Hakimo Secures $10.5M Series A Funding and Announces AI Agent to Redefine Physical Security Operations

MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA – [Thursday, 27 March 2025] – Hakimo, a leader in AI-powered physical security monitoring, announced a $10.5 million Series A funding round and the introduction of AI Operator, an AI agent capable of monitoring security systems and reasoning through human workflows just like a human operator. This funding will enable Hakimo to enhance this AI technology, expand into new markets, and further develop its security automation platform.

The funding round was led by Vertex Ventures SEA & India and Zigg Capital with participation from RXR Arden Digital Ventures and existing investors Defy.vc and Gokul Rajaram. Founded in 2020 by Stanford AI researchers Sam Joseph and Sagar Honnungar, Hakimo has now raised a total of $20.5 million. This includes prior funding rounds led by Neotribe Ventures and Rocketship.vc.

Hakimo’s AI Operator combines computer vision and generative AI that monitors existing security hardware such as cameras and badge readers. It can detect any anomaly or potential threat that can be described in words, which is a breakthrough in physical security monitoring. In addition to this real-time detection, it can also issue speaker warnings and reason through a standard operating procedure (SOP) to respond to the incidents. Hakimo also provides human-in-the-loop intervention where necessary. This combination of AI and remote operators not only provides better security than on-site guards at a fraction of the cost, but also proactively prevents and deters security breaches from occurring.

Hakimo’s solution comes at a time when the traditional manned guarding and alarm monitoring industries are navigating critical challenges – guarding companies are facing severe hiring and quality issues while the alarm monitoring industry is grappling with false alarms and unnecessary police dispatches with many jurisdictions stopping dispatches altogether for unverified alarms. By leveraging existing cameras, AI, and remote operators, Hakimo eliminates these challenges while offering the advantages of both on-site guards and traditional alarm systems, effectively establishing a new standard in physical security.

Over the past year, Hakimo has seen rapid growth, tripling its customer base and signing more than a hundred businesses across diverse industries such as multifamily apartments, car dealerships, construction and Fortune 500 enterprises. In 2024 alone, Hakimo’s technology prevented thousands of security incidents, assisted law enforcement in multiple arrests, and even saved a life. “We got a drastic reduction in trespassing right after deploying Hakimo, and I now sleep better at night with the peace-of-mind provided by Hakimo’s AI agent,” said Rodrigo Duran, General Manager at Kia Santa Maria, one of those customers.

"Hakimo has pioneered a new era of AI-driven security by creating an intelligent AI agent that understands and responds to threats like never before. We’re not just automating security—we’re redefining it with AI that can recognize and act on any security event and deliver unmatched protection for businesses worldwide." said Sam Joseph, Co-Founder & CEO of Hakimo. "We’re excited to accelerate our journey with this fresh round of funding and we deeply appreciate all the support and encouragement from our investors, customers and partners."

Commenting on the investment, Piyush Kharbanda, General Partner of Vertex Ventures SEA & India said, “We are very excited to partner with the Hakimo team, who are bringing ground-up technological innovation to the large but antiquated physical security industry. There is a dire need for innovation, as current solutions lack the speed or accuracy to offer affordable real-time protection for offline businesses. Hakimo bridges this gap with an AI + Services approach, coupling the speed of cutting-edge vision AI algorithms with the reliability of humans-in-the-loop, thus delivering a 10x better service at more affordable rates.”

“After studying the security monitoring ecosystem, our team concluded that Hakimo’s AI + Services solution is more robust and offers better value than any other technology we have encountered. Hakimo’s capabilities at its accessible price point are without peer. In fact, I became a Hakimo customer before our firm’s investment,” added Ryan Orley, Managing Partner at Zigg Capital.

“Hakimo is transforming physical security with AI, delivering real-time threat detection and smarter operations," said Neil Sequeira, Founder & Partner, Defy.vc. At Defy, we back bold teams tackling big challenges, and Sam and Sagar’s vision aligns perfectly with that mission. We’re excited to support Hakimo as they scale and set a new standard for AI-powered security.”

About Hakimo

Hakimo is a technology company that builds AI agents for physical security monitoring. The company provides state-of-the-art, AI-driven, human-in-the-loop security software solutions that work with existing security hardware to enhance real-time threat detection, optimize resources, and proactively deter security breaches. Hakimo was founded by AI researchers from Stanford University and is funded by top venture capital firms.

For more information, please visit https://www.hakimo.ai/ or follow Hakimo on LinkedIn.

About Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India (VVSEAI)

Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India is a leading early-stage venture capital firm focused on partnering with high-growth startups across Southeast Asia and India. With a strong network and strategic expertise, they have invested in successful companies such as Grab, FirstCry, Nium, Licious, Kuku FM, and PatSnap, driving innovation and scaling businesses across various sectors.
For more information, please visit: https://www.vertexventures.sg

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