Artificial intelligence startup Aegis AI rebrands as Actuate; launches new intruder-and-threat-detection AI solutions to keep the society safer from gun threats

Aegis AI, an artificial intelligence startup that builds software which employs computer vision to automatically detect weapons in security camera feeds, today announced that it’s rebranding as Actuate and launched new AI threat-detection features.

Actuate was founded in early 2018 by University of Chicago MBAs Sonny Tai and Ben Ziomek. Tai is a former Marine Corps captain who spent his formative years in Johannesburg, South Africa, where gun violence rates are some of the highest in the world, while Ziomek brings deep data science and AI expertise gained from his time as a program manager at Microsoft.

The New York City-based Aegis Systems is a venture capital-backed AI startup that provides computer vision software to turn any security camera into a threat-detecting smart camera. Aegis AI system automatically detects firearms in existing security camera feeds, providing early warning and dramatically improving law enforcement response.

“After careful analysis of the company’s market positioning, Actuate leadership decided to adopt the new brand name in alignment with its new features, which expand the firm’s offerings beyond gun detection,” the company said in a press release.

The new features include intruder- and threat-detection AI solutions. The Actuate system can now alert customers to unauthorized entry to customer facilities and catch individuals acting in a threatening manner even before weapons are fully visible.

“Our new intruder- and threat-detection features help make our customers safer,” said Ben Ziomek, Actuate chief product officer. “We’re excited to offer them to the market as we debut a new brand that highlights our expanded scope.”

Actuate is also launching new, vertical-specific marketing content that targets healthcare, education, corporate, and public-sector customers as part of the rebrand.

The new Actuate logo modernizes the brand while maintaining the key colors and look-and-feel that defined the Aegis brand. It moves the brand from a focus on its defensive posture to a more general, enterprise-ready brand that opens the door to Actuate’s use as a building-management platform.

“This rebrand recognizes that we’ve grown as a company,” said Tai, Actuate’s chief executive officer. “I’m thrilled to announce new intruder- and threat-detection features, which we feel strongly contribute to our central goal of making society safer.”

Actuate is an AI company that builds computer vision software to turn any security camera into an intruder- and threat-detecting smart camera, dramatically cutting the time it takes for law enforcement to respond to gun violence. Former Marine Sonny Tai, CEO of Aegis AI, and Ben Ziomek, CPO of Aegis AI, co-founded the company with the mission of addressing America’s gun violence epidemic. The product features include alerting customers to unauthorized entry to customer facilities, as well as catching individuals acting in a threatening manner even before weapons are fully visible.