BuddyGuard just had a really good day: the company is trying to bring one of the best new home security systems to the market, and walked away from a successful funding round with 3.4 million euros in startup money (primarily from a group of interested angel investors) – enough for a very successful expansion.
The Berlin-based company only recently launched its flagship product, the BuddyGuard Flare, after spending a couple years crowd funding. The Flare is, at first glance, a smart home security camera. We’ve seen them before, and they’re getting a lot more popular these days. You could walk down to the store and buy a Nest Cam or a Skybell Cam right now. But the Flare does several things differently, and that innovation is why it received so much funding.
First, the BuddyGuard uses some extra-advanced recognition software in its sensors. Plenty of cams can turn on when they detect motion, and are also smart enough to ignore things like pets.
The Flare goes a step further and recognizes faces and unusual sounds that don’t match up with an empty house, then turns on and alerts the owner that something may be wrong. The owner then gets an alert feed of the house, which is a lot more useful when away because you don’t have to manually log in to check your home. There’s not a lot of information on just how the cam learns to differentiate between, say, breaking glass and a dog barking, but apparently it’s equipped to do so.
Second, the Flare offers a privacy mode for those who are worried about being filmed. When people arrive home – such as after a day of working, the cam is apparently smart enough to recognize family faces and put on a shutter – basically, go into standby. Handy!
There are also a lot of additional home cam features, including an anti-tampering sensors and a two-way audio to talk to nannies, delivery people, and so on. You can activate a warning siren, too. The power supply is wired, which removes some installation options, but there is a battery backup in case of power failure. So, whether you live in a New York City penthouse or an affordable place in Chicago, you’ll feel safe at home.
As for the camera itself, it’s a 1080p model with a 130-degree viewing angle and support for infrared LED night vision. The mount uses a magnetic base so the cam can be quickly detached if necessary.
All in all, it’s easy to see why Flare is getting investment money. Keep in mind that the BuddyGuard Flare is currently an EU product, and will only be released in America next year. Also, it’s pretty expensive. The current version of the cam is selling for around $470, which is pretty steep for a single cam.
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