London AI security startup raises $15m as threats rise
A London startup building AI tools to help protect critical infrastructure and public venues has raised $15m (£11.8m) in funding as governments across Europe step up security measures.
Augur said the seed round was led by Plural, with participation from First Kind, SNR, Flix and Tiny VC.
The company’s platform connects with existing cameras and sensors already installed across transport hubs, stadiums, energy facilities and other sensitive sites. It uses AI to turn that data into real-time intelligence during incidents.
Chief executive Harry Mead said the starting point for the firm was the realisation that most surveillance infrastructure currently serves mainly as a record of what has already happened, rather than ahead of it happening.
“Most camera networks are passive, recording huge amounts of footage but only reviewed after an incident,” Mead told CityAM.
He explained that Augur’s software allows those systems to run AI models in real time so operators can identify suspicious behaviour as events unfold.
The aim, he said, is to convert infrastructure originally designed to document incidents into systems that help prevent them by giving security teams a clearer picture.
Detecting behaviour
Augur’s tech analyses how people move through a space, instead of attempting to identify individuals.
Rather than relying on facial recognition, the system tracks behavioural patterns and movement across multiple cameras, allowing it to detect what Mead described as “hostile reconnaissance” or unusual activity without knowing who a person is.
The platform is designed to flag potential threats based on actions like repeated movements around restricted areas, while trying to maintain privacy safeguards.
The system then highlights anomalies for security teams and connects incidents across multiple locations, helping operators understand situations in real time.
“For a major venue or transport hub the difference is that traditional systems depend on people watching screens and reviewing footage afterwards”, Mead said.
Augur, instead, turns large volumes of raw video data into operational insight that security teams can act on immediately.
The company says the approach also allows organisations to improve security without replacing their existing infrastructure.
It comes as venues prepare for Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which requires operators of large public spaces to strengthen security planning and preparedness.
According to Mead, many organisations facing those new obligations cannot afford wholesale infrastructure upgrades, meaning software that works with existing hardware could offer a more practical route.
Founded in 2024 by Mead alongside former Palantir engineers Imran Lone and Stefan Kopieczek, the company has grown to around 30 employees in London and has begun deployments with UK infrastructure and venue operators.
Plural partner Khaled Helioui said the investment reflects growing concern among governments about threats to infrastructure and public safety.
“Protecting our critical infrastructure is one of the defining challenges of this generation”, he said.