Flock Safety CEO to Talk AI, Surveillance at Disrupt 2026
24 Jul 2026
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley will take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, running October 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone Center, to discuss AI, surveillance, and public safety — a conversation that arrives at a pivotal moment for the company.
A Fast-Rising Valuation, Then Friction
Flock Safety has seen its valuation nearly double in a year, jumping from $4.8 billion in 2025 to $7.5 billion after a $275 million raise this year. That brings the company's total funding since inception to $950 million, according to the report. The company was founded in 2017 by Langley, Matt Feury, and Paige Todd. Separately, an entity referred to as "Experience" was sold to Cox Enterprises for $200 million back in 2014, though its exact connection to Langley or Flock Safety is not detailed in available information.
But the capital-raising momentum has coincided with signs of commercial and reputational friction. This month, the Los Angeles Police Department let its contract with Flock Safety lapse — a development that may point to friction with one of the company's most prominent law enforcement customers, though the specific reasons behind the lapse haven't been disclosed. Amazon's Ring also ended its partnership with Flock Safety, another move without a stated public rationale.
Adding to the scrutiny, privacy advocacy groups including the ACLU have pushed back against Flock Safety's practices, though the report does not specify the exact grounds for their objections.
Why Founders Should Care
For early-stage founders — particularly those building in AI, public safety, or data-sensitive verticals — Flock Safety's trajectory offers a mixed signal worth watching closely.
- The valuation surge from $4.8 billion to $7.5 billion likely reflects strong investor appetite for AI-driven public safety technology, suggesting capital may still be available for founders in adjacent categories.
- At the same time, the lapsed LAPD contract and the lost Ring partnership could indicate that scaling surveillance-adjacent products carries meaningful reputational or regulatory risk — something founders in similar spaces should probably factor into their go-to-market and partnership strategies.
- Continued ACLU scrutiny suggests that companies handling sensitive data or operating in public safety may need to proactively address privacy concerns to sustain growth, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
- Langley's invited appearance at a major startup conference signals that public safety AI likely remains an active area of industry and investor interest, even amid the controversy.
What's Unclear
Several important details remain unaddressed in current reporting: the precise reasons the ACLU and other privacy advocates cite in opposing Flock Safety, why Ring ended its partnership, why the LAPD let its contract lapse, and what specifically Langley plans to address on stage — whether that's new product direction, a policy stance, or a response to recent setbacks.
Founders tracking the AI-and-surveillance space may want to watch Langley's Disrupt 2026 appearance for signals on how the company plans to navigate both its growth trajectory and its mounting scrutiny.