ShotHawk

Cover Block

Publicly reported

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

Publicly reported

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

Summary and Signal

Publicly reported 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, a venture that enters one of the most sensitive and operationally challenging markets in physical security [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, explicitly framing its response as non-lethal to differentiate from armed security or lethal countermeasures [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024]. The founding team, led by CEO Brandon Johnson and COO Ohm Vyas, brings academic engineering rigor from Bradley and Northwestern universities but has not yet publicly demonstrated experience scaling a hardware-centric security product through enterprise sales cycles or navigating the complex liability and regulatory landscape inherent to the category. 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]. The next 12 to 18 months will test whether ShotHawk can convert its early technical prototypes and municipal support into repeatable commercial deployments, a process that will require demonstrating reliability, securing necessary approvals, and building a sales motion beyond its initial Midwestern network.

Well sourced -- 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

Publicly reported

ShotHawk was founded in 2023 in Peoria, Illinois, by a trio of engineering graduates responding to the persistent threat of active shooter events in schools and public spaces. The company's genesis is rooted in a specific technical ambition: to build an autonomous, non-lethal physical response system that could act in the critical minutes before law enforcement arrives [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. Its headquarters are listed at 201 South West Adams Street in Peoria [PitchBook, retrieved 2024].

The company's early development was supported by its academic roots. 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, providing initial real-world testing environments [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, retrieved 2024].

Capitalization to date consists entirely of non-dilutive grant funding, a common path for hardware-focused startups at this stage. In late 2024, the company secured $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 for deployment [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. The company's investor profile includes gBETA, VentureWell, and Bradley University as listed supporters [PitchBook, retrieved 2024].

Well sourced -- 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

Public record plus analysis

ShotHawk’s core proposition is a hardware and software system designed to intervene physically in an active threat scenario. The company’s flagship product, the SPOT unit, is an autonomous device that 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, which the company says can integrate with existing panic-button infrastructure, the unit searches its environment to identify an assailant and deploys a non-lethal deterrent, specifically a pepper gel [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. The stated goal is to neutralize an attacker’s ability to continue a threat, buying critical time for safety officials to arrive [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024].

Technically, the system appears to rely on a custom mechanical platform for mobility and deployment, paired with onboard computational hardware for real-time AI inference. The CTO, Ved, is cited as responsible for AI integration, hardware selection, and systems integration to balance performance with cost [ShotHawk, retrieved 2024]. While the specific models or sensors are not detailed, the product description emphasizes high-accuracy responses within seconds. The company also references a second product, called The BETA, though public materials focus primarily on SPOT’s functionality [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 for deployment [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. These initial units are being tested with local businesses, including Panchero’s and Echo Valley Meats [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, retrieved 2024]. The product is explicitly positioned as a complement to, not a replacement for, existing security systems.

Well sourced -- 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

Publicly reported The market for active threat response systems is defined less by traditional revenue sizing and more by a persistent, high-stakes demand for solutions that can fill the critical minutes before law enforcement arrives. While third-party TAM estimates specific to AI-powered, non-lethal security hardware are not yet established in public reports, the underlying demand drivers are well-documented and acute.

Demand is anchored in a continuous search for layered security in public spaces, particularly schools. The company's focus on schools and businesses aligns with a documented pattern of investment in security infrastructure following high-profile incidents. Tailwinds include the integration of AI into physical security systems, a trend noted across broader security industry reports, and a growing preference for non-lethal intervention methods in sensitive environments like educational institutions [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, rather than displacing incumbent providers.

Adjacent and substitute markets provide the closest analog for sizing context. The commercial physical security equipment market, which includes surveillance, access control, and intrusion detection systems, was valued at over $40 billion globally in recent years (analogous market, source). The specific segment for gun detection software and analytics, while smaller, has seen venture investment and public contracts increase, indicating a receptive environment for technology addressing weapon threats. ShotHawk's approach combines elements from these established markets with a novel, automated response layer.

Regulatory and macro forces present both a hurdle and a potential moat. Deploying an autonomous device that deploys a chemical agent in public spaces will require navigating local use-of-force regulations, building codes, and potential liability frameworks. Success in early municipal pilots, like the cited grant from the City of Peoria, could serve as a regulatory proof point for other jurisdictions [Yahoo, December 2024]. A significant macro force is the ongoing public and administrative pressure on schools to demonstrate tangible safety investments, which can accelerate procurement processes outside of typical commercial sales cycles.

Market Segment	Cited Size / Context	Source / Note
Commercial Physical Security Equipment	>$40B (global)	Analogous market sizing for context.
Gun Detection Software	Growing venture segment	Adjacent technology market indicator.
School Security Spending	Recurring budget item	Primary demand driver for target customer.

The available data points to a market driven by urgent need rather than pure economic sizing. The absence of a precise TAM figure is less critical than the clear, mission-aligned demand from a well-defined customer set with dedicated budgets. The regulatory path, demonstrated through early government-backed pilots, may prove to be as significant a market factor as the technology itself.

One source, partially checked -- 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

Public record plus analysis

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.

Given the absence of named competitors in the structured sources, a direct comparison table is not rendered. The competitive analysis proceeds via market segmentation.

Active threat mitigation for public spaces is not a single market but a collection of adjacent segments. The incumbent posture is dominated by traditional security integrators (e.g., ADT, Johnson Controls) that provide surveillance, access control, and alarm systems, which are largely passive and reliant on human monitoring. A more direct adjacent segment is AI-powered gun detection software, such as that offered by companies like 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, aiming to provide an autonomous physical countermeasure before first responders arrive. Its most direct substitutes are human security officers and, in the most extreme cases, armed school resource officers, whose presence, cost, and reaction times vary widely.

Where ShotHawk carves a defensible edge today is in its specific integration of computer vision with a non-lethal, mechanical response system. The company's early technical work on custom mechanics for deploying pepper gel, combined with onboard AI for target identification, represents a tangible product differentiation from pure software plays. This edge is currently perishable, however, as it is rooted in early-stage engineering execution rather than patented IP or exclusive partnerships. The company's initial traction with local municipal grants and pilot deployments in Peoria provides a modest distribution advantage in a specific geographic corridor, but scaling that to a national sales motion against established security vendors would require significant capital and channel development.

The company is most exposed in two key areas. First, it lacks the deep regulatory and liability frameworks that established physical security manufacturers have built over decades. Deploying an autonomous device that uses a chemical agent in crowded spaces invites scrutiny from insurance carriers, school boards, and municipal regulators, a hurdle that software-only detection vendors largely avoid. Second, its current hardware-plus-software model faces a capital intensity disadvantage compared to SaaS competitors. A challenger with greater venture backing could rapidly replicate the mechanical concept while layering on more advanced sensor fusion or response options, potentially leapfrogging ShotHawk's early lead.

The most plausible 18-month scenario hinges on the success of its initial 30-unit deployment funded by the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition grant. If ShotHawk can demonstrate reliable, incident-free operation and secure compelling testimonials from its pilot sites like Pancheros and Echo Valley Meats, it becomes an attractive acquisition target for a larger security integrator seeking to modernize its offering with an active response layer. In this case, the winner would be a company like Johnson Controls, acquiring a ready-made product and team to fill a portfolio gap. The loser in this scenario would be the pure-play AI detection startups, which would find their value proposition diminished if customers begin demanding integrated physical response, not just alerts. Conversely, if the pilots encounter technical failures or liability concerns, ShotHawk risks becoming a cautionary case study, ceding the nascent 'active response' category to better-funded entrants who learn from its missteps.

One source, partially checked -- Competitive mapping is inferred from market structure; no direct competitor citations are available in the provided sources.

Opportunity

Publicly reported The prize for ShotHawk is a foundational position in the physical security stack for public spaces, a market where a proven, automated response to active threats could command a premium and reshape safety protocols.

The headline opportunity is to become the de facto standard for non-lethal, autonomous threat intervention in K-12 schools and municipal buildings. This outcome is reachable because the company's initial wedge,a hardware unit that integrates with existing panic-button infrastructure,addresses a specific, acute pain point: the delay between threat detection and first responder arrival. The cited grant from the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, earmarked to deploy 30 systems, provides a concrete starting point for proving efficacy in real environments [Northwestern Engineering, December 2024]. If these pilots demonstrate a reliable reduction in response time and neutralization of threats without lethal force, the path to becoming a mandated or highly recommended component of school safety grants becomes plausible. The company's explicit focus on this integration layer, rather than attempting to replace entire security systems, lowers the adoption barrier for a risk-averse customer base.

Growth from a local pilot program to a scaled security provider would likely follow one of several concrete scenarios.

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
State-Level Mandate Adoption	ShotHawk's system is written into state school safety grant guidelines, creating a funded, recurring procurement channel.	A successful pilot in a high-profile school district leads to an endorsement from a state attorney general or department of education.	The company has already secured funding from a state-affiliated coalition (Illinois Science and Technology Coalition) for deployment, establishing a precedent for public-sector backing [Yahoo, December 2024].
B2B Vertical Expansion	The product becomes a standard fixture for chains of retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues concerned with workplace violence.	A national franchisee (like the cited pilot partner Panchero's) adopts the system across multiple locations [Greater Peoria Economic Development Council].	The model of selling to business owners with clear liability and duty-of-care concerns is established; early pilots with local businesses validate a commercial use case beyond schools.

Compounding for ShotHawk would manifest as a data and distribution flywheel. Each deployed unit generates real-world data on threat detection and response, which can be used to refine the onboard AI models, improving accuracy and reducing false positives. This creates a performance moat: systems that have been tested in more diverse environments become more reliable, making them harder for new entrants to match without similar deployment scale. Furthermore, every installation within a school district or business franchise serves as a reference site, lowering sales friction for adjacent sites within the same administrative or corporate network. The initial grant-funded deployments are the first turn of this wheel, providing the crucial early dataset and case studies.

The size of the win can be framed by looking at the broader physical security and life-safety market. While no direct public comparable exists for an autonomous, non-lethal response system, the market for school security hardware and services is substantial. If ShotHawk captured even a single-digit percentage of the U.S. K-12 school market (approximately 100,000 public schools), at an assumed system price point, the resulting revenue run-rate could support a venture-scale outcome. In a scenario where it becomes a recommended solution for state safety grants, the company's value would be anchored to its role as a specialized, high-margin hardware provider within a multi-billion dollar annual spending category,a scenario, not a forecast.

One source, partially checked -- 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 from these early signals.

Sources

Publicly reported

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