Latest news with #SamJoseph
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Intruder Alert: Why Hakimo Thinks AI Is The Future Of Security
Hakimo founders Sam Joseph and Sagar Honnungar Hakimo The video shows two young men breaking into a school basketball court, ignoring warnings that they are trespassing played out over loudspeakers. Within minutes, two security guards arrive to escort them off the premises. It's a recording of real-life scene that you can watch for yourself on the social media feed of San Francisco-based start-up Hakimo, which publishes regular 'Catch of the Week' videos to highlight its artificial intelligence-powered remote security technology. 'We offer all the benefits of an onsite security guard at a fraction of the cost,' says Sam Joseph, co-founder and CEO of Hakimo, which is today announcing it has raised $10.5 million of new funding. 'Our intelligent AI agent understands and responds to threats like never before.' It could be just the right service at the right time. Across the US, the security industry is reporting huge problems with recruitment. One recent survey found that more than a third of security firms still had not managed to boost staffing to the levels they had at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, in many areas of the country, the perception is that crime rates are rising. In other words, there is more need for security guards at a time when hiring them has got much harder. Hakimo's solution could bridge the gap. The company has developed software that links to the video cameras that many organisations – and some households – have already installed around their premises. Its AI agent can monitor the feed from all those cameras simultaneously and, critically, identify anomalies – in particular, intruders and other threat actors. When such an anomaly is detected, the technology takes action according to agreed protocols. The first step might be to play an audio warning to the trespasser, urging them to leave the scene. The software can also notify onsite security guards of the problem, so that they can investigate. Or it can prompt an intervention from Hakimo's in-house team, which might choose to call the emergency services. 'We can do everything that a physical security guard offers, from deterrence to detection,' adds Joseph. 'We're not trying to replace guards, but they can't be everywhere at the same time; we want to work with them.' Hakimo was founded five years ago by Joseph and Sagar Honnungar, both of whom had been working at Stanford University to develop AI applications that could deliver real-world impact. 'We felt the security sector was one industry where AI in video could make a huge difference.' The first few years of the company's evolution were largely dedicated to developing the product, but Hakimo has begun to take off commercially over the past couple of years. Customer numbers have tripled over the past year alone, with Hakimo's software now in use at more than 100 companies. It targets commercial customers in industries such as car dealerships, manufacturing and real estate – all areas where businesses have valuable assets that intruders and thieves could target. For many of those customers, the technology is having the impact that the founders were aiming for. 'We got a drastic reduction in trespassing right after deploying Hakimo,' says Rodrigo Duran, general manager at Kia Santa Maria, one car dealership using the software. 'I now sleep better at night.' Hakimo's social media videos show the technology in action. But Joseph is proud of the versatility of the software. 'We see the potential for a range of different use cases,' he says. 'Our AI agent has already saved a life, picking up a situation where someone had collapsed so that our team could call 911.' Investors are also excited by the potential of the business. Today's $10.5 million Series A round is led by Vertex Ventures and Zigg Capital with participation from RXR Arden Digital Ventures and existing investors and Gokul Rajaram. It takes the total amount of money raised by the company to $20.5 million. 'Hakimo is bringing ground-up technological innovation to the large but antiquated physical security industry,' says Piyush Kharbanda, general partner of Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India. 'There is a dire need for innovation, as current solutions lack the speed or accuracy to offer affordable real-time protection for offline businesses.' At Zigg Capital, managing partner Ryan Orley adds: 'Hakimo's solution is more robust and offers better value than any other technology we have encountered.' In practice, pricing is linked to the number of cameras monitored by Hakimo's software. But Joseph says the typical customer is paying a few thousand dollars a month for the service – and that they would pay 10 times as much for a team of security guards offering the same level of protection.
The Guardian
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Notes on chocolate: the simple delights of Easter eggs
When my friend Kate asked me for a 'recommendation for a simple milk chocolate egg', I thought I was in for an easy task. But no. Simple chocolate eggs were once upon a time pretty much all you could get, milk or plain. But now it's all adornment and inclusions. Nothing wrong with that (more of these in coming weeks), but if you want something that's just milk chocolate in egg form, read on. Pump Street's offerings came top in testing, 'These are just really high quality,' said my testers. This year, PS launches its new 'big' Easter eggs, £44, in two milk permutations (we tested 58% Madagascar). But, actually, I prefer the bag of small Easter eggs, more fun and you can buy a few permutations – there are four – for less, £10.80 a bag. (Not milk, but we also loved the Sourdough and Sea Salt dark). The Togo Swiss Milk is the creamiest and closest to the milky Easter egg of childhood memories. Bare Bones 60% Honduras, £21.95, was very popular with craft chocolate lovers: a glorious, punchy hit of cocoa. Purists really need look no further. In terms of best all rounder, Chococo's Nest egg, £16.50, did really well. A lot of this egg got eaten very quickly. If you like your milk chocolate eggs very sweet and more commercial tasting, then check out those by Sam Joseph, £20, and Baravelli's, £19.50 (with a little chick inside). Lastly, Tempt Kitchen, which has relocated from York to Devon, has a good 'milk' vegan offering, a small gentleman bunny egg that has its own cute stand, £10.50.
