ATLANTA — Public safety software, surveillance tech and now, drone manufacturer Flock Safety has landed in the top 50 of Forbes’ Cloud 100 list, which tracks the top companies in cloud computing.
Flock was ranked 23rd on the list, between security operations platform Arctic Wolf and AI data infrastructure firm VAST data. OpenAI took the top spot. The list shows Flock valued at S7.5 billion with about 1,500 employees.
Founded in 2017, Flock Safety has grown rapidly from a startup into a surveillance tech powerhouse, now boasting more than 80,000 cameras across U.S. cities, Forbes reported. The company’s AI-powered license plate readers, gunshot detectors and, most recently, American-made drones, are integrated into law enforcement operations in 49 states, a reach that CEO Garrett Langley believes could help “eradicate almost all crime” within a decade.
Langley’s vision: a data-driven, always-on security net covering the nation.
“We can have a crime-free city and civil liberties,” Langley told Forbes. “We can have it all.”
A growing influence in law enforcement
Flock’s surveillance infrastructure already helps solve an estimated 1 million crimes per year, according to Langley. Its customers include 5,000 law enforcement agencies, 1,000 corporations like FedEx and Lowe’s, as well as homeowners associations, schools and religious organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, which installed 64 Flock cameras after a spike in antisemitic threats.
Each camera costs $3,000–$3,500, with recurring fees for access to FlockOS, the company’s platform that lets users access and analyze real-time footage via desktop or mobile app, according Forbes. For example, the Dunwoody PD in Georgia spends roughly $500,000 a year on its Flock system, including 105 cameras, a DJI drone and software.
In August 2025, Flock’s own U.S.-made drones will be deployed. Built at a $10 million factory near Atlanta, these autonomous drones are designed to challenge Chinese drone giant DJI, which dominates the police drone market. States like Florida have already moved to ban Chinese-made drones in law enforcement, giving Flock an opening.
Nova: AI and surveillance, amplified
Flock’s most ambitious project is Nova, a powerful AI platform developed from the February 2025 acquisition of Lucidus, a Nashville startup, according to Forbes. Nova aims to integrate public and private data, including drone footage, property records, social security info and credit histories, to help law enforcement solve crimes faster.
“Let’s build a better city together”
Flock’s ambitions don’t stop at crime prevention. Langley sees a future where its cameras also help cities detect potholes, manage traffic and optimize public services.
“We’ve got all these Flock cameras deployed from a criminal perspective,” he says. “Why would we not then walk down to the public works department and say, ‘Stop sending people out to look for potholes. I have all that data.’”
Flock’s nonstop expansion, its firm belief in technology as a cure-all, and its growing network of surveillance tools have earned it a top spot on Forbes’ 2025 Cloud 100 list. With $300 million in estimated 2024 sales and $275 million in new venture capital, Langley’s goal to turn Flock into a $100 billion business is not far-fetched.
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