When Skydio, a young maker of drones in San Mateo, California, sent a customer proposal in 2023 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, its c

Ben Horowitz’s cozy relationship with the Las Vegas Police Department aided a16z portfolio company Skydio

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2024-11-14 22:30:05

When Skydio, a young maker of drones in San Mateo, California, sent a customer proposal in 2023 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, its chief of staff, Mike Gennaro, forwarded the email to VC Ben Horowitz.

Horowitz then sent money to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s (LVMPD) police foundation to purchase Skydio drones for the department. 

It was a win-win, seemingly. Skydio was able to tout its relationship with the LVMPD, while the department received a new tool to fight crime. In a blog post detailing the partnership, Skydio praised the LVMPD’s choice to adopt its X10 drones as being “driven by the ambitious vision of making Las Vegas the safest community in America.”

They did not mention Horowitz, despite the fact that the VC’s relationship with the LVMPD runs deeper than just funding the Skydio drones. 

The venture capitalist has facilitated communication between the LVMPD and at least six a16z portfolio companies. TechCrunch learned about this relationship after receiving over 100 emails between Horowitz and the department, as well as internal police emails about his donations primarily between January 2023 and July 2024, in a public records request. 

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