EU pledges €220B for AI gigafactories to close gap with US and China
Apr 10, 2025
Key Points
- Brink Drones raises $75 million Series B led by Index Ventures to scale autonomous drone networks that deliver emergency supplies and thermal intelligence to first responders.
- Motorola Solutions' strategic investment gives Brink access to relationships with nearly every US police and fire department, plus integration with Motorola's radio systems and public safety software.
- Brink's drones use redundant localization systems combining LiDAR, IMU, visual inertial odometry, GPS, and barometer data to operate reliably in RF-congested, low-visibility emergency environments where standard systems fail.
Summary
Blake Winslow of Brink Drones announced a $75 million Series B led by Index Ventures with backing from Motorola Solutions. Brink builds autonomous drone networks for emergency response, with recharging pods installed on police and fire station roofs that launch drones to 911 calls. The drones deliver supplies like Narcan and EpiPens while providing thermal and visual intelligence to first responders.
Winslow founded Brink in 2017 after the October 1 shooting in Las Vegas, initially envisioning a citywide 911 drone network. He determined the concept was technically too complex for near-term deployment and instead built an indoor system for SWAT teams. The purpose-built drone includes a glass breaker, LiDAR for floor planning, thermal imaging, 4K cameras, and two-way audio for crisis negotiation. Over 600 SWAT teams now operate the system, covering roughly 10–15% of US SWAT teams.
Motorola's investment carries strategic weight. Motorola controls the body-worn radio market and maintains relationships with nearly every police and fire department in the country. The company will distribute Brink's products and integrate the drones with Motorola's radio systems and public safety software suite.
Field deployment requires solving substantial engineering challenges. First-responder environments are unforgiving. Drones must operate in congested RF environments where dense Wi-Fi in apartment complexes and public safety radios can jam communications. They must handle extreme temperatures and conditions where dust or zero light break standard visual inertial odometry. Brink's solution uses redundant localization systems layering LiDAR, IMU, VIO, GPS, and barometer data so that failure in one system is compensated by others.
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