Hayden AI raises $5M in funding for its artificial intelligence-powered data platform for smart and safe city applications

As cities across the globe announce their commitments to become smart and safe, technologies enabling this future emerge. Hayden AI is a San Franciso-based artificial intelligence startup that creates smart city solutions purposely built for modern traffic conditions and increased urbanization. Hayden AI partners with the world’s most innovative cities to improve traffic safety and efficiency. Their team originates from the autonomous vehicle space with domain experience in deep learning, computer vision, and mapping.

Today, Hayden AI announced it has raised $5M in funding to accelerate product development helping cities eliminate traffic fatalities and improve efficiency. The round was led by Autotech Ventures, with participation from BootstrapLabs, Tsingyuan Ventures, and other investors. In conjunction with the funding, Hayden AI also announces that Stuart McKee is joining the executive team as COO, and Anthony Foxx has joined its Board of Directors.

Founded just last year by Chris Carson, Bo Shen, Vaibhav Ghadiok, and Michael Byrne, Hayden AI revolutionizes urban mobility, providing cities a scalable and more efficient way to bring safe, healthy, and equitable mobility to the public. Using edge computing and AI to process real-time data from mobile cameras, the platform is able to create vast and detailed situational awareness for cities at a fraction of their current fixed camera cost. Coupled with a knowledge and reasoning engine that fully automates the detection of any kind of traffic violation, the solution eliminates the need for human review, inherently filtering out bias and inefficiencies.

“We envision a world with safe roadways, efficient transportation, and fair and equitable mobility for all. Leveraging our expertise in the autonomous vehicle space, we’ve created technology that does just that,” said Chris Carson, Co-Founder & CEO of Hayden AI. “This funding enables us to connect additional smart cities and move forward with our vision.”

“AI offers new possibilities for smart cities,” said Autotech Ventures’ Alexei Andreev. “Transforming real-world data into meaningful, specialized insights will be crucial to shaping the future of urban transportation around the world. Focused on scalability, collaboration, and results, Hayden AI is uniquely poised to lead the way. We are excited to partner with them and support the development of this critical solution.”

Stuart McKee served for more than 15 years as Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer of U.S. State and Local Government, delivering technologies that advance state and local agencies’ ability to serve citizens. Turning his attention to bringing Hayden AI to market, McKee sees a clear path, “Centralized, secure data is key to creating solutions that work broadly for public safety and urban mobility. Hayden AI has the pieces in place ensuring the accuracy, scale, and privacy necessary for universal adoption of this trusted platform.”

Anthony Foxx served as the 17th United States Secretary of Transportation, where he embraced technology by pushing forward new rules governing the commercial use of drones, blueprinted the most comprehensive national policy on autonomous vehicles in the world, and launched the Department’s first, and the Administration’s most successful, Smart City Challenge, engaging more than 70 cities to develop their own strategies to incorporate new technologies into their transportation networks.

“I look forward to joining Hayden AI to continue to tackle urban mobility challenges,” said Foxx. “Their solution not only scales a city’s ability to create safer, more efficient traffic flows but also addresses the very real issues of fair and just mobility.”