Watchful
About
Power-up your monitoring team
Our eyes don't miss a thing.
Watchful is an automated decision-making software system that monitors security systems with an unparalleled level of detail. Watchful’s accuracy minimizes arbitrary notifications, allows for rapid responses, and helps you scale your capability and precision without the need for additional human resources.
Ensure your customers are never set back by a loss of time, money or people with Watchful - the unwavering guardian for security monitoring teams.
- Location
- Auckland
- Website
- Visit website
- Founded
- 2022
- Employees
- 11-50
- Industry
- Cyber Security
- Funding stage
- Seed
The Matchstiq Top 2025
Snapshot of Watchful
Preventing Crime Before It Happens
Watchful is redefining the future of security by building powerful, AI-driven monitoring tools that help stop incidents before they occur.
Founded by former New Zealand Police officer Joshua Parsons, Watchful’s core belief is that prevention is the most powerful form of protection. Its flagship platform, Quill, helps security teams monitor large-scale environments more efficiently by identifying high-risk behaviours in real time, without relying on facial or license plate recognition.
Since launching in 2022, Watchful has rapidly gained traction, particularly in the U.S., and recently closed a $4.65M seed round led by Blackbird Ventures, with backing from Icehouse Ventures, K1W1, and a $400K R&D grant from Callaghan Innovation.
Why Watchful Is a Great Place to Work
Mission with Real-World Impact Watchful isn’t building tech for tech’s sake, it’s creating life-saving tools that help real people stay safe. Whether it’s preventing retail theft or empowering security teams in high-risk environments, your work here matters.
Founder with Frontline Experience CEO Joshua Parsons spent years in the New Zealand Police before founding Watchful. That firsthand experience on the frontlines informs the company’s mission and ensures every product is rooted in real-world needs.
Cutting-Edge Tech Without Ethical Grey Areas Watchful’s AI doesn’t rely on facial or plate recognition. Instead, it focuses on behaviour-based analysis, empowering teams without compromising privacy. It’s a thoughtful, principled approach to innovation in security.
Rapid Growth & Global Ambition Backed by top-tier investors and already expanding into the U.S. market, Watchful is poised to become a global leader in proactive security. You’ll be joining a team with serious momentum and a bold vision for international impact.
Build With the People Who Use It Watchful works side-by-side with security teams to develop its tools, meaning you’ll build products that are used and loved by professionals every day. Your work will directly help agents deliver faster, safer responses.
If you're excited about real-world AI applications, building for safety, and reshaping an outdated industry, explore careers at Watchful and join the mission to make security smarter, faster, and more proactive.