Davie-based public safety startup CERA is on a mission to arm first responders with the digital tools they need to efficiently and effectively respond to active threats.
Edward McGovern
Edward McGovern, a former Major in the Hallandale Beach Police Department, is acutely aware of this need. During his years in uniform, McGovern responded to some of the most tragic events in our region, including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018 and the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooting in 2017.
McGovern has leveraged this experience to develop a unique suite of digital platforms that aim to eliminate the chaos and confusion during a critical event. The startup has already received some early traction, including its deployment in the Davie Police Department.
CERA has just announced that Seedfunders will lead its first major investment round. The tech-focused fund has pledged up to $500,000 for this round, dependent on how many additional partners join the deal.
Seedfunders invests in pre-revenue, scalable technology throughout Florida. Originally founded in St. Petersburg, it now has a presence in Orlando and Miami as well.
David Chitester
Angel investor David Chitester founded Seedfunders in 2017 and this year relocated to Miami to spearhead the fund’s efforts in South Florida. He told South Florida Tech Hub that this is the fund’s third deal in our region.
“The Miami market is underserved for what we do, and we’ve proven our business model,” Chitester explained. “Now we want to duplicate this success here.” Previously, Chitester also founded Florida Funders, which is now one of Florida’s most active venture capital firms.
According to Chitester, CERA’s timing is right. “When you look at what’s happening in the world, unfortunately, and see the need to help first responders to save lives. That’s the biggest reason we wanted to invest.”
Chitester also underscored the importance of McGovern’s leadership and the law enforcement experience he brings to the table.
“Investors always talk about, ‘Is it the horse or the jockey that you bet on?’ And really, it’s both. You can’t just bet on a person if the concept is not fundable and not scalable. And you can’t depend on a concept if you have a founder who can’t lead the company. So it’s both the horse and jockey – and in CERA’s case, we have both.”
McGovern is excited about jumping into this new chapter in CERA’s story. “This investment from Seedfunders represents the next phase of CERA’s growth and acceleration,” he commented.
“Our goals to expand sales and create new innovations will not just benefit from funding, but also with the experience and mentorship Seedfunders brings with it,” McGovern continued. “We are grateful to Dave Chitester and the Seedfunders team for believing in our mission and our business.”
“Together we will continue to drive development and leverage technology in this space to make our communities and citizens safer.”
Chitester hopes this funding will enable CERA to grow nationally. “We’d like to see them deploy their system to all the first responders in the country that need it.”
Learn more about Seedfunders by visiting Seedfunders.com, and follow along in CERA’s startup journey at CERAapp.com.
