Key Takeaways
- • London-based AI startup 22one, founded by former Merseyside Police detective chief superintendent Steven Richardson, is reportedly valued at nearly $400 million despite not yet unveiling its product, according to Inc.com.
- • Investors include Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Creandum; the total amount raised has not been disclosed and the company remains in stealth mode.
- • 22one plans AI-powered tools to make police work more efficient, targeting a law enforcement market governments are increasingly eager to adopt.
- • Richardson's background includes stints at Amazon Web Services as U.K. policing lead and at Palantir, plus co-founding Riven, which NEC Software Solutions acquired in 2024 and which is now used by nearly half of UK police forces.
- • The venture coincides with the British government's PoliceAI initiative, launched in June with £75 million (roughly $100 million) in funding over three years to expand AI across all 43 police forces in England and Wales.
Summary
London-based startup 22one, founded by former Merseyside Police detective chief superintendent Steven Richardson, is reportedly valued at nearly $400 million, according to Inc.com, even though the company has yet to unveil its product. The company has secured backing from venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Creandum. The total amount of funding raised has not been disclosed, and the company is still operating in stealth mode.
22one plans to develop AI-powered tools to make police work more efficient. The reported valuation reflects investor enthusiasm for AI in law enforcement, a market in which governments are increasingly eager to invest.
Richardson brings experience from both the public sector and private technology. He left Merseyside Police in 2021 after serving as a detective chief superintendent. He later worked at Amazon Web Services as its U.K. policing lead and at Palantir, the American data analytics company whose technology is already used by law enforcement agencies. He also co-founded Riven, a software company that developed AI-powered tools to identify and redact sensitive information from police documents. NEC Software Solutions acquired Riven in 2024, and according to the article, its technology has since been used by nearly half of UK police forces.
The timing aligns with government action. In June, the British government launched PoliceAI, a national center dedicated to developing, testing, and expanding the use of AI across all 43 police forces in England and Wales. The initiative is backed by £75 million, or roughly $100 million, in government funding over three years.
22one plans to develop AI-powered tools to make police work more efficient. The reported valuation reflects investor enthusiasm for AI in law enforcement, a market in which governments are increasingly eager to invest.
Richardson brings experience from both the public sector and private technology. He left Merseyside Police in 2021 after serving as a detective chief superintendent. He later worked at Amazon Web Services as its U.K. policing lead and at Palantir, the American data analytics company whose technology is already used by law enforcement agencies. He also co-founded Riven, a software company that developed AI-powered tools to identify and redact sensitive information from police documents. NEC Software Solutions acquired Riven in 2024, and according to the article, its technology has since been used by nearly half of UK police forces.
The timing aligns with government action. In June, the British government launched PoliceAI, a national center dedicated to developing, testing, and expanding the use of AI across all 43 police forces in England and Wales. The initiative is backed by £75 million, or roughly $100 million, in government funding over three years.
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