US-based emergency response software developer RapidDeploy has received $12m in series A funding from investors including Samsung Next, a corporate venturing vehicle for consumer electronics supplier Samsung.
Samsung was joined by venture capital firm GreatPoint Ventures, and GreatPoint managing partner Ray Lane will join RapidDeploy’s board of directors.
Founded in 2014, RapidDeploy is working on a cloud-hosted software platform called Cloud Aided Dispatch that will exploit artificial intelligence to help public safety officials efficiently allocate emergency services, through tools such as precise forecasts of an incident’s location.
The technology is designed to be more cost-effective and accessible than conventional computer-aided dispatch products. RapidDeploy began life in Cape Town, South Africa but has since opened a new global head office in Austin, Texas.
The series A funds will be invested in product development and distribution, building on an agreement to supply RapidDeploy’s software to emergency call centres operated by telecommunications firm AT&T.
Raymond Liao, vice-president and ventures managing director at Samsung Next, said: “We are excited about RapidDeploy’s products and first-responder culture, which complement Samsung’s end-to-end solution to public safety including smart devices and public safety [long-term evolution] infrastructure demanded by emergency service providers.”