Strategic Round Included to Address Knife-Crime Applications in the United Kingdom and Abroad
October 13, 2022 — Bellevue, WA — Today, Lassen Peak announced the completion of Series A financing rounds, totaling over $16,000,000. The Series A and strategic A1 rounds were led, respectively, by Octave Ventures and an undisclosed strategic investor. In addition, Lauder Partners, Alpha Intelligence Capital, Orbit Venture Partners, and other strategic investors participated in the investments.
Lassen Peak is developing the world’s first fully-integrated handheld radar system for concealed weapon detection that can be conducted anywhere in the field for use in law enforcement, military, and private venue applications. Addressing one of the single biggest threats to law enforcement personnel as they work to provide public safety and security, physical weapon searches or ‘pat downs’ are highly dangerous for individuals conducting the search, as well as the individuals being searched. Based on the close physical proximity and contentious nature of the physical contact, the serious threat of concealed weapons creates an emotionally charged interaction whether weapons exist or not – this tense scenario and invasive physical pat down can lead to a dangerous escalation of use-of-force that may result in serious injury or death.
Over the past year, Lassen Peak has assembled a diverse advisor and committee leadership that formerly held key positions in America’s top law enforcement and civil rights organizations, including roles of ACLU General Counsel, President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, CIO of the United States Government, LAPD Commanding Officer, Congressional Black Caucus Executive Director, President of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, Board Member of the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, and others.
Lassen Peak CEO and Chairman of the Board, Hatch Graham, states “This diverse assemblage of perspectives assists the company in its development of a solution that serves all stakeholders pursuing safety and trust within the field of public safety. Series A capital will provide resources to bring the vision to reality as the company approaches Pilots in 2023.”
Unlike more traditional concealed weapon detection systems, such as airport walk-through scanners, Lassen Peak is developing handheld technology that will allow highly accurate weapon detection to be conducted anywhere in the field, at a reasonably safe distance, and without physical contact – all while providing safeguards that protect civil rights and privacy, and while offering a path to a greater level of accountability than today’s manual pat-downs.
Abroad, in countries where knife crimes have risen to alarming levels, Lassen Peak’s technology will have similar benefits. Paul Negus, United Kingdom Managing Director for Lassen Peak states, “knife crime in the U.K. has risen to over 49,000 offenses per year, which in perspective, equates to truly epidemic proportions. Consequently, handheld technology capable of detecting illegally concealed bladed weapons is a priority for U.K. law enforcement at the national Home Office level. Our Series A1 strategic capital will assist law enforcement and the national Task Forces in their efforts to mitigate the growing trend of concealed bladed weapons.”
Lassen Peak recently received and successfully validated its proprietary Radar-System-On-Chip (RSOC) – this device will be at the core of Lassen Peak’s patent-pending handheld system. The RSOC architecture provides an industry breakthrough in both lateral and range precision necessary to distinguish key identifiers of dangerous weapons and objects, such as the detailed characteristics of guns and knives, while also discerning among items that do not pose a threat. In addition, the handheld scanner is being designed with safety in mind, operating at a fraction of the power levels of a standard cellphone and at radio frequencies harmless to humans.
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