Prepared, a leading AI platform built to transform emergency communications, announced a series B funding of $27 million led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from returning investors First Round Capital and M13. And new investor NewView Capital also participated in the round. This second funding round from a16z, First Round, and M13 brings Prepared’s total investments to $57 million.
Emergency response systems in the US serve as lifelines for our communities and answer around 240 million 911 calls every year. But while many industries benefit from technical innovation, the public safety industry has lagged.
Many 911 centers also still rely on legacy technology, built in the era of landlines, even though 80% of 911 calls come from wireless devices. This also makes it challenging for centers to use valuable data that 911 call takers need like an accurate location of the emergency, photos, video and text messages.
Currently working with nearly 1,000 agencies, And prepared clients help protect around 30% of the U.S. population (97 million people in 49 states). By introducing and synthesizing critical data through an affordable and 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 round follows the announcement of Prepared’s two-way audio translation, which is 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. Now 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, enabling iPhone users to share 911 call context through live streaming, recorded video, photos and texts. And 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.
KEY QUOTES:
“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. This investment is more than just capital — it’s fuel for Prepared’s mission to transform public safety systems.”
“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. At Prepared, our vision is to equip all 911 centers with our technology and this new investment allows us to build that future now.”
-Michael Chime, CEO and co-founder of Prepared
“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. We’re thrilled to double down on our investment in Prepared as they continue to make their vision for public safety a reality.”
-David Ulevitch, general partner, Andreessen Horowitz
