Startup Originals Team
Fresh capital will fuel AI innovation, product development, team growth, and expansion into new industries
AI-powered physical security startup Hakimo has raised $12 million in a growth funding round led by Zigg Capital, taking its total funding to $32 million. Existing investors Neotribe Ventures, Vertex Ventures, Defy.vc, and Rocketship.vc also participated in the round, reflecting continued confidence in the company’s rapid growth and AI-driven security platform. The new capital will be used to accelerate product innovation, expand into new markets, strengthen its workforce, and broaden its presence across multiple industries.
What Does Hakimo Do?
Founded in 2021, Hakimo develops an AI-powered physical security platform that integrates with existing surveillance camera infrastructure. Instead of requiring organizations to replace their security systems, the platform layers artificial intelligence onto current cameras to monitor properties in real time.
Using advanced computer vision and AI models, Hakimo can detect suspicious activities, identify security threats, verify incidents, and alert human operators when intervention is required. The platform combines AI automation with human oversight, enabling businesses to improve security while reducing operational costs. According to the company, a single operator supported by Hakimo’s AI can monitor work that previously required multiple security personnel.
Strong Growth Over the Past Year
Hakimo has witnessed significant momentum over the last 12 months. The company says it has:
- Tripled its annual revenue.
- Expanded its customer base to more than 300 organizations.
- Doubled the size of its workforce.
- Appointed Bret Knobelauch as Chief Revenue Officer.
- Introduced new capabilities, including AI-Powered Forensic Search for faster investigation of surveillance footage.
Its customers include Fortune 500 companies, real estate operators, commercial properties, residential communities, airports, construction firms, automotive dealerships, and other large enterprises that require continuous physical security monitoring.
Why Investors Are Betting on AI-Powered Physical Security
The physical security industry is undergoing a major transformation as organizations face rising security costs, labor shortages, and an increasing number of surveillance cameras generating large volumes of footage. Traditional monitoring methods often require multiple personnel to watch video feeds around the clock, making operations expensive and inefficient.
Hakimo addresses these challenges by allowing AI to continuously monitor security cameras, detect unusual events, filter false alarms, and immediately notify human operators only when genuine threats arise. The company says customers have reported up to a 60% reduction in security incidents while also lowering guard-related costs through more efficient monitoring.
How the New Funding Will Be Used
With the fresh investment, Hakimo plans to accelerate development across several areas. The company intends to enhance its AI-powered monitoring platform, expand into additional industries and international markets, and continue hiring talent across engineering, artificial intelligence, product development, sales, and operations.
Beyond traditional security monitoring, Hakimo also aims to extend its technology into adjacent use cases such as workplace safety, regulatory compliance, and customer experience, positioning its platform as a broader operational intelligence solution for businesses.
Leadership on the Company’s Vision
Commenting on the funding, Sam Joseph, CEO and Co-founder of Hakimo, said the new investment will enable the company to move faster across every aspect of its business. He highlighted plans to deepen product capabilities, expand go-to-market efforts, and grow the team to meet increasing customer demand. According to Joseph, the opportunity to modernize physical security using artificial intelligence remains enormous, and the company is only at the beginning of that journey.
The Bigger Picture
The latest funding reflects growing investor interest in AI solutions that address real-world operational challenges beyond generative AI applications. As businesses increasingly seek technologies that improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen safety, AI-powered physical security is emerging as one of the fastest-growing enterprise software segments.
For Hakimo, the $12 million round provides the resources to scale its technology, expand into new verticals, and continue building intelligent security solutions that combine AI automation with human expertise. With total funding now reaching $32 million, the startup is well positioned to strengthen its presence in the rapidly evolving physical security market.
