Former Merseyside Police detective chief superintendent Steven Richardson has raised nearly $400 million in venture capital to launch 22one, a UK-based AI startup stealth mode except for a website displaying "investigate." Richardson, who previously worked at Amazon Web Services and Palantir and co-founded the AI tool Riven, aims to provide AI tools for law enforcement to increase efficiency. The funding round included Sequoia, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Creandum. This launch occurs as the UK government presses 43 police forces in England and Wales to adopt AI, establishing Police AI to pilot and scale the technology.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood estimates AI could save time equivalent to 3,000 new officers. Some officials prefer homegrown tech over Palantir, following scrutiny and terminated pilots in the Eastern Region and London. 22one joins a competitive VC market eager to back promising AI ventures targeting public services.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing