Cobalt AI

Cobalt AI, initially founded as Cobalt Robotics in 2016 by Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz, operates in the physical security market, offering solutions that merge artificial intelligence with human oversight. The company was established with the goal of automating repetitive and manual security tasks to enhance safety and operational efficiency. Co-founder Erik Schluntz, an electrical engineering graduate from Harvard, previously worked at SpaceX and Google[x] and co-founded another startup, Posmetrics, which was acquired after its participation in Y Combinator. This background in robotics, AI, and entrepreneurship shaped Cobalt's approach of identifying real-world problems and engineering technology-driven solutions.

The company's business model is centered on a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) and a Security-as-a-Service framework, providing enterprise-grade security to a global clientele across various sectors including tech, finance, and manufacturing. Cobalt generates revenue through its integrated service offerings that substantially reduce operational costs for its clients by minimizing false alarms and optimizing resource allocation. In June 2024, the firm was acquired by serial entrepreneur Dean Drako, founder of Eagle Eye Networks and chairman of Brivo. Following the acquisition, the company was rebranded from Cobalt Robotics to Cobalt AI to better reflect its expanded focus on AI-powered security automation. Under this new ownership, Cobalt AI operates as an independent entity with its existing management team, with Drako serving as chairman and Ken Wolff as CEO.

Cobalt AI's product suite provides a comprehensive security solution. At its core is the Cobalt Monitoring Intelligence platform, an AI-powered system that integrates with a wide array of security devices like cameras, access controls, and sensors. This platform is designed to filter out the vast number of false alarms—often cited as up to 95% of all alerts—allowing security personnel to focus on genuine threats. The Cobalt Command Center acts as a remote monitoring service or a GSOC (Global Security Operations Center) as a Service, where human specialists provide 24/7 oversight and verification. The company also offers the Cobalt Security Robot, an autonomous indoor mobile platform equipped with over 60 sensors, including lidar and thermal cameras, to patrol facilities and detect anomalies. This integrated, open-platform approach allows for harmonization of disparate security systems into a single, efficient workflow, providing actionable insights and detailed reporting.

Keywords: physical security automation, AI security, robotic security, security-as-a-service, RaaS, remote monitoring, access control monitoring, GSOC as a Service, alarm filtering, video monitoring, human-in-the-loop security, enterprise security, facility security, Dean Drako, Erik Schluntz, Travis Deyle, Cobalt Robotics, intelligent workflow automation, threat detection, security event management