BusPatrol was founded with a commitment to make our country safer, especially for our children. It was born from a belief that responsibly harnessing technology is crucial for delivering and scaling safety in our communities.
Our journey began by steadily transforming safety in the pupil transportation industry. The 27 million children who take a school bus every day deserve a safe commute to and from their schools. Unfortunately, in 2024, there will be over 50 million illegal stop arm violations that endanger these same children. That is why, since 2017, we have worked to institute and enhance the world’s first and only computer vision platform that uses AI to detect and to deter dangerous stop arm violations.
The progress of our mission has been incredible. Today, BusPatrol is the market-leading school bus safety technology provider, contracted on nearly 30,000 school buses across America. We have the remarkable privilege of helping to protect over 1.6 million children every day. We are humbled by the trust of the over 300 communities we serve.
As we’ve built and grown BusPatrol, we have been purposeful in living our organizational values. Consequently, we’ve become a very different kind of business and partner than other players in the public safety space.
For example, we believe that a child’s zip code and the route they live on should not determine the level of safety they enjoy. That’s why, unlike every other player in our industry, BusPatrol installs its safety technology on every single school bus in every single community we serve. A child’s safety should not be based on an ROI calculation. Rather, it should be equitably provided to all.
Child safety also shouldn’t be based on a community’s ability to buy and install thousands of dollars of cameras per bus. We understand that most American school districts and municipalities live in a permanent state of fiscal scarcity with many areas of need. That’s why, in our industry-disrupting model, we make that investment on behalf of every partner we serve. We do so without ever setting a quota or a return requirement. Sure, it will take time to return our investment, but enhancing safety takes time, and we are in this mission for the long run. By living our values, we enable our partners to equip their fleets with life-saving technology at no cost to taxpayers while funding the program through a mechanism that encourages accountability and behavior change in violators.
Critics have challenged our approach by suggesting that stop-arm programs are about ticketing. To them, I ask – how do you value protecting the life of a child? Why have stop-arm laws at all if we don’t have the means to enforce accountability for violators? Public safety, from the men and women who dutifully serve – from police officers and firefighters to district attorneys and public defenders – requires investment. At BusPatrol, we strive to deliver safety with an efficient, technology-enabled model that recognizes the resource limitations communities face across America and the urgent need to advance road safety.
Ultimately, how to introduce, operate, and enforce a stop-arm safety program is the decision of the community and school district leaders we serve. All our programs are community-driven. We are deeply committed to listening to our partners and their constituents to ensure that every program is tailored to the unique dynamics and requirements of their community.
We couldn’t be prouder of the growth we have achieved by staying true to our values. The rapid growth of our customers – from New York down to Florida and across all the vibrant political dispositions and diverse demographics that make up America – is validation of the unique mission-driven company we are building. It’s an affirmation that AI technology, when developed responsibly and in partnership with communities, can be trusted to scale safety.
Our work is just beginning. We have over 25 million more children to serve. To that end, we are kicking off 2024 by entering an exciting new chapter to accelerate our safety impact.
I am thrilled to announce that BusPatrol has secured a significant strategic investment from GI Partners, a leading infrastructure firm. With GI’s historic-sized investment and vast operational resources, we have the additional capital and strategic partner to scale our safety mission. Read more details on the transaction here.
GI Partners has an extensive track record of growing other similarly situated companies, and I look forward to BusPatrol joining their roster of success stories. Having gotten to know GI over the last year, I’ve learned that we share a culture of great people committed to making a difference as one team. Most importantly, they believe in the importance of our public safety mission. I want to thank Brendan Scollans, Jerry Stapp, and the entire team at GI Partners for placing their trust in us.
We are also excited that FIT Ventures will remain a significant investor and equity holder in BusPatrol. They have been a valued partner of ours since 2017 and are committed to the long-term vision and growth strategy of the business. Without question, they have helped to shape our company from the bottom up and we would not be in this incredible position without their support. I want to thank Sam Pai and the entire team at FIT Ventures for guiding us on this journey.
To borrow a proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We would not be here without the unwavering support of school districts, municipal leaders, law enforcement, school bus operators, and legislators all across the country. Thank you for your openness to a new way of building a safer future together.
Our success to date is also a testament to the tremendous talent, passion, and ingenuity of all the men and women who have committed their lives to our work at BusPatrol – both past and present colleagues. I could not be prouder of you and happier for you. A rapidly growing company presents numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth for each of us and I hope you join me in celebrating this special milestone for our company!
Of course, our job is not finished. Here is driving our safety mission forward in 2024!
With gratitude,
Karoon
