The VALIDATE Accelerator Cyrus team, formerly KeeVeeve, is building an AI-native security system that can identify an extensive range of abnormal behaviors and activities that endanger safety and security standards in indoor and outdoor areas.
This effort is spearheaded by Mahshid Ghasemi and Jeremy Johnston, both Columbia University Ph.D. candidates in electrical engineering. Their updated team name, “Cyrus,” honors Cyrus the Great, who is known for establishing the world’s first charter of human rights.
Through the Accelerator, Cyrus has received support from the Center for Smart Streetscapes and Columbia Lab-to-Market Accelerator Network which provide the foundation for students and faculty at CS3 partner institutions to create entrepreneurial ventures based on their research.
The 2025 application cycle is open now, inviting undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty, and alumni from every CS3 institution to participate. Find the application form here.
At the 2024 CS3 Innovation Summit, Cyrus earned a prestigious Ignition Award of $10,000 to continue their efforts. Completion of the 2025 cohort of the Accelerator program also makes teams eligible for the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s I-Corps Teams program, which may include up to $50,000 in grant funding.
Streamlining Data to Benefit the Public
Cyrus is an innovative technology compatible with security systems created by any manufacturer, advancing the host security system to become non-intrusive and work in real time.
For Cyrus to pair with other security systems and adapt to a new environment, it also does not require fine-tuning or retraining.
This work builds on collaborations with Columbia’s WiMNet (Wireless & Mobile Networking) Lab and the local COSMOS Testbed.
Since joining the spring ’24 Accelerator cohort, Cyrus has developed a prototype of the product and begun conducting demos. The team is also continuing their customer discovery efforts and will soon attend Columbia Technology Ventures’ Pitch Day, presenting to a crowd of fellow researchers, founders, and investors.
Looking forward, the project is on path to enhance the safety of cities.