Coram AI's $35M Series B to turn cameras into AI detectives

Coram AI, a Bay Area startup, has raised $35 million in Series B funding to turn standard security cameras into proactive monitoring systems. The company applies artificial intelligence to existing camera feeds to detect threats in real time, rather than relying on footage after an incident.

Most security cameras are used only for playback after something goes wrong. Coram aims to change that by analyzing video streams as they happen. The system works with a building's existing camera network, so no hardware replacement is needed, the company's CEO said.

The CEO sees the technology evolving beyond fixed cameras. In the future, the system could operate on robot dogs or humanoid robots, patrolling spaces autonomously, he said.

Coram plans to use the capital to expand its engineering team and deploy the system in more commercial and industrial properties, the CEO said.

The company faces competition from established surveillance firms and other AI startups. Its current advantage is the software-only approach, the CEO said.

Currently, Coram's focus remains on software for existing cameras. The robot dogs are a longer-term ambition.