St. Louis startup Noonlight, which has developed a mobile app focused on connecting users with emergency services through smart devices, has been acquired by a publicly traded security company.
Tysons, Virginia-based Alarm.com Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ALRM) said late Wednesday it has taken a majority stake in Noonlight. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Noonlight, led by CEO Zach Winkler, was founded in 2013 as SafeTrek, an app that focused on assisting college students to safely walk between two points. It has since expanded its technology to become what it calls a "connected safety platform." Through its app, users can press a button to seek emergency services and also connect smart devices, such as home security systems and Apple watches, with the startup's technology designed to sense when the user is in danger and alert emergency personnel. Noonlight says its app has more than 3.5 million users.
“Noonlight is a demonstrated leader in the personal safety and emergency response space and we’re pleased to bring their entrepreneurial team and leadership into the Alarm.com family,” said Jeff Bedell, Alarm.com’s chief strategy and innovation officer, in a statement. “Our investment in Noonlight will help expand its business and continue to provide unmatched services to its markets and customers. Noonlight and Alarm.com have aligned missions to protect people through advanced technology, and we look forward to innovating and leveraging the platform with our partners.”
Locally, Noonlight has been backed by venture capital firm Cultivation Capital and nonprofit startup funder Arch Grants. In 2020, Match Group, the Dallas-based parent company of well-known online dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge, said it invested in Noonlight with plans to integrate it into Tinder.
As part of the acquisition by Alarm.com, Noonlight will continue to operate independently, from its St. Louis headquarters, the Virginia-based company said in a news release.
Alarm.com, with 2021 revenue of $749 million, offers an array of technologies that connect with smart devices to help users secure and manage their properties, with products focused on security, video monitoring and energy usage.
“We’re thrilled to join the Alarm.com family,” Winkler of Noonlight said in a statement. “They have a unique and successful history of majority-stake acquisitions - empowering innovative companies to continue to operate as an independent business and brand, while still benefiting from Alarm.com’s industry know-how, reputation, expansive resources, networks, and leadership team. We look forward to accelerating our mission and global security offerings with the backing of Alarm.com.”
