One thing we learned as a child was to call 911 if there’s an emergency. If you’ve ever had to make the call, you know it can be nerve-racking. With approximately 240 million 911 calls made each year, there’s pressing demand for call centers to be ready to handle any situation at any time. One Austin startup is working to enhance 911 call centers across America by providing them with data and analytics.
RapidDeploy develops cloud-based emergency response dispatching and analytics platforms that shorten the total response time and improves safety for emergency personnel. Founded in 2013, RapidDeploy uses location mapping and real-time data from smartphones, smartwatches, home security systems, vehicles and traffic cameras to facilitate rapid and informed responses to calls.
On Thursday, the Austin-based startup announced a $29 million Series B funding round led by Morpheus Ventures. Tau Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, Clearvision Ventures, Ericsson Ventures and Samsung Next Ventures also participated in this round.
“RapidDeploy has entered a stage of hypergrowth, and with the trust of major companies in public safety and telecommunications like Samsung and Ericcson, we are well-positioned to assist public safety officials across the country as they transform their 911 centers,” Steve Raucher, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement.
The recent capital will be used for research and development and go-to-market improvements, including new features and integrations over the next year, Raucher told Built In via email.
“RapidDeploy is leading the public safety technology ecosystem providing real-time visibility into data from user devices, weather, traffic, even video from the scene, so first responders arrive prepared and ready to act,” he said. “This new round of funding will help bolster that strategy, and accelerate new capabilities to market for 911 centers everywhere.”
RapidDeploy also plans to focus on its partnership with AT&T this year to bring data to voice-centric call centers. Additionally, the company recently partnered with OnStar to provide real-time vehicle telemetry and crash data to 911 centers that use its software. Over the last two years, RapidDeploy has added statewide contracts in California, Arizona and Kansas. The company’s platform is now used in more than 650 911 centers across the United States.
RapidDeploy was co-founded by Raucher, a former Sea Rescue volunteer, and CTO Brett Meyerowitz, a former volunteer paramedic. The two relocated RapidDeploy’s headquarters from Cape Town, South Africa, to Austin in September of 2018. Shortly after, the company raised a $12 million Series A round.
RapidDeploy has more than 200 employees globally with about 105 in Austin. The company is currently hiring for nine open positions with plans to hire 10 to 15 full-time employees globally each quarter for the next year, Raucher said. Hiring will take place across all teams, including marketing, engineering and product.
