HiveWatch Taps Serial Founder to Scale its AI Security Vision

EL SEGUNDO, CA – December 03, 2025 – In the high-stakes world of enterprise technology, the strategic addition of a board member can often signal a company's ambitions more loudly than a funding announcement. For HiveWatch, an AI-driven physical security platform, the recent appointment of four-time founder James Segil to its board of directors is just such a declaration. Coming on the heels of a substantial $33 million Series B funding round, this move is a calculated play to pair fresh capital with proven scaling expertise, positioning the company to aggressively pursue a leadership role in a rapidly evolving market.

Segil is not just another seasoned executive. He is a serial disruptor with a playbook for building and exiting category-defining companies. This appointment transcends a simple advisory role; it represents the fusion of HiveWatch’s next-generation technology with a leadership track record honed by navigating the precise challenges the company now faces: scaling enterprise sales, building robust partner ecosystems, and executing a go-to-market strategy that can outmaneuver both legacy giants and nimble startups. As the physical security industry pivots toward AI-powered, integrated solutions, HiveWatch is signaling that it has not only the capital but also the strategic guidance to lead the charge.

An Architect of Exits Joins the Blueprint

To understand the significance of Segil’s appointment, one must look at his history of transforming nascent ideas into market-leading enterprises. His most recent and relevant success was as President and Co-Founder of Openpath Security, a company that fundamentally challenged the staid access control sector by turning smartphones into secure credentials. Openpath’s rapid growth and eventual acquisition by Motorola Solutions in 2021 is a case study in disrupting a physical security category. Segil’s direct experience in this arena provides HiveWatch with invaluable, battle-tested insights into the very market it aims to redefine.

His track record of success, however, extends well beyond access control. Segil was a co-founder of EdgeCast Networks, a content delivery network (CDN) that grew to carry a significant portion of all internet traffic before its $400 million acquisition by Verizon. This experience in building and scaling critical, high-volume digital infrastructure is deeply relevant to HiveWatch's mission of processing and interpreting vast streams of security data. Earlier ventures, including KnowledgeBase Solutions (acquired by Talisma) and Virtualis Systems (acquired by Allegiance Telecom), further cement his reputation as a leader who can guide companies from startup to successful exit. This pattern of building, scaling, and selling technology companies is precisely the expertise that growth-stage investors, like HiveWatch’s Series B lead Anthos Capital, look for to maximize their returns and secure market leadership.

“Physical security is at an inflection point, and HiveWatch is at the forefront of defining what the modern GSOC should look like,” said Segil in the official announcement. His statement underscores a shared vision: the time is ripe for a software-driven, intelligent overhaul of a traditionally hardware-centric industry.

Beyond the Alarm: AI as the Brain of Physical Security

The technological problem HiveWatch is solving is one of complexity and noise. Large organizations often operate a fragmented patchwork of security systems: video cameras from one vendor, access control from another, and a host of disparate alarms and sensors. This lack of integration creates data silos and forces human operators in a Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) to manually correlate information, a process that is slow, inefficient, and prone to error. The result is often “alarm fatigue,” where operators are so inundated with false positives that they risk missing genuine threats.

HiveWatch’s core innovation is a platform designed to act as a central nervous system for these disconnected tools. By unifying video, access control, alarms, and threat intelligence into a single dashboard, it provides a holistic view of an organization's security posture. The true differentiator, however, is its “AI Operator.” This AI engine learns the unique patterns of each customer’s environment—what constitutes normal activity versus a potential anomaly. It automatically investigates and dismisses the vast majority of false alarms, allowing human operators to focus their attention on the small fraction of events that require genuine intervention. The company reports that over 90% of its new customer contracts include this AI functionality, indicating strong market demand for a solution that reduces noise and accelerates incident response.

This approach aligns perfectly with the dominant trends shaping the security industry. According to the Security Industry Association (SIA), AI-driven predictive analytics and intelligent automation are the most critical trends for the coming years. The industry is rapidly shifting from a reactive model—responding to alarms after they happen—to a proactive and predictive one. HiveWatch's platform, which aims to provide program-level intelligence, is built for this new paradigm, promising not just to connect systems but to make them smarter.

Capital and Strategy: A Two-Pronged Push for Market Dominance

The $33 million Series B round, led by Anthos Capital with participation from Harmonic Growth Partners and Across Capital, provides the financial fuel for HiveWatch’s ambitions. This oversubscribed round, bringing total funding to over $65 million, is a powerful vote of confidence from investors who specialize in scaling technology companies. Firms like Harmonic Growth Partners, with a portfolio rich in AI-focused enterprises, and Across Capital, which targets high-growth software businesses, bring not just money but also a network and expertise tailored to HiveWatch’s needs.

Pairing this capital with James Segil’s strategic guidance creates a formidable combination. While the engineering team focuses on advancing the AI Operator and platform capabilities, Segil can help the leadership team, including Co-Founder & CEO Ryan Schonfeld, navigate the complex commercial landscape. His experience will be instrumental in refining the company's enterprise sales motion, forging strategic channel partnerships, and articulating a value proposition that resonates with C-level executives who are increasingly responsible for physical security risk.

“His track record scaling organizations will help us meet rising demand from many of the world’s most complex enterprises to protect their people and operations,” noted Schonfeld. This highlights the core challenge and opportunity: moving from an innovative product to a ubiquitous enterprise solution. The competitive landscape includes established PSIM (Physical Security Information Management) providers like Everbridge and integrated security giants such as Genetec. To win, HiveWatch must not only prove its technological superiority but also execute a flawless commercial strategy. Segil's appointment is a clear move to ensure the latter, providing the seasoned leadership needed to translate technological innovation into market-share gains and long-term, sustainable growth.