Our take
Cobalt is the robot company that turned into a software company. It built indoor security robots that patrol offices and campuses, and since Dean Drako bought it in June 2024 and renamed it Cobalt AI, its lead product has become Cobalt Monitoring Intelligence, software that investigates access control and camera alarms before a person sees them.4,1
Buyers still get the robot, offered as Robot as a Service on an annual contract with Cobalt's Command Center staff watching over it. Cobalt does not publish prices. Drako told SecurityInfoWatch that customers include FedEx, DoorDash, and Salesforce.2,5
Scores by criterion
Each criterion is defined on our methodology page.
Who uses Cobalt and what it's for
Cobalt's buyers are corporate security teams that run large access control and camera estates, often from a global security operations center. Drako described one customer with 500 buildings generating about three million access control alerts a year.5
The robot suits indoor patrols of offices, labs, and data centers, where it handles scheduled facility checks around the clock and escalates confirmed events to people.2
The Cobalt Robot
The Cobalt Robot patrols indoor facilities on scheduled and ad hoc routes. It processes data onboard and sends only security events to the monitoring platform, rather than streaming raw video. Cobalt handles setup, maintenance, and support.2
When the software confirms a real threat, Cobalt's own robot specialists at its Command Center verify the alert and coordinate the response with video, access logs, and a recommended action.2
Monitoring Intelligence
Cobalt Monitoring Intelligence assigns an AI Handler to each incident type, such as a door forced open or tailgating, to pull video and badge data and decide whether to clear, open a service ticket, or escalate. Cobalt says 80% of access control alarms need investigation but not escalation.1
It integrates with access control systems including LenelS2 OnGuard, Genetec, C-CURE 9000, Brivo, and Avigilon, and with Eagle Eye Networks and Milestone XProtect for video.3
Ownership
Cobalt Robotics raised a $35 million Series B, according to SecurityInfoWatch. In June 2024 Dean Drako, founder of Eagle Eye Networks and owner of Brivo, acquired the company, became chairman, and kept Ken Wolff as chief executive. Cobalt operates as an independent company.4,5
Competitive landscape
| Company | Product | Pricing model | Deployment footprint | Where Cobalt wins or loses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobalt AI | Indoor security robot with Cobalt Command Center2 | Robot as a Service on an annual contract2 | Indoor sites with elevators and corridors2 | Indoor patrols backed by its own Command Center staff; no public price |
| Knightscope | K5 and other patrol robots plus licensed security agents14 | Subscription including machine, maintenance, connectivity, and software8,10 | Parking lots and corporate campuses; public company10 | Cobalt wins indoors with 24/7 remote specialists included. Knightscope wins outdoors. |
| Asylon | Guardian security drone with a 24/7 operations center11 | Not published11 | Large or complex sites; FAA-certified operators11 | Cobalt wins inside buildings. Asylon wins on aerial coverage of large outdoor sites. |
| Ascento | Outdoor patrol robot offered as a service12 | Robotics as a Service12 | Outdoor assets; works in rain, snow, and wind12 | Cobalt wins inside offices and labs. Ascento wins on rough outdoor terrain. |
| Skydio | Autonomous drones and docks with Security Command software13 | Not published13 | Public safety, utilities, and national security buyers13 | Cobalt wins on indoor patrols and alarm handling. Skydio wins on drones for public safety and large outdoor areas. |
Limits
No public pricing for the robot or the software.2
The robot is indoor only. Outdoor perimeter patrol needs a different product.2
Revenue is not disclosed and third-party models vary. Growjo models $53.3 million with 171 employees; we treat that as an upper bound and estimate $15 million to $50 million, given Cobalt's annual-contract model and enterprise customer base. This is an estimate, not a reported figure.6,2
What customers say
Where it helps
The case for Cobalt in public reporting is cost and consistency. Drako said robot customers do not pay three or four guards to cover a shift, and the company says its software cuts alarm noise by up to 95% and delivers verified events in under 75 seconds.5,3
Where it falls short
We found no independent negative reviews. The open questions are how much of the business still depends on the robot now that software leads the pitch, and what a deployment costs, since Cobalt quotes privately.1,2
Where customer reviews couldn't be found, our analysts attempted to give a voice to buyer sentiment, drawing on real information from review sites, forums and product documentation. Based on: Cobalt AI website and press release, and a SecurityInfoWatch interview with Dean Drako.
Leadership
Dean Drako
Owner and chairmanDrako, founder of Eagle Eye Networks and owner of Brivo, acquired Cobalt in June 2024.4
Sources
- Cobalt AI, Homepage, accessed November 1, 2026
- Cobalt AI, Security robots, accessed November 1, 2026
- Cobalt AI, Leadership, accessed November 1, 2026
- Cobalt AI, Dean Drako acquires Cobalt AI, June 4, 2024, accessed November 1, 2026
- SecurityInfoWatch, Zooming in on Dean Drako's acquisition of Cobalt Robotics, accessed November 1, 2026
- Growjo, Cobalt Robotics revenue and employee estimates, accessed November 1, 2026
- Cobalt AI, Ken Wolff at Cloud Security Summit 2026, accessed November 1, 2026
- Knightscope, A smarter way to secure your property, accessed November 1, 2026
- Knightscope, The Autonomous Security Force, accessed October 31, 2026
- Knightscope, Form 10-K for 2025, accessed November 1, 2026
- Asylon, Guardian drone, accessed November 1, 2026
- Ascento, Home page, accessed November 1, 2026
- Skydio, Home page, accessed November 1, 2026
- Knightscope, Preliminary third quarter 2026 revenue, SEC exhibit 99.1, October 20, 2026, accessed October 31, 2026
