Paladin Drones
Series ARaised Since FeaturedBuilding the future of first response
Autonomous drones that respond to 911 calls in 90 seconds, giving first responders live overhead situational awareness.
About
Paladin deploys autonomous drones from fire stations and police departments directly to 911 emergency scenes, streaming live video feeds to give first responders critical situational awareness before they arrive. Founded in 2018 by UC Berkeley student Divy Shrivastava after learning that fires can double in size in under a minute, the company's Drone as First Responder (DFR) platform combines the Knighthawk 2.0 drone (American-made, NDAA-compliant) with Watchtower command software and LTE-enabled extended range via a T-Mobile partnership. Paladin drones launch autonomously, reach scenes in approximately 90 seconds, and provide thermal imaging, live video, and location data that help dispatchers and officers make faster decisions. The company has logged over 20,000 flights and 30,000+ miles across police and fire departments nationwide, supporting 670+ emergency calls per client. A Y Combinator S18 graduate backed by Khosla Ventures and Toyota Ventures, Paladin reached $13.1M in annual revenue by December 2024.
DailyDropout Take
Paladin caught our attention as a YC-backed startup tackling emergency response with autonomous drones โ a clear 'every second counts' use case where speed of information delivery directly saves lives. Founder Divy Shrivastava's focus on building for government customers from day one, rather than pivoting from consumer or commercial drone markets, gave Paladin a head start in navigating FAA regulations and municipal procurement. With $13.1M in revenue by end of 2024 and backing from Khosla Ventures and Toyota Ventures, the company has proven that Drone as First Responder is a real and growing market.
Discovery signal: YC S18 graduate with Khosla Ventures backing, purpose-built DFR platform for 911 response, strong government traction
What Makes Them Unique
Paladin is the only end-to-end Drone as First Responder platform combining American-made NDAA-compliant hardware (Knighthawk 2.0), LTE-enabled beyond-visual-line-of-sight capability via T-Mobile partnership, and integrated command software (Watchtower) โ purpose-built for autonomous 911 response rather than adapted from commercial or military drone platforms.
$13.1M
Annual Revenue
~90 seconds
Response Time
20,000+
Flights Logged
30,000+
Miles Logged
Target Markets
Founders
Divyaditya Shrivastava
Founder & CEO
Founded Paladin as a UC Berkeley student in 2018 after learning that fires can double in size in under a minute. Y Combinator S18 alum.
Funding History
Lead: Khosla Ventures
Lead: Khosla Ventures
Investors
Firms
Individual Investors
Creator of Gmail, YC Partner