HAAS Alert Raises $5 Million to Expand its Cellular Emergency Vehicle Alert Network in the U.S.

author: FutureCar Staff    

Chicago-based startup HAAS Alert, a company that developed the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) cellular vehicle alert system for emergency vehicles called "Safety Cloud", closed this week on $5 million in new investment capital. 

The funding was led by R2 and Blu Ventures with participation from TechNexus, Stacked Capital, UrbanUs, Techstars, Ride Ventures, and Gramercy Fund.

The funding will support the expansion of the HAAS Alert Safety Cloud alert system across the country. 

The HAAS Alert's Safety Cloud uses cellular communication to send out alerts to nearby vehicles whenever emergency vehicles, such as police or fire trucks, are present and responding to a scene. The company's mission is to eliminate preventable roadway collisions involving emergency vehicles when they are racing to respond to an incident.

In 2018, HAAS Alert deployed the first-in-the-nation city-wide digital alert system in partnership with the Grand Rapids, Michigan Police Department, Fire Department and EMS. 

HAAS Alert's Safety Cloud sends messages to nearby vehicles when emergency vehicles are approaching or nearby.

Using a cellular network, the HAAS Alert Safety Cloud warnings are sent directly to vehicles via the infotainment system whenever emergency vehicles are nearby and actively responding. It can also send alerts to a nearby smartphone warning pedestrians and bicyclists about approaching emergency vehicles.

The Safety Cloud communications technology alerts work on any vehicle the system it's installed on, including tow trucks, construction vehicles, recycling trucks and school buses. 

The alerts are automatically broadcast to nearby vehicles or smartphones within a specific geo-fenced area whenever the lights or sirens are activated on a fire truck, police car or any other emergency or service vehicle equipped with the Safety Cloud hardware. 

The alerts are designed to give drivers advanced notice of emergency vehicles responding to a scene. Instead of just hearing a siren in the distance, they'll have time to pull over or reroute. 

"We're celebrating the start of an exciting new chapter at HAAS Alert, with the goal of connecting vehicles everywhere for roadway safety," said Cory Hohs, the company's Founder and CEO. "We'll continue to measure our success the same way we always have: by the trust of our customers, and the value of the safety services we can deliver."

The alerts also work if an emergency vehicle is stopped at a scene, so drivers can be made aware of their location as well as the location of the incident being responded to, so drivers can stay clear of the area.

In addition to warning drivers that an emergency vehicle is approaching, the alerts use GPS to determine the direction the emergency vehicle is traveling, so drivers know that a fire truck is approaching from behind, or if an emergency vehicle is approaching an upcoming intersection from the left.

To date, HAAS said that more than 750 public agencies and private organizations have sent more than 1 billion driver alerts through its Safety Cloud network. 

"HAAS Alert is a rare kind of company, building truly innovative and disruptive technologies that are solely focused on making the world a safer place. We're proud to invest in a company so dedicated to protecting public safety professionals and their communities," said Jeff Eggers, Managing Director at R2.

In 2018, HAAS Alert deployed the city-wide digital alert system in the U.S. in partnership with the Grand Rapids, Michigan Police, Fire and EMS Departments.

In 2018, HAAS Alert was among three innovative mobility startups that received a $224,000 grant from Michigan's PlanetM to launch pilots in the state. PlanetM is the mobility arm of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and is dedicated to the evolution of advanced mobility in the state. 

The Safety Cloud now comes standard in vehicles produced by manufacturers of emergency and roadway fleet vehicles. 

Its minimal hardware requirements makes Safety Cloud an affordable solution for agencies regardless of size or their location. The technology can benefit rural volunteer fire departments, family-owned towing businesses, municipal agencies, state DOTs, as well as federal fleets. 

HAAS Alert is actively installing its hardware on fire, police and other vehicles across the U.S. The company said the new funding will allow it to expand to 10 billion driver safety alerts by next year. 

FutureCar Staff