AI Gun Detection, Mission-driven Culture, and ZeroEyes with Sam Alaimo

Stopping threats before shots are fired: how ZeroEyes pairs computer vision with a 24/7 human verification layer to deliver actionable intelligence to responders in seconds.

Guest: Sam Alaimo – Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, ZeroEyes

ZeroEyes was founded to tackle a real, urgent problem with a pragmatic solution: detect a brandished firearm through existing cameras, verify it fast, and dispatch real-time alerts. In this episode, Sam breaks down how the tech + operations model works, why dual-use (K-12, commercial, and DoD) made the product stronger, and what it takes to build a mission-first culture that scales.

Topics

• Why ZeroEyes was founded after Parkland—and why cameras had been “forensic only” before (ZeroEyes)
• The ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC): human verification as the trust and assurance layer (ZeroEyes)
• Dual-use execution: how DoD work expanded capabilities (mobile cameras, new detection modalities)
• Fundraising lessons: why “team dynamics” can be the deciding factor in venture-scale capital
• Partnerships and integration strategy (e.g., Picogrid) (PR Newswire)

Takeaways

• High-stakes AI needs an assurance model. Human verification isn’t a bolt-on—it’s core to operational trust and speed.
• Dual-use can be a product advantage. Diverse environments drive better data, stronger models, and broader applicability.
• Investors often underwrite the team, not just the tech. Cohesion, humility, and mission alignment can be a decisive differentiator.

Timestamped Highlights

[00:00] - The mission: doing something practical about mass shootings

[01:35] - The founding story: Parkland, cameras, and “left of bang”

[04:44] - The hard truth: selling into schools vs. DoD (and staying mission-aligned)

[07:28] - Building a market that didn’t exist (and finding budget for it)

[07:54] - Inside the ZOC: human verification, dispatch, and actionable intel

[12:24] - Hiring as strategy: creating a mission-driven transition path for veterans

[16:08] - Raising venture-scale capital: what investors actually respond to

[22:15] - What’s next: expanding beyond firearms into new analytics (including knives)

[23:10] - Partnerships as force-multipliers (and why not to “reinvent the wheel”)

Resources & Links

• ZeroEyes (company) (ZeroEyes)

Connect

• Guest: Sam Alaimo
• Host: Callye Keen

If this episode sparked ideas, share The Startup Defense with one operator or founder in your network—and if you’re building or scaling a defense tech product, reach out to Kform for support.