NEW YORK, April 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidSOS, an
advanced emergency technology company, today announced an
additional $16 million in funding led
by Highland Capital Partners with participation from Microsoft
Ventures and CSAA Insurance Group. Microsoft Ventures and CSAA
Insurance Group's funding accelerates the work of nearly every
major public safety company, technology companies powering millions
of devices, and three former FCC chairmen in working with RapidSOS
to upgrade America's public safety infrastructure.
"It's been a privilege working with the public safety community
to develop this technology and see the impact it can have on
emergency outcomes," said Michael
Martin, CEO of RapidSOS. "9-1-1 telecommunicators manage
over 200 million emergencies a year with little more than a voice
connection. This funding will allow us to send life-saving data
directly into the hands of first responders nationwide."
Founded in 2013, RapidSOS has raised over $30 million and spent the past five years working
in partnership with the public safety community to develop an
advanced Emergency Platform to link Internet of Things (IoT)
devices directly to 9-1-1 and first responders in an emergency.
Data from connected devices – such as real-time health data from
wearables, telematics from connected cars, smoke density from smart
homes, precise location from mobile devices, etc. – can provide
unprecedented situational awareness for first responders, speeding
response and saving lives.
"We're excited to back RapidSOS as they work to transform
emergency response globally," said Leo de
Luna, managing director at Microsoft Ventures. "RapidSOS'
NG911 Clearinghouse provides life-saving data from any connected
device to 9-1-1 and first responders."
Sanjiv Parikh, managing partner
of corporate venture capital for CSAA Insurance Group said,
"Investing in RapidSOS reflects our commitment to safety and
security by enabling people to receive faster emergency response
when they need it."
The additional funding follows an exciting year for RapidSOS,
with public safety agencies across the country integrating with the
RapidSOS NG911 Clearinghouse, industry experts joining the team and
Advisory Board, and dozens of new partnerships with public safety
vendors and IoT companies.
"Over the past fifty years we have seen unprecedented technology
advancements, except when it comes to our nation's 9-1-1 system,"
said Dan Nova, Partner at Highland
Capital Partners and RapidSOS Board Member. "RapidSOS is bridging
the gap between IoT and public safety – enabling a life-saving data
link that has never been possible before."
"Internet of Things devices have created enormous potential for
keeping people safer and better connected to first responders in
emergencies. The challenge is communicating valuable data between
connected devices and antiquated 9-1-1 public infrastructure," said
Dave Nagel, former CTO of AT&T
and SVP at Apple and current partner at Forté Ventures, which also
invested in the round. "RapidSOS provides that direct connection
between IoT devices and 9-1-1, making people around the world safer
through modern technology."
About RapidSOS
Partnering with Internet of Things
companies and the public safety community, RapidSOS provides a rich
data link to public safety – sending lifesaving data to aid in
emergency response. By analyzing data around when and where
emergencies are occurring, RapidSOS is developing technology to
predict and preempt emergencies and dynamically warn people in
harm's way – a complete paradigm shift from emergency response to
emergency prediction and preemption.
About CSAA Insurance Group
CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA insurer, offers automobile, homeowners
and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through AAA
clubs in 23 states and the District of
Columbia. Founded in 1914, the company has been rated "A" or
better by A.M. Best for 90 years, and is one of the top personal
lines property casualty insurance groups in the United States, according to the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners. The company has been
repeatedly named one of the 50 most community-minded companies in
America by Points of Light.
About Highland Capital Partners
Founded in
1987, Highland Capital Partners is an early stage venture
capital firm focused on putting the entrepreneur first. With
offices in Cambridge and Palo
Alto, Highland has raised over $3B in committed capital and invested in more
than 270 companies, resulting in category-defining businesses
across consumer and enterprise technology. Investments include
companies such as 2U, Catalant, Harry's, Malwarebytes, nuTonomy,
Qihoo 360, Rent the Runway, Scopely, SmartThings, ThredUP, and
Turbonomic.
About Microsoft Ventures
Microsoft Ventures is the
corporate venture arm of Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft), the
leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first,
cloud-first world. Microsoft Ventures partners with visionary
entrepreneurs looking to drive digital transformation. As part of
its promise to portfolio companies, Microsoft Ventures offers
unrivaled access to go-to-market resources and strategic
relationships globally. Microsoft Ventures currently operates in
London, New York, San
Francisco, Seattle and
Tel Aviv. Learn more here.
Press Contact
RapidSOS
Michelle
Cahn
mcahn@rapidsos.com
(347) 879-0024
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapidsos-raises-16m-to-provide-life-saving-data-to-first-responders-300631998.html
SOURCE RapidSOS