“We are anticipating a significant expansion”: Carbine’s CEO in an interview after the exit

For Amir Alihai, founder and CEO of Carbine, this is not a moment of conclusion, but the beginning of a new phase: integration, the establishment of a new division within Exxon and the deepening of the move in the US emergency call center market.

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Exxon, the buyer, which until now was known mainly for tasers, body cameras and cloud evidence management systems for law enforcement, is for the first time entering directly into the core of emergency centers (911 in the US). The Israeli Carbine, which developed a cloud system for managing emergency calls from start to finish, is expected to become a major player in this process, and the significance is also an expansion of the development activity in Israel. In an interview with Globes, Elihai talks about the period between The signing to complete the transaction, the decision to sell precisely in the midst of the artificial intelligence revolution, and the next battle for the emergency call center market.

Elihai, 40 years old, grew up in Ashdod and served five years as a fighter and officer in the Aguz unit. After his release he moved to the United States and later returned to Israel and studied law and business administration. Elihai previously told how he formulated the idea for the carbine following a robbery he experienced at the beach in Tel Aviv, when he discovered how difficult it was for the emergency system to locate his location and receive information in real time. The experience became the starting point for establishing a system that seeks to change the way emergency calls are managed. Since its establishment, Carbine has raised over 200 million dollars, and it works with hundreds of public and governmental bodies, mainly in the United States, which is the main business activity.

How did the last few weeks feel, before the official announcement of the completion of the deal? What is it like to manage a company that is between an independent startup and a huge corporation?
“From the moment you sign the binding agreement until the deal is officially closed, quite a few things happen. In the end, you have to manage the company. Even after we signed, there are still goals that need to be met and close out the year. The whole dynamic is a bit strange when Exxon is already on the board, and you want to start working as part of the corporation but still can’t. You are in a very strange situation.” According to him, “By and large, the instruction was business as usual. There are people who acted and were required to complete the transaction, but beyond that, the activity continues as usual.”

What will now look different in practice, both in Carbine and in Exxon?
“One of the reasons Exxon acquires companies is to preserve young DNA, start-ups and innovation within a large company of thousands of employees. One of their interesting rules is that in the first quarters we have to let a company that we were so enthusiastic about continue as an independent entity. ‘Let’s let them continue, we won’t make changes that could harm the activity’, because we believe that only by announcing the purchase can more work come.

“At the same time, there are road map processes and gradual integration. But the rule of thumb is that until the end of 2026 the company will continue its momentum, and gradually integrate. The goal is to present a complete system, and to provide added value from the beginning of the event to the end.” According to him, the connection with Exxon now allows Carbine to realize its vision on a much wider scale. “Our vision is a system that is managed by people but makes decisions automatically using artificial intelligence, and knows how to receive a call within 30 seconds and significantly reduce the response time. It is about thousands of people that can be saved around the world every day. The connection with Exxon gives us capabilities that we did not have until today.”

A new move in a new market

When you look at it from Exxon’s side, what are they actually buying in a carbine?
“Exxon is a very big player in the worlds of critical systems. They see here the ability to take what Carbine has built and connect it to a continuous solution. They have the side of the response forces in the field, and we bring the management of the critical phase of the event through a cloud system.

“As a company that provides critical systems, the goal is to optimize, improve and make the process safer.”

This is the first time Exxon has made a significant move in Israel. Why now?
“Axon has operations in Israel as part of working with authorities, but it does not have an official representation here. They recognize the potential for global expansion and there are areas where the foothold is still in its infancy. But it was not a move of ‘let’s enter Israel’, but an interest in the technology we developed and the ability to provide service.” Elihai adds that “we anticipate significant growth and expansion in Israel, especially in the worlds of development and research and development. In the first phase, it is about increasing the development center in Israel that will support the carbine.”

AI agents at the hubs

Elihai explains that “something interesting is happening in the American market: fewer and fewer people are going to work at 911 centers. The population is growing, there is more data coming in and fewer people answering calls. That is why there is a greater openness to integrating artificial intelligence agents in the centers.”

According to him, “Carbine takes all the calls and forwards non-emergency calls to the agents, then directs the line to operators. Over time, when there is more security in the systems, we will move from a situation of one operator per call to a model where one operator conducts several calls at the same time alongside automated agents. In the future, there will be human supervision, but a large part of the response will be provided by agents.”

He adds that “Axon has the ability to automatically send drones to the scene of an incident. If frightened citizens call, there is video from the area and they can be directed. There is also data from the field, everything is connected to one database and the artificial intelligence derives insights from it. The connection will allow us to develop additional applications, because until today we are missing a part of the overall system.” He also said, “Today, when you call an ambulance, you can’t tell when it will arrive. People want to know it will arrive in two minutes. And that doesn’t happen today because the system is decentralized. When we unify everything, the experience will be similar to what people know from ride services, but in the worlds of emergencies.”

Carbine has activity against sensitive bodies such as the New York Police. Does the change of ownership affect the relationship with the customers?
“Exxon is a very well-known player in the 911 world, and in most cases already operates there. Therefore, from the point of view of the customers, there is continuity and not a dramatic change. Today, different parts of the system operate separately, and the connection between them can produce a more complete picture. He also adds that “the feedback we received from customers was very positive. They prefer one system that provides a complete answer.”

In New York there is also public criticism surrounding enforcement technologies. How do you operate in such an environment?
“Carbine is a life-saving system. It is not a surveillance system. It allows citizens to report to the authorities in a more accessible way, but the authorities do not have a way to access the phone. We operate in a one-way manner and do not send mass messages. The system gives power to citizens and creates transparency.”

And why sell now, even a few months after raising 100 million dollars?
“A company’s success is not just about technology. As a CEO, you have to understand the market fluctuations, the competition and the ability of customers to pay. The decision was whether to continue alone. We raised $100 million shortly before the acquisition, but I’ve seen what happens in the worlds of artificial intelligence and how certain things become off the shelf. I felt that this connection was the right thing. Continuing alone would not necessarily get us where we want in three or four years.

“And sometimes it is right to sell and return value to investors. Beyond the $625 million, there is also a significant capital component in the company, on which future value can be built. Considering everything, it was the right step.”