Eyes That Save Lives: BRINC Drones Raises $75M for Public Safety

When we met Blake Resnick in 2021, we knew right away he was special. A teen prodigy who had built a fusion reactor in his garage at 14, he was also an entrepreneur with a rare combination of technical brilliance, product obsession, and deep conviction.

In 2017, Blake’s hometown of Las Vegas was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. When he learned it took over an hour for the SWAT unit to reach the scene, he decided he had to do something. He cold-called the LVMPD—repeatedly—and made it his personal mission to find out how he could help. Over the next year and a half, he began prototyping what would become the LEMUR drone, riding along on SWAT callouts and embedding himself in the daily chaos of 911 response. At 18, he incorporated BRINC Drones, fully committing himself to building technology in the service of public safety.

It’s been four years since our initial investment in BRINC, and Blake has built an incredible, mission-driven company with people who share his passion for saving lives. That includes Manoj Mohan, who joined from Axon and helped develop a subscription model that gives public safety agencies a more flexible, service-based way to adopt drone technology. Walker Robb, a veteran engineer from Prime Air and Oculus, has led the shift from prototyping to scaled production while shaping the company’s product vision and culture.

Today, BRINC’s drones are used by more than 600 public safety agencies, including over 10% of SWAT teams in the U.S., to de-escalate dangerous situations. Alongside LEMUR 2, its indoor tactical drone, BRINC recently launched Responder, the first outdoor drone purpose-built for 911 response. Early data shows 911 response drone programs can clear 25% of 911 calls, cut average response times to 70 seconds, and help human first responders reach priority calls 54% faster.

The value proposition is clear, and the opportunity ahead is massive. Drone adoption in public safety has accelerated rapidly, with around 1 in 4 U.S. police departments now using some form of drone. And yet, most still rely on consumer-grade models manufactured in China. With at least 20 states banning Chinese-made drones for official use, or with legislation in process this cycle, demand for BRINC’s solutions—purpose-built, mission-driven, made in America—will only grow.

At the same time, police officer resignations have risen by 47% since 2020, and total force size has declined by 5% due to burnout, safety concerns, and shifting public sentiment. Public safety agencies are actively seeking solutions that can enhance safety and lighten the burden on their overstrained forces. Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs are quickly emerging as part of that shift, and upcoming FAA regulatory changes, including relaxed line-of-sight requirements, will make it even easier to deploy drones in everyday operations.

Today’s news comes with some added juice: a strategic alliance with Motorola Solutions. Motorola powers more than 60% of North America’s 911 call centers and helps manage hundreds of millions of emergency calls each year. Now, BRINC’s drones are being integrated into that ecosystem, from CAD systems and real-time crime center software to radios and dispatch platforms. That means public safety agencies can deploy a drone at the push of a button and stream live aerial footage straight into the tools they already use. It’s another huge step toward making DFR programs more accessible for agencies across the country.

There are so many reasons why we’re excited to support BRINC again, but at the end of the day, it all comes back to Blake. Last spring, after a board meeting in Seattle, Blake and I grabbed sushi. I always love talking to Blake—he lights up when he’s talking about product, and he has an uncanny ability to distill complex problems down to their essence almost instantly. As a product person and an investor, I find this incredibly energizing, and it speaks volumes to Blake’s passion, thoughtfulness, and focus as an entrepreneur.

But on that day, it was clear he had something else on his mind. Over bites of maki and nigiri, he asked me countless questions—not about fundraising or GTM strategy, but about how to continue growing as a leader. We talked about hiring, building a great executive team, prioritizing what matters most, and letting go of perfectionism. We talked about how to regulate your mindset through the emotional highs and lows of hypergrowth, and how to protect BRINC’s spirit of innovation even as the company scales. It was clear he has his sights set on building a generational company, and that he knows a big part of that comes down to his growth as a leader.

Today, I have no doubt that Blake is on that path. What he and the team are building at BRINC has the potential to transform public safety and save lives. On behalf of everyone at Index, we’re proud to support him again and excited for what comes next.