Sauron, a high-end home security startup named after the all-seeing eye from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” has made significant strides since its inception. Kevin Hartz, Jack Abraham, and their team of entrepreneurs and engineers launched the company in 2024. They were intentioned to go and create the same military-grade security apparatus that tech elites had developed for themselves. With an initial funding of $18 million from investors linked to Flock Safety and Palantir, Sauron is poised to revolutionize home security for those who prioritize safety.
The startup works to pair the most advanced technology with the human touch. It pairs cutting edge sensors like LiDAR and thermal imaging with 24/7 monitoring by trained ex-military and law enforcement professionals. This winning formula sets out to provide extraordinary peace of mind to its customers.
New CEO Maxime “Max” Bouvat-Merlin was appointed only last month. Prior to this role, he worked for almost nine years at Sonos, including stints as chief product officer. Under his leadership, Sauron is now poised to focus on customers for whom life and limb is most important, including folks just like Hartz himself.
“I want to make sure we’re showing progress and explaining how we’ll use extra funds to accelerate growth, including to launch our first end-to-end product, drive customer adoption, and accelerate the roadmap,” Bouvat-Merlin stated.
The Sauron security system pods are loaded with surveillance technology. Each pod can hold up to 40 cameras and a wider range of sensors, further turbocharging its surveillance capabilities. These pods link to servers that operate specialized machine learning software catering specifically to computer vision. Our personalized concierge service, manned by local professionals, is available 24/7 to support you. The system does not just prioritize protecting people’s homes but even more so deterrence.
“The more upfront we are with deterrence, the more we can convince people this is the wrong house to rob and the wrong decision to make,” Bouvat-Merlin explained. He highlighted the increasing concern among wealthy individuals regarding home security, noting that “we see people who are wealthy attracting criminals.”
Currently, Sauron only has 30-35 employees and is only projecting to add 10 or 12 more workers by 2026. The firm is still very much in development mode, targeting its first product launch late in 2026. Early subscribers will find themselves interacting with Sauron’s features by the end of that year.
Bouvat-Merlin expressed confidence in the company’s future fundraising efforts, stating, “Raising a Series A is not about raising because we have to — it’s because we want to.” The planned Series A fundraise is set for mid-2026 and will focus on sustaining growth while maintaining a premium experience for customers.
Protecting people’s homes should be a top priority. Beyond the enforcement piece, I love the deterrence angle — this is all about changing people’s thinking so they don’t make the bad choices that’ll get them in hot water.
Sauron is hard at work, getting ready for its next edition, taking place in San Francisco from October 13-15, 2026. This event will be a great opportunity to see their recent technological innovations and get a glimpse into where they’re headed in the future.
“I don’t demand that people trust me — I want to show them why they should,” Bouvat-Merlin remarked, highlighting his commitment to building trust with potential customers through transparency and innovation.
At the same time, Sauron is hard at work building out a robust ecosystem. It’s not just preserving homes, though—it’s restoring a feeling of safety and security for its clients. A pioneer in sustainable growth, Sauron is deeply committed to delivering the highest standards of service. Like Google, they want to get a leg up in the crowded competitive space that is home security.
