London startup 22one has reached a valuation of about $400 million. Investors include Sequoia, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Creandum. The company builds AI tools to help police work more efficiently.
Market timing
The UK government wants 43 police forces to start using AI. The PoliceAI program launched in June with £75 million set aside over three years. The money will fund digital evidence pilot schemes.
Founder background
Steven Richardson left Merseyside Police in 2021. He later became the UK policing lead at Amazon Web Services and then worked at Palantir. He also co-founded Riven, which NEC Software Solutions acquired.
Product area
22one remains in stealth mode. Its founder's earlier product, DocDefender, removes personal data from police documents. A Bedfordshire Police pilot reached 92% accuracy and saved more than 9,500 staff hours a year.
Pilot schemes will run through 2026 and 2027. A full rollout is expected in 2027. 22one will need to build trust with police buyers before deployments.
Read more: ft.com