Suspect Technologies sought access to Massachusetts driver license images and public surveillance systems to develop and deploy its facial recognition technology. The Mark Cuban-backed company repeatedly asked Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri to help improve its algorithm, pitching searches by gender, ethnicity, and emotion as well as real-time recognition in building lobbies and on public cameras.
Suspect Technologies closes an $810,000 funding round led by Mark Cuban and Chaac Ventures. The Cambridge-based startup plans to launch suspect- and watch-list identification products over the next year and is piloting facial recognition technology internationally. It also provides facial-redaction software to police body-camera makers and hopes to grow from six employees to ten in the first half of 2019.
Suspect Technologies plans a funding round to expand from facial redaction into facial recognition systems for law enforcement. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup has raised $500,000 from early investors including Mark Cuban, and its customers include PatrolEyes, Wolfcom, and Vievu. Its recognition technology is deployed at the entrance to the Dallas Mavericks locker room and is being piloted internationally with a smart camera manufacturer.