Prepared Secures $27 Million to Transform Emergency 911 Calls with Advanced Technology

Prepared, a company aiming to revolutionize emergency 911 calls, has successfully raised $27 million in a Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The startup provides technology that allows 911 dispatchers to access a caller’s real-time GPS location, send and receive texts and images, and utilize video calling via Apple’s Emergency SOS Live Video feature.

Co-founder and CEO Michael Chime emphasizes that Prepared’s platform can offer dispatchers critical context during emergencies, stating, “The goal of our technology is to reduce the burden of each individual call so that emergency response can move faster. If we can save even a few seconds on a given 911 call, we want to do that.”

Many 911 centers across the U.S. still rely on outdated landline systems and lack the ability to accurately locate callers or process multimedia messages. Despite the ongoing Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiative aimed at modernizing emergency call centers, only about 56.2% of these facilities have been upgraded to internet-based systems capable of handling more comprehensive caller information.

Founded in 2019 by Chime, Dylan Gleicher, and Neal Soni—who initially focused on creating a public safety app for schools following tragic shootings—the company pivoted to address the broader needs of 911 call centers after recognizing the significant potential for their technology.

Prepared’s web-based platform provides dispatchers with a real-time transcript of calls and employs AI to extract essential information such as addresses and emergency details. The startup has also introduced an innovative tool that enables dispatchers to communicate with Spanish-speaking callers using AI-generated translations, significantly reducing delays typically associated with third-party translators.

Chime highlights the importance of quick response times, noting that even a one-minute reduction in 911 response can save thousands of lives each year. However, he acknowledges the risks associated with AI technology, including potential inaccuracies in speech recognition, particularly among diverse populations. Prepared’s AI features remain optional, with basic services like video and GPS being offered at no cost to 911 centers.

The funding will be allocated toward research and development, market expansion, and increasing the team size, with plans to hire 20 additional employees to join the current 50-person workforce in New York.

“We’ve only just tapped the surface when it comes to unlocking critical citizen data,” Chime stated. “We’re moving toward a world where Prepared connects and optimizes the workflow from the moment a call comes in to when a field responder arrives on scene.”

In addition to Andreessen Horowitz, other investors in Prepared’s Series B round include First Round Capital, M13, and several undisclosed angel investors, bringing the company’s total funding to $57 million.