Every second counts for the clients of the Tampa startup SOMA Global.
But law enforcement, EMS, fire, dispatch, social service, and correctional organizations face a unique set of challenges when it comes to embracing technology, says Mike Mattson, Chief Growth Officer at SOMA Global.
“The public safety industry is riddled with outdated and costly technology, which can be life threatening in critical-response situations,” Mattson told Hypepotamus.
SOMA got off the ground in 2017 to address these specific problems.
“[The startup] is focused on empowering public safety agencies to move beyond siloed, inefficient and disconnected systems to a future-proof platform that increases the operational productivity and financial efficiency of their organizations, resulting in safer communities,” Mattson added.
On the critical response side, SOMA suite of tools helps first-responders better dispatch services. It also ensures those responders are given the most accurate information when they are out in the field.
Public safety experts make up 70% of the team behind the Tampa-based startup. Others on the team are strong industry and startup veterans. The team recently expanded with three key hires: Michelle Tipton (SVP of Finance), Matt Stull (Regional VP for US-East), and Andrew Jones (Regional VP of US-Central).
The growth in headcount comes after raising a $22.5 million Series A in 2021 from Tampa-based Weatherford Capital.
The team navigated the pressures of COVID by adding several new features.
“When COVID-19 first began, cities, governments and states across the globe struggled to find ways to keep people safe. The SOMA Global Platform helped first responders remain informed and prepared at all times. SOMA worked with its partners to develop COVID-specific platform configurations to monitor and mitigate COVID-19.
“This helped first responders and law enforcement report exposures and potential exposure threats easily, and helped visualize data through quick-access dashboards. Within days, SOMA’s platform could track known COVID cases for first responders when arriving at calls to ensure agents were properly prepared,” added Mattson.
Public Safety Tech
Public safety is big business for the Southeast tech scene. Atlanta-based Flock Safety reached unicorn status in 2021 as its public safety operating system has become a staple for neighborhood crime reduction efforts across the country.
Over in Charlotte, CivicEye developed a platform designed specifically for law enforcement officials and prosecutors. It raised a $12.4 million Series A earlier this summer, according to Crunchbase.
Other growing startups in the space include Wilmington-based Essential Personnel, Carthage, North Carolina-based Active Defender, and Atlanta-based Fusus.
