Seeking to put more criminals behind bars, London-based Facewatch recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube to capture £500,000 for its multi-functional reporting platform.
Founded in March 2010, Facewatch’s platform allows businesses, the police and the public to work together to help reduce high volume low-level acquisitive crime. Features include data sharing and analysis tools; CCTV and image capture (including facial recognition software from partners); crime analytical tools; and secure communication within groups.
Along with its platform, Facewatch provides the following:
- The Online Crime Reporting Portal: A crime reporting website to enable police to engage online withe public, branded for each force.
- The FacewatchID mobile App: Enables the police to engage directly with the public in their search for unidentified persons by posting images on our free mobile App. To date there have already been over 100,000 downloads.
Facewatch also plans to launch other products as well, including:
The Communicator App: Enables Facewatch Platform users to communicate using a push to talk facility and to share: location information; images; audio and video clips via text chat; and alert messages. There is an SOS facility, with location and a pre alert 30 second audio clip to alert other users that they are in immediate danger. There will be versions for: Security guards (with devices supplied); Police; Lone workers; employees and neighbourhood watch members.
- Facewatch Mobile: Allows users of the Facewatch Platform to report incidents, ban individuals and view their watch lists. The App will allow users much greater flexibility in their use of the platform on the go and will be offered as a chargeable upgrade to the existing platform.
Sharing why they need the extra funds, Facewatch’s team stated:
“We have already invested around £3.6 million over the last 5 years to develop an extremely strong and trusted brand within policing and security. The new capital is part of a £1.5m funding round and will provide cashflow to accelerate control of the UK market through taking on additional sales resource and the development of future Facewatch modules, as well as providing working capital through to profitability in around two years. Once the UK bridgehead has been fully established the full rollout of Facewatch globally can commence.”
With nearly two weeks left, the campaign has received nearly £350,000. It is set to close on May 6th.
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