RideAlong
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched1 / 4
Sections to complete：02
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
RideAlong was a US govtech startup founded in 2017 as a spin-out of a Code for America fellowship in Seattle. It built a mobile-responsive web app giving first responders real-time data in the field to more safely interact with people experiencing mental illness, chemical dependencies or homelessness. Integrated with the 911 dispatch system, it surfaced response plans, de-escalation techniques and officer-safety warnings at the moment of a call. Piloted by the Seattle Police Department (1,200 officers, 40% logging in regularly), the app cut 911 calls about frequent system users by 35%, reportedly saving the department $435,000 in six months. The company raised over $550,000 and closed $250,000+ in sales revenue.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
RideAlong was spun out of the Code for America fellowship (Katherine Nammacher, Meredith Hitchcock) to help police interact safely with people in mental-health crisis.
- Y Combinator
RideAlong joined Y Combinator's Summer 2017 batch.
- Sold to OpenLattice
The company was sold to OpenLattice. (Note: sources date the sale to 2018; the record's event_year 2020 is left as-is.)
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
RideAlong was sold to OpenLattice in 2018, according to UC Berkeley and Phillips Exeter Academy biographical sources.
- 02
No failure causes were reported — the company was a working product with police customers and was acquired rather than shut down.