City Detect, which uses AI to help cities stay safe and clean, raises $13M Series A

City Detect, founded in 2021 by Gavin Baum-Blake, announced a $13 million Series A funding round led by Prudence Venture Capital. The company uses patented vision AI technology, mounted on public vehicles like garbage trucks, to analyze images of buildings and neighborhoods to help local governments track and fix issues like graffiti, illegal dumping, and structural decay, effectively combating "urban blight and decay."

The technology automatically blurs faces and license plates for privacy and can distinguish between vandalism and street art. City Detect currently operates in at least 17 cities, including Dallas and Miami, offering efficiency gains over manual tracking methods. The new funding will be used to hire engineers, advance storm-detection technology, and expand across the U.S. The company emphasizes its commitment to responsible AI, holding SOC 2 Type II compliance and publishing its own AI policy for government partners.

(Source：TechCrunch)