Biofire builds biometric “smart” guns that unlock only for owners and registered users using fingerprint and facial-recognition technology and automatically relock when the gun leaves a registered user’s hands. Its system runs on a closed-loop architecture designed to keep the unlocking mechanism secure and resistant to hacking. The company positions the product to reduce unintended access to firearms and to help prevent child deaths; the article notes firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., with 29% being suicide and 3.5% accidental. Founder Kai Kloepfer started the project as a science‑fair effort after the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting, and over twelve years the project became Biofire. Kloepfer and the company acknowledge they cannot solve the broader gun violence epidemic but say the technology can make a meaningful difference for accidental or non‑intentional incidents. Biofire has begun to attract institutional venture interest after earlier rounds were mainly angel‑backed. Biofire develops a Smart Gun® — a handgun with fully integrated, instantly unlocking biometrics that permits access only to users authorized by the owner. The company is led by founder and CEO Kai Kloepfer and is based in Broomfield, Colorado. It emerged from three years in stealth in May 2022, at which time it disclosed an over $17m seed funding round. Biofire raised $14m in a Series A to accelerate growth and expand operations and its business reach. The product and strategy are focused on reducing firearm accidents, criminal misuse, suicides, and other tragic outcomes. No operating metrics such as revenue or user numbers were disclosed in the article. Biofire is developing a firearm with deeply integrated biometric locking so the weapon only functions for its authorized user. The team, drawn from aerospace and military backgrounds, redesigned the firearm’s locking mechanism from the ground up rather than adding an external lock. Images show a fingerprint sensor on the left side of the grip and the company says the device contains modern electronics but no RF communications, prioritizing privacy and a hardened interface port. Biofire says the system is designed so most customers (about 99%) will not need to think about battery maintenance. The company is running a private beta with owners, military and law enforcement, and cybersecurity experts before a public launch. Biofire has been cautious about releasing technical details on its authentication mechanisms while it completes testing and validation.

Total raised

$38M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Feb 2024