Verkada Inc. is a San Mateo, CA-based company that develops cloud-based building security systems. The company combines security equipment such as video cameras, access control systems and environmental sensors, with cloud based machine vision and artificial intelligence. The company was founded in 2016. In 2021, it was the target of a data breach that accessed security camera footage and private data. History Verkada Inc. was founded in 2016 in Menlo Park, California by three Stanford University graduates: Filip Kailiszan, James Ren, and Benjamin Bercowitz, who were joined by Hans Robertson, co-founder and former COO of Meraki (now Cisco Meraki). Kaliszan, Ren, and Bercowitz had previously collaborated on Courserank, a class data aggregation platform that was acquired by Chegg in 2010. Verkada exited the beta development stage in September 2017, with a product offering of two camera models. In 2019, Forbes included Verkada in its Next Billion Dollar Startups list, as well as that year’s AI 50 list of most promising artificial intelligence companies. In April, the company announced a $40 million Series B funding round, which valued the company at $540 million. In January 2020, the company raised $80 million in a Series C funding found led by Felicis Ventures, giving the company a $1.6 billion valuation. In Spring 2020, the company launched its first access control device, the first move in a shift to moving beyond cameras, and integrating security cameras and locks onto a single platform. In June during the COVID-19 crisis Verkada instituted a program to offer free surveillance kits to businesses and healthcare institutions in order to remotely monitor high-risk locations. It also added features to let customers detect when crowds are forming, and to identify high traffic areas that might need more cleaning. In September, the company launched a line of integrated environmental sensors. In September, it introduced a line of environmental sensors for facilities monitoring. In April 2021, news site Bloomberg News reported allegations by former employees accusing the company of having a "bro" culture, with lax device security, excessive focus on profit, and parties during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Bloomberg reporting, Verkada acknowledged an internal lapse in judgment, and was reportedly working to create a more inclusive work environment, including reviewing gender pay equity and implementing better training. In September, the company began donating security cameras to Asian Pacific American business communities, starting with the Oakland California Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, to