The physical security industry has developed a healthy funding environment in recent years with venture capitalists providing significant backing to security companies. But this month’s $192 million investment by Japanese security integrator SECOM, into video surveillance company Eagle Eye Networks and access control provider Brivo is somewhat of an outlier. In this research note, we take a closer look at the deal. Brivo and Eagle Eye Networks, are independent and separate companies, however, the controlling shareholder of both companies is the same man, Dean Drako. Drako was a co-founder and former CEO of IT security company Barracuda, which was acquired by KKR in a $3.8 billion deal. In addition to his stakes in Brivo, Eagle Eye Networks, and other investments, he also owns an electric car company, Drako Motors. “A lot of investors have woken up to the opportunity for the cloud conversion and the application of AI in the physical security market,” Drako said […]