.8 billion just a year ago, has now seen a significant rise thanks to this latest round of funding. Participating investors included Andreessen Horowitz, Greenoaks, Meritech Capital, Matrix Partners, and Y Combinator.
Flock’s Growth Amid Controversy
Despite its rapid expansion, Flock has faced criticism due to its focus on surveillance technology. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has raised concerns over potential mass surveillance and last year called for independent product reviews. Additionally, privacy advocates in Norfolk, Virginia are currently suing to prevent Flock’s technology from being deployed in the region.
Flock is also facing a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by the mayor of a small California town.
Despite the controversies surrounding its technology, Flock remains a strong favorite among venture capitalists. In 2018, Geoff Lewis, founder of Bedrock Capital, flew to Atlanta to persuade Flock co-founder Garrett Langley to accept a $10 million Series A-1 investment—one of Bedrock’s first deals. At the time, Flock was valued at only $60 million, a figure that tripled just months after the investment. Since then, Bedrock has invested over $164 million into the company.
Bedrock’s investment portfolio includes companies like OpenAI, Rippling, and Mach Industries. Andreessen Horowitz, through its American Dynamism fund, has also been a strong backer of Flock, praising its role in not only protecting property but also in saving lives.
Flock’s Growing Public Safety Portfolio
Flock continues to expand its portfolio of public safety products, with its revenue growth and product diversity attracting growing investor confidence. As Flock’s technology evolves, it remains a key player in reshaping how law enforcement and businesses approach surveillance and security.
Garry Tan, president of Y Combinator, recently highlighted Flock’s success rate in crime prevention, noting the impact its technology has had on reducing crime rates.
