Riding the Surge in Public Safety Tech: Post-Liverpool Investment Opportunities

The May 26, 2025, vehicle attack during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade—a stark reminder of the fragility of public spaces—has ignited a global reckoning with crowd safety infrastructure. With 47 injuries and echoes of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster haunting the city, this isolated incident has become a catalyst for regulatory overhauls and a seismic shift in demand for advanced security technologies. For investors, the writing is on the wall: the era of reactive safety measures is over. Smart surveillance, real-time crowd monitoring AI, and public event safety solutions are now critical infrastructure, and the companies pioneering these technologies are poised for explosive growth.

A Regulatory Tsunami: Martyn's Law and Beyond

The UK's Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, colloquially known as Martyn's Law, is already reshaping the landscape. Enacted in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, this legislation mandates layered security protocols for venues expecting over 200 attendees. For large-scale events (800+ attendees), requirements escalate to include documented safety plans, real-time monitoring systems, and physical safeguards. Penalties for non-compliance—up to £18 million in fines—ensure compliance is non-negotiable.

The Liverpool attack has turbocharged enforcement timelines. Venues from sports stadiums to concert halls are scrambling to meet these standards, creating a $1.8 billion market opportunity (per Home Office estimates) for security tech providers.

The Companies Leading the Charge

1. Verkada (VRDA)

Verkada's cloud-managed security systems integrate cameras, access control, and environmental sensors into a unified platform. Its AI-driven “Person Tracking” and “Tailgate Detection” features are now mandatory upgrades for venues under Martyn's Law. With a 65% revenue surge in Q2 2025 alone (), this is a buy-and-hold name for the long haul.

2. PerVista AI (PVST)

PerVista's real-time weapon detection systems are a goldmine in post-Liverpool Britain. Its AI scans video feeds for firearms with 99% accuracy, alerting authorities faster than human operators. With contracts now flowing from UK stadiums and shopping centers, PVST's valuation is primed to double by year-end ().

3. viisights (VSG)

Israel's viisights specializes in predictive crowd analytics, using AI to model human behavior and identify risks like stampedes. Its “Safety Zones” feature, which isolates hazardous areas in real time, has been adopted by London's Heathrow Airport and is now mandatory for UK event organizers. A 200% revenue jump in 2024 hints at even greater gains ahead.

4. AI Checked (AICX)

Focused on crowd threat detection, AI Checked's systems track coordinated criminal activities, weaponized drones, and even suspicious objects in real time. Its recent $50M Series B round (funded partly by the UK's AI Security Challenge Fund) signals institutional confidence.

The Funding Floodgates Are Open

Governments worldwide are accelerating public safety spending. The UK's Vision Zero of Crowd Safety initiative, launched in 2025, earmarks £2.3 billion for AI-driven monitoring systems in high-risk venues. Meanwhile, the EU's SmartCrowd Initiative targets €1.2 billion in subsidies for tech companies scaling across borders.

For investors, the sweet spot is in end-to-end solutions providers like PHYSEC (PHY) (cyber-physical security for utilities) and NETRA Global (NETRA) (wall-penetrating radar for covert threats). Both are benefiting from Martyn's Law's “multi-layered protection” mandate.

Why Act Now?

• Regulatory Tailwinds: Martyn's Law's 24-month transition period is collapsing as venues race to comply.
• Public Demand: Post-Liverpool, 82% of UK eventgoers now expect visible safety tech (per a recent YouGov survey).
• Global Scalability: Solutions developed for the UK will dominate markets in Europe, the U.S., and Asia, where similar regulations are in draft stages.

The Bottom Line

The Liverpool attack is not an outlier—it's a wake-up call. The $200B global public safety tech market is at an inflection point, and early movers like Verkada and PerVista AI are positioned to dominate. For investors, this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to capitalize on structural demand. The question isn't if to act—it's how fast.

Act now, before the crowd catches up.