Bellevue-based weapon detection startup Lassen Peak has raised $10 million in seed funding.
Lassen Peak is developing a handheld radar system that can detect concealed weapons like knives and guns from a safe distance, which can eliminate the need for emotionally charged and dangerous pat-downs, according to the company.
"Allowing for a touch-free encounter between law enforcement and detained individuals improves the experience for everyone involved — making the process of clearing the threat of concealed weapons safer and less invasive," Hatch Graham, co-founder and CEO of Lassen Peak, said in a news release. "This unique intersection of ground-breaking wireless handheld technology and the widely recognized societal demand for police reform allows Lassen Peak to become a beneficial ally for all stakeholders seeking to improve the safety of their respective communities."
On its website, Lassen Peak has open roles in engineering and design.
Lassen Peak, founded in 2019, expects its handheld radar system to be generally available in early 2023. The device will use radio waves to create images of objects on people being scanned, and artificial intelligence will identify potential weapons. According to the company, the technology can help law enforcement, military and private venue security personnel. Lassen Peak is in stealth mode and currently only shares product development information under nondisclosure agreements, the company said on its website.
Lassen Peak is developing its technology as stop-and-frisk policing continues to face criticism from police reform advocates. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, for example, the New York Police Department has stopped and interrogated New Yorkers over 5 million times since 2002, as of 2019, and about 90% of targeted people have been innocent. In 2019, the NYPD recorded 13,459 stops. Almost 60% of those stopped were Black, despite accounting for only 24% of the city's population.
Alpha Intelligence Capital, Lauder Partners, Orbit Venture Partners and other seed investors all participated in the round.
