Report: Ex-detective’s stealth startup 22one valued at nearly $400M, backed by Sequoia and Lux

Steven Richardson’s new London startup, 22one, has reportedly landed a valuation of around $400 million, with Sequoia, General Catalyst, Lux Capital and Creandum among the backers. The Financial Times says the amount raised hasn’t been disclosed. That’s a huge number for a company that, so far, is still promising to build AI tools for police work more efficiently.

Richardson left Merseyside Police in 2021 after serving as a detective chief superintendent. Since then he’s moved through the vendor side of the business too, becoming UK policing lead at Amazon Web Services, then working at Palantir, before co-founding Riven. That earlier company made software to find and remove personal data from police documents, and NEC Software Solutions later bought it. NEC said Riven’s DocDefender was used by almost half of UK police forces.

There is at least some proof that this kind of tool can work. In a pilot with Bedfordshire Police, DocDefender reportedly hit 92% accuracy and saved more than 9,500 officer and staff hours each year. That sort of result helps explain why investors might take a swing here, even before 22one has shown a product.

And these aren’t random names. Sequoia backed Peregrine Technologies at a $2.5 billion valuation in March 2025, then Peregrine raised again in June at a $6.8 billion valuation. Lux Capital, General Catalyst and Creandum also have long track records in defence and early-stage deals, which suggests they know exactly what they’re buying: a founder with police credentials, a hot category, and not much else yet.

The timing is awkwardly good. The UK government wants 43 police forces to start using AI, and PoliceAI has already launched with £75 million set aside over three years for pilot schemes in up to 10 forces. Those trials run through 2026-27, with full rollout expected in 2027. So 22one is stepping into a market that is clearly being prepared for it, even if the buyers are still cautious.