Jacksonville-based Urban SDK, a technology company that creates software for governments, announced Feb. 5 that it received a $65 million investment from Riverwood Capital.<\/p>\n
Urban SDK says its geospatial AI tools help deploy resources to address everyday concerns like citizen complaints and traffic enforcement, and assist in emergency operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company says it has enabled over 300 local government customers in 40 states to transform their operations and manage their cities more effectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mission has always been to equip the government teams serving our communities with the intelligence they need to protect lives and steward public resources responsibly,\u201d said Drew Messer, co-founder and CEO of Urban SDK, in a media release. \u201cToday, hundreds of cities use Urban SDK to prevent traffic accidents and fatalities and to make smarter decisions, at roughly ten cents on the dollar versus traditional approaches. Riverwood Capital\u2019s partnership allows us to scale our AI system of action for these governments and civil leaders, accelerating our ability to help communities build safer, more resilient cities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this raise, we\u2019re excited to continue expanding the full capabilities of our AI platform as we grow across existing and new markets,\u201d Justin Dennis, co-founder and COO of Urban SDK, said in the release. \u201cAs we engage with more cities, agencies, and partners in 2026, we believe our technology will continue shaping the future of smart cities across the US.\u201d<\/p>\n
Menlo Park, California-based Riverwood Capital says it has invested in and supported more 90 companies since it launched in 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were impressed by how intuitively powerful Urban SDK\u2019s platform is, and how quickly it delivers real-world impact for cities and public servants,\u201d said Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, co-founder and managing partner of Riverwood Capital, said in the release. \u201cDrew, Justin, and the entire team have built technology that makes advanced geospatial AI immediately accessible to the people making decisions and serving their constituencies on the ground, which is why adoption across hundreds of cities has been such a clear and compelling validation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riverwood said it also supports the company\u2019s growth plans, including its principal Eric Ma joining the Urban SDK board.<\/p>\n
Messer\u2019s uncle is Daniel Davis, president and CEO of the JAX Chamber.<\/p>\n
At the JaxChamber 2026 Small Business Leader of the Year awards, on Jan. 29, Davis interviewed Messer at the start of the event.<\/p>\n
Messer said Jacksonville needs to commit to exploring AI technology or risk being left behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can create better AI, become a tech hub center, this can become a very special place,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are seeing that in Miami. Miami is just exploding. It is starting to feel like the next Silicon Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n
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