From first check to acquisition: Prepared joins Axon in a milestone deal

Dear Mike, Dylan, Neal and Miranda,

Prepared’s acquisition by Axon marks more than an incredible milestone. It represents the culmination of the goal I set out when I joined M13. Having accumulated over 2 decades of startup experience, with both M&A and IPO’s exits under my belt, I became an investor to support exceptional founders building meaningful companies, and guide them toward transformative outcomes.

From the start, Prepared stood apart. Your team has demonstrated the ability to build an incredible platform with disruptive impact on a market that truly needs Prepared.

But my pride stems from far more than this milestone: you have built a company that truly makes the world a better place, from a concept that originated out of the purest part of your hearts!

From a Yale classroom to a transformative outcome

Mike, I still recall our first encounter and the first of many conversations when I was simply lucky to be speaking at the one MBA class that you and Dylan happened to audit. 

Afterward, you asked to walk me to my Uber. (I’d later learn you asked Dylan to hang back so you could corner me 1:1.) As a former football player, you still carried the frame of a linebacker, so it felt more like I had a bodyguard escort. But our conversation was anything but intimidating.

You shared your early thinking about improving communication between first responders and schools during active shooter incidents. It was something you’d been personally affected by as young people in your home towns in Connecticut and Ohio. Your passion and energy sold me although at the time I was still skeptical if there was a real business to be built. 

I offered you my support as a mentor of sorts and began speaking with you somewhat regularly as you navigated the earliest stages in the process of building. A year later, you called to tell me you’d won a Thiel Fellowship and planned to drop out of Yale to build Prepared full-time. Your biggest worry? Telling your parents, as you were the first in your family to attend college. But you did it, and brought Dylan and Neal along. 

When the product matured and commercial traction emerged, I introduced the opportunity to my partners at M13. We were proud to write Prepared’s first check.

Investing early in founders who move fast

Mike, from the beginning, you had a rare ability to balance strategic depth with relentless execution. 

It took about a year from that initial check, but in late 2021, you called me and told me you were ready to raise Prepared’s next round, which would be its formal seed round. I was gearing up to make our case to lead it, but within a week, you had multiple term sheets. First Round would lead. Mike, you moved too fast, and we missed our chance to lead. But we participated in the round and stayed close, which then resulted in the opportunity to follow in further before the next round.

This pattern repeated itself as you welcomed A16Z into the business and ultimately General Catalyst, but this was simply a reflection of everything you set your mind to. You consistently made bold predictions and then over delivered. Throughout my relationship with the team, we debated strategies and targets and I am not sure the team ever failed to execute, and any slight setbacks that we faced were taken on head first and resolved with minimal interruption in the trajectory of the business.

Scaling trust: not just a better company, but a better culture

Having said that, what I appreciate most was the way you all have built and grown the company.  We often discussed organizational building, communications and culture, ironically, the very topic I spoke about at Yale the day we met. 

Prepared became not only an industry leader but a gold standard in how to scale culture with performance. Building a great company is already hard but building one that people are proud to be part of takes great leadership.

Mike, you are one of the best CEO’s I have had the pleasure to work with. I also truly consider you a friend. The founding team is as close as you were when I met you all – and will continue to do great things in industry. The close of this chapter will only be the first in many opportunities we will have to work together. I will be right there behind them wherever possible to continue to support your journey.

What this means for public safety—and for venture

Prepared’s acquisition validates the belief we held from the start: that real world infrastructure behind “sleepy sectors” like public safety can be rebuilt with empathy, clarity, enterprise reliability and consumer-grade usability. It’s proof that some of the most consequential innovation comes from founders using software to reform real-world systems.

While financial terms weren't disclosed, the strategic significance of Prepared’s acquisition speaks volumes. It validates a once-overlooked market and also underscores the value of early-stage investing. 

What’s next

At M13, we invest early, support closely and hands-on with Propulsion, and invest on purpose as a predictor of performance. Prepared’s story is a testament to that approach.

To Mike, Dylan, Neal, Miranda and the entire Prepared team: congratulations. You are a testament to how hard work, intelligence and compassion can all come together to build something that changes lives.  

Until our next venture together. All my love and support,

Karl