Lakonia

What do they actually do

Lakonia makes an AI command-and-control app that listens to a team’s radio traffic, turns it into structured data in real time (who spoke, what was said, key facts like locations or license plates), and shows a live operational picture to commanders on desktop and to field operators on mobile. The core workflow is radio ingest → real‑time transcription/diarization → fact extraction and prioritization → map/alerts and suggested next steps for command and dispatch users (YC launch, site).

The company offers on‑prem or cloud deployments with role‑based access, audit trails, and encryption, and says it can run in GovCloud/on‑prem to meet CJIS/FedRAMP‑level requirements. They state they fine‑tune open‑source models and avoid third‑party model APIs to support isolated/denied environments, and advertise ~95% radio transcription accuracy and sub‑100 ms processing latency (site, YC launch).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Police chiefs / sheriffs / patrol commanders: Need a current operational picture, but radio chatter is fragmented; it’s hard to track unit locations and prioritize incidents while meeting audit/compliance demands and justifying resource decisions (YC launch, site).
• Dispatchers / 911 center supervisors: Juggle many simultaneous voice feeds and often rely on manual notes, leading to missed addresses/plates or urgent requests; need fast prioritization and searchable records so critical calls aren’t lost (site).
• Fire and EMS incident commanders: Must track units, incident locations, and changing conditions across agencies, but verbal reports are intermittent and inconsistent; delays or errors directly affect response times and safety (site).
• Military / National Guard tactical commanders: Require secure, low‑latency systems that run on‑prem or in disconnected environments without third‑party AI APIs; must prove and maintain operational security and reliability under hostile conditions (YC launch, site).
• Private security / critical‑infrastructure security managers: Need continuous, auditable awareness across sites and events, but coordinating contractors and local responders over radios is error‑prone; encrypted, role‑based access and clear incident logs are essential for investigations and compliance (site).

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Directly sell and run tightly supported on‑site pilots with nearby police/sheriff and local fire/EMS agencies, including on‑prem installs, clear success criteria, and pilot→paid terms; use live radio‑to‑map demos on their actual channels (YC launch, site).
• First 50: Expand regionally via radio‑system integrators and public‑safety IT channel partners, run standardized cohort pilots across multiple agencies, and use templated SLAs/pricing to reduce procurement friction; present at state public‑safety conferences and county IT meetings while collecting testimonials and audit logs (site).
• First 100: Scale nationally with reseller agreements (radio OEMs, CAD/RMS vendors, defense primes) and complete formal compliance postures (GovCloud/on‑prem CJIS/FedRAMP‑equivalent) to unlock larger agencies and National Guard buys; pursue state master contracts/GSA and publish pilot playbooks and measured ROI (YC launch, site).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

In the U.S., there are roughly 17,500 law‑enforcement agencies, ~5,700 PSAPs/911 centers, ~29,450 fire departments, and ~21–23k EMS agencies; National Guard forces total ~430k personnel. Private security is a tens‑of‑billions‑dollar market (BJS 2018, NENA, NFPA, EMS assessment, Nat’l Guard overview, IBISWorld/Statista).

Bottom-up calculation:

Illustratively, selling at $50k ARR to 5,700 PSAPs implies ~$285M/year TAM; targeting 1,000 mid‑to‑large agencies at $75k ARR implies ~$75M/year; at $250k ARR for 1,700 large public‑safety/military buyers, TAM approaches ~$425M/year (NENA, BJS).

Assumptions:

• Buying unit is an agency/PSAP/command post rather than individual users.
• Average ARR per buyer ranges from ~$20k–$250k depending on size and integrations.
• Serviceable market is smaller near‑term due to compliance, integrations, and procurement cycles.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Motorola Solutions (CommandCentral): CAD/911 and real‑time intelligence suite (CommandCentral Aware) that provides mapping, video, and sensor feeds for public safety—deeply integrated with Motorola radios and dispatch workflows (CommandCentral Aware).
• Axon (Respond/Dispatch): Real‑time operations and dispatch products that map officers and incidents and tie into Axon devices and evidence ecosystems—positioned for police operations (Axon Respond, Axon Dispatch).
• Hexagon (HxGN OnCall): Enterprise CAD/records and situational awareness platform used by public‑safety agencies globally; integrates dispatch, mapping, and operational views (HxGN OnCall).
• Anduril (Lattice): Defense‑focused C2 platform that fuses multi‑sensor feeds (including autonomous systems) for real‑time situational awareness and targeting—strong in military and border security contexts (Lattice).
• Carbyne: Cloud‑native 911 call‑handling and incident management with data enrichment and AI features for PSAPs; competes for dispatch center budgets and workflows (Carbyne APEX).