Flock Safety paid over $300M for 17-month-old drone startup Aerodome

Last week, police surveillance startup Flock Safety announced that it had bought drone startup Aerodome. The acquisition price was over $300 million, according to sources in the venture world. The number has not been previously reported. 

Both Flock Safety and Aerodome are backed by Andreessen Horowitz and have raised over $680 million and $28 million, respectively, according to PitchBook. Rahul Sidhu, a former police officer, founded Aerodome just 17 months ago, declaring it an “American Dynamism speed-run,” in reference to the name of a16z’s defense tech-focused initiative.  

Sidhu also said the deal was “one of largest tech acquisitions” in public safety history. “Our acquisition isn’t the end of Aerodome, but the beginning of a golden era in public safety tech advancement,” he wrote. 

Aerodome created technology that powers drones as first responders. Right now, many police drone programs require a human to pilot the drone, but drone companies like Skydio, Brinc Drones, and Aerodome are all trying to perfect an autonomous service. For example, when the police receive a 911 call, a drone could take off on its own and scope out the scene, informing police if the area is safe to enter.  

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