Exclusive: Drone startup Aerodome flies out of stealth with $6.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz and 2048 VC
Summary
download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on todays biggest stories in markets, tech, and business delivered daily. Drones arrive within three minutes to help catch the suspects.This sounds like something out of science fiction movie, but it is actually what Aerodome, a New-York based startup that provides automated drone response system for police and fire departments, is rolling out to five police departments over the coming months.This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "Our belief is that replacing outdated, dangerous, inefficient and expensive helicopter-based air support programs will allow public safety agencies to reduce crime and save lives in a way that was previously unimaginable," Rahul Sidhu, Aerodomes CEO and cofounder, told Insider.After seven months in stealth, Aerodome recently closed a $6.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz and 2048 VC. Other investors include boxer and social media star Jake Pauls venture firm, Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and entrepreneur Nikita Bier. )"Its rare to see this kind of founder-market fit, let alone from a founder with a previous exit in this domain," Bier told Insider.Sidhu and cofounder Kenaniah Cerny were previously founders of SPIDR Tech, a customer service interface for law enforcement, which was acquired for an undisclosed sum by Versaterm Public Safety in 2021.Sidhu is currently a reserve officer for the Redondo Beach Police Department and was a full-time officer for two years.It was in 2020, with much of the police force out sick because of COVID, Sidhu first got the idea for Aerodome.