ZeroEyes teams with Samson to expand UK threat detection

ZeroEyes has partnered with Samson Security Fire & Facilities to expand its threat-detection technology in the UK. The agreement gives the US company broader access to British organisations through the Liverpool-based security provider.

The partnership centres on software that analyses live CCTV feeds to identify visible firearms and knives. Possible detections are sent to human analysts for verification before alerts go to security teams and first responders. Samson will combine the system with its own monitoring, guarding and response services for UK customers.

ZeroEyes says its software can be added to existing digital camera networks, allowing organisations to use their current CCTV infrastructure rather than replace it. It also says the system does not use facial recognition or behavioural tracking.

Beyond firearm and knife detection, the broader analytics suite includes intrusion detection, left-behind object detection, crowd formation monitoring and camera health monitoring. The platform is already used in the United States and has generated thousands of verified weapon dispatches, according to the company.

UK Expansion

The move gives ZeroEyes a stronger route into the British market through a local partner with an established customer base across commercial, industrial and public-sector settings. Samson, founded in 2000 and based in Liverpool, provides manned guarding, CCTV and electronic security systems, alarm monitoring, keyholding, fire protection and facilities management.

For UK organisations, the tie-up comes as security operators consider how to strengthen site preparedness under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, widely known as Martyn's Law. The legislation sets preparedness and protective security requirements for certain public premises and events, though neither company suggests any single technology can deliver compliance on its own.

Instead, the system is being positioned as one part of a broader layered security approach focused on situational awareness and faster incident response. That reflects a wider market trend as building operators seek to make better use of existing surveillance systems rather than invest in entirely new hardware.

"Samson has the experience, relationships and operational capabilities needed to bring our technology to organizations throughout the UK," said Mike Lahiff, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ZeroEyes. "This partnership represents an important step in our international growth and advances our shared goal of helping security teams identify visible threats earlier and respond with actionable intelligence."

Lahiff's comments highlight the importance of local delivery for overseas security technology suppliers entering the UK market, where deployment often depends on relationships with domestic operators that can handle installation, monitoring and emergency coordination.

"UK organizations are looking for practical ways to gain more value from their existing CCTV investments and strengthen their ability to respond to developing threats," said Zara Richards, Principal, Samson Security Fire & Facilities. "By combining ZeroEyes' analytics and human verification with Samson's integrated security and response services, we can provide customers with a more complete and proactive approach to protecting people and property."

Human review

A central part of the offering is the human verification step. According to ZeroEyes, images flagged by the software are sent to its operations centre, staffed around the clock by trained former US military and law enforcement personnel. If analysts determine a threat is valid, alerts are sent with details including a visual description, weapon type and last known location.

The process is intended to reduce false alarms from automated detection alone, a longstanding concern in video analytics and physical security. It also reflects a hybrid approach increasingly used in surveillance technology, with software narrowing large volumes of footage and human reviewers making the final decision before escalation.

ZeroEyes, founded in 2018, says it has deployed its platform across thousands of locations in the US, as well as in Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and India. Its customer base includes education, government, defence and commercial users.

The company says initial knife-detection deployments are producing actionable results, adding to a platform first built around visual firearm detection. The UK partnership gives that broader suite a local route to market at a time when organisations face growing pressure to review preparedness, incident response and the value of their existing CCTV estate.