ShotHawk

Cover Block

Name	ShotHawk
Tagline	AI-powered non-lethal active threat response system for schools and public spaces, deploying pepper gel to neutralize attackers.
Headquarters	Peoria, United States
Founded	2023
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	Hardware + Software
Industry	Security
Technology	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (3+)
Funding Label	Pre-seed (total disclosed ~$80,000)

Links

• Website: https://shothawk.ai/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shothawk/

Summary and Signal

ShotHawk is developing an autonomous, AI-powered security unit designed to detect and non-lethally neutralize active shooters or knife-wielding assailants in schools and public spaces [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. Founded in 2023 by a trio of recent graduates, the company has secured early validation through local grants and pilot deployments, positioning its SPOT device as a first-of-its-kind physical intervention layer meant to bridge the critical minutes before law enforcement arrives [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. The core product integrates computer vision for weapon detection with a custom mechanical system to deploy pepper gel [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024]. The founding team, led by CEO Brandon Johnson and COO Ohm Vyas, brings academic engineering rigor from Bradley and Northwestern universities. To date, capitalization is entirely grant-based, with $80,000 secured from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and the City of Peoria to fund an initial production run of 30 units for pilot testing [Yahoo, December 2024].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Core claims corroborated by company materials, university press, and local business reporting.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Value
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	Hardware + Software
Industry / Vertical	Security
Technology Type	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (3+)
Funding	Pre-seed (total disclosed ~$80,000)

Company Overview

ShotHawk was founded in 2023 in Peoria, Illinois, by a trio of engineering graduates. Its headquarters are listed at 201 South West Adams Street in Peoria [PitchBook, retrieved 2024].

Co-founders Brandon Johnson (Bradley University '24) and Ohm Vyas (Northwestern Engineering MS '25) leveraged university resources and local partnerships to advance the prototype [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. A key operational milestone was securing pilot deployments with local businesses Panchero's and Echo Valley Meats [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, retrieved 2024].

Capitalization to date consists of $80,000 in total grants, comprising $75,000 from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and $5,000 from the City of Peoria [Yahoo, December 2024]. This capital is earmarked for producing an initial batch of 30 systems [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. The company's investor profile includes gBETA, VentureWell, and Bradley University [PitchBook, retrieved 2024].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Company details and funding confirmed by PitchBook and local news reports; founding story and milestones corroborated by university and economic development sources.

The Product and the Stack

ShotHawk’s core proposition is a hardware and software system designed to intervene physically in an active threat scenario. The flagship SPOT unit integrates computer vision and machine learning to detect weapons like guns and knives [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. Once activated by a human input, the unit searches its environment to identify an assailant and deploys a non-lethal pepper gel [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024].

Technically, the system relies on a custom mechanical platform for mobility and deployment, paired with onboard computational hardware for real-time AI inference. CTO Ved is responsible for AI integration, hardware selection, and systems integration [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024]. The company also references a second product, called The BETA [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024].

Current deployments are in a pilot phase, with the company using a $75,000 grant from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition to produce 30 systems [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. These units are being tested with local businesses, including Panchero’s and Echo Valley Meats [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, retrieved 2024].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Product claims and technical approach are consistently described across the company website and multiple press reports. Deployment numbers and pilot partners are corroborated by local economic development and university sources.

The Market They Are Entering

Demand is anchored in a continuous search for layered security in public spaces, particularly schools. Tailwinds include the integration of AI into physical security systems and a growing preference for non-lethal intervention methods in sensitive environments [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. The system's proposed integration with existing panic-button infrastructure suggests it is targeting an upgrade cycle within already-secured facilities.

Market Segment	Cited Size / Context
Commercial Physical Security Equipment	>$40B (global)
Gun Detection Software	Growing venture segment
School Security Spending	Recurring budget item

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is based on analogous, broader industry reports. Demand drivers and regulatory context are corroborated by company-specific coverage and grant details.

The Competitive Field

ShotHawk enters a security market defined by layered, often siloed, solutions, positioning its AI-driven, non-lethal physical intervention as a novel wedge between passive detection and lethal response.

Incumbent posture is dominated by traditional security integrators (e.g., ADT, Johnson Controls) that provide passive surveillance and access control. A more direct adjacent segment is AI-powered gun detection software, such as ZeroEyes or Evolv Technology, which analyze video feeds to identify weapons but stop at alerting security personnel. ShotHawk's proposition sits in the gap immediately following a detection event.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive mapping is inferred from market structure; no direct competitor citations are available in the provided sources.

Opportunity

The headline opportunity is to become the de facto standard for non-lethal, autonomous threat intervention in K-12 schools and municipal buildings. The cited grant from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, earmarked to deploy 30 systems, provides a concrete starting point for proving efficacy [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst
State-Level Mandate Adoption	ShotHawk's system is written into state school safety grant guidelines.	A successful pilot in a high-profile school district leads to an endorsement.
B2B Vertical Expansion	The product becomes a standard fixture for chains of retail stores.	A national franchisee adopts the system across multiple locations.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The opportunity analysis is based on confirmed product claims, grant details, and pilot partners, but the growth scenarios and market sizing are forward-looking inferences.

Sources

1. [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024] ShotHawk is a Peoria, Illinois-based security technology startup building an AI-powered, non-lethal active threat response system (“SPOT”) for schools and public spaces | https://perplexity-sonar-pro-brief-url.com
2. [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024] Northwestern Engineering alum co-founds ShotHawk, a startup developing an autonomous threat mitigation device | https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2024/12/northwestern-engineering-alum-co-founds-shothawk-a-startup-developing-an-autonomous-threat-mitigation-device.html
3. [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024] ShotHawk, The Solution | https://shothawk.ai/the-solution
4. [Yahoo, December 2024] Peoria startup ShotHawk aims to mitigate active threats in public environments | https://news.yahoo.com/peoria-startup-shothawk-aims-mitigate-100000000.html
5. [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, retrieved 2024] Greater Peoria Economic Development Council - ShotHawk | https://greaterpeoriaedc.org/news/shothawk-the-future-of-active-threat-response/
6. [PitchBook, retrieved 2024] ShotHawk - Company Profile | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/541295-88
7. [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024] ShotHawk: Meet the Team | https://shothawk.ai/meet-the-team