Artificial intelligence is taking center stage in modern security systems, and few companies illustrate its rise better than Verkada. A leader in integrating AI into physical security solutions, Verkada's growth speaks volumes about how the sector is evolving. Recently, it reached a $5.8 billion valuation after securing fresh investment from CapitalG, Alphabet’s growth fund. Let’s dive into why this milestone matters, especially for entrepreneurs eager to understand the broader implications.
Understanding Verkada's Journey to a $5.8B Valuation
Founded in 2016, Verkada combines AI with physical security products such as cameras, access control, sensors, alarms, and intercoms, integrating them into a unified cloud-based platform. Rapid adoption across diverse sectors, including education, healthcare, and enterprise organizations, has fueled their steady growth. More than 30,000 customers spanning over 171 countries rely on their solutions. Recent investments have proven the company’s dominance in a field where safety and intelligence are becoming indispensable to modern operations.
Verkada has consistently innovated, introducing features like AI-driven incident detection and automated responses. These advancements have translated into exceptional growth metrics, crossing $1 billion in annual bookings and deploying over 2 million devices worldwide. Despite their early hiccup, a security breach in 2021, the firm rebuilt trust by enhancing system robustness and transparency.
Investors like CapitalG are reshaping the narrative around security, viewing it not as a compliance check but as a strategic asset. Derek Zanutto of CapitalG summed it up perfectly, noting how Verkada stands out as a company that has turned physical security into a hub for actionable insights.
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From this Growth
As a female founder who bootstrapped her ventures, I find Verkada’s success fascinating not only from a business standpoint but also as a case study on resilience and forward-thinking strategies. A few lessons are particularly worth highlighting:
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Adaptability in the Face of Mistakes
Verkada’s security breach could have tarnished its reputation. Instead, it leaned into transparency, demonstrating how honesty can rebuild customer trust. Founders should note that resilience isn’t about avoiding mistakes, it’s about how you respond to them. -
Expanding Markets with Niche Solutions
Verkada didn’t stop at being a security provider. By applying AI to operational intelligence, they created opportunities in sectors untouched by traditional security players. A startup that thinks beyond its core offering will uncover untapped markets. -
Investor Value Isn't Solely Financial
The strategic backing of CapitalG highlights that smart investors look beyond dollars, seeking product-market fit and scalability potential. As founders, nurturing relationships with values-aligned investors can open significant doors, especially during early stages.
Common Mistakes Female Entrepreneurs Should Avoid
The security industry is intense, which has parallels to many high-pressure sectors. Here are missteps I often see founders make, ones Verkada largely avoided:
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Neglecting Scalability: Many startups fail to design solutions that grow alongside demand. Verkada structured their platform with global reach in mind. Bootstrap founders may struggle here, but focusing on scalable tech early saves time later.
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Ignoring External Perceptions: After Verkada’s breach, they didn’t pretend nothing happened. They addressed concerns publicly, an essential lesson for founders managing crises.
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Over-promising on AI: AI is a powerful tool but can lead to over-ambitious claims. Verkada managed expectations well by focusing on tangible benefits.
Where the AI and Security Sector Is Heading
Demand for AI-driven security systems isn’t slowing down. Enterprise organizations increasingly prioritize integrated solutions where safety, efficiency, and operational insight converge. Verkada has proven there’s not just a technology market but also one driven by decision-makers needing actionable insights.
For founders working in similar spaces or considering incorporating AI, look at how Verkada turned technological innovation into customer-centric value. Their trajectory suggests startups should aim for simplicity and reliability, elements customers prioritize.
Keys to Scaling as a Female Founder
It was exhilarating to follow Verkada’s strategic milestones, but the narrative also served as a reminder that scaling a business takes intentional steps. Coming from my own bootstrapped ventures, here’s my recommendation for ambitious founders:
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Build a Resilient Team: Verkada wouldn’t have survived past its breach without a team committed to rebuilding transparency.
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Stay Transparent About Goals: Customers trust founders who align their ambitions with meaningful actions. Verkada’s growth playbook reflects fairness to stakeholders, employees, and investors alike.
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Master Your Communication: Whether pitching potential investors or explaining your product, clarity is king. Verkada’s success shows that having a well-articulated value proposition sets you apart.
Practical Steps for Entrepreneurs in Europe
If you want to innovate in physical security or bring AI into your sector, here’s what’s essential:
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Understand the Technology
Take courses in AI applications like Verkada’s founders might have done. Resources such as WIPO Training Programs and local accelerators in Europe are helpful. -
Apply Real-World Thinking
Verkada hits the sweet spot between ideal AI functions and addressing concrete safety needs. Test your solutions rigorously before scaling. -
Create a Multidisciplinary Approach
As I’ve learned, blending different fields, such as blockchain with education in my case, is game changing. Security products that mix AI with automation or IoT will dominate future markets.
Final Thoughts
Verkada’s recent valuation underscores an important truth in entrepreneurial circles: crossing milestones takes chips on the table, calculated risks, and strong networks. Female founders, especially those bootstrapping like I did, can still enter markets dominated by venture capital-backed players by offering reliability. The security industry and Verkada’s example show us that resilience and community can coexist with innovation.
Have you been waiting to test your ideas? Don’t wait for perfect conditions; tackle challenges head-on like Verkada once did.
FAQ
1. What is Verkada’s recent valuation milestone?
Verkada recently achieved a $5.8 billion valuation following an investment led by Alphabet's CapitalG. Read details about Verkada's valuation
2. What products does Verkada offer?
Verkada integrates AI into physical security products like cameras, access control systems, sensors, alarms, and intercoms, all managed through a single cloud-based platform. Explore Verkada’s product range
3. How many customers worldwide use Verkada’s solutions?
Over 30,000 customers in 171 countries rely on Verkada’s AI-driven security systems. Check out customer reach and global adoption
4. How did Verkada respond to its 2021 security breach?
Verkada addressed its 2021 breach by enhancing system robustness, prioritizing transparency, and rebuilding trust with its customers. Learn more about Verkada’s response
5. Who led Verkada's latest funding round, and why?
Alphabet’s growth fund, CapitalG, led Verkada's latest $100 million funding round, citing its innovative application of AI in transforming physical security. Discover CapitalG’s perspective on the investment
6. What innovation has Verkada introduced recently?
Verkada rolled out over 60 new AI-driven features, including tools like the AI-Powered Unified Timeline to enhance incident detection and response. Read about Verkada’s AI innovations
7. How significant is Verkada’s deployment scale?
Verkada has deployed over 2 million devices globally, powering AI insights for diverse sectors such as education and healthcare. Explore Verkada’s deployment scale
8. What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from Verkada’s journey?
Entrepreneurs can learn from Verkada’s adaptability after its security breach, expansion into untapped markets, and focus on transparency and scalability. Learn entrepreneurial lessons from Verkada
9. How is AI transforming the security industry, according to Verkada’s CEO?
According to CEO Filip Kaliszan, AI is reshaping physical security by turning it into a hub for operational insights and making organizations’ operations more efficient. Read more insights from Verkada’s CEO
10. How does verkada address investor confidence?
Verkada builds investor confidence by achieving strong product-market fit, rapid customer adoption, and sustained innovation in AI applications. Discover what attracts investors to Verkada
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
