Sauron, the home security startup for “super premium” customers, is releasing a new CEO at Sonos

When Kevin Hartz’s security system failed to alert him when an intruder rang his doorbell and tried to break into his San Francisco home one night, the businessman decided that the answers available weren’t good enough. Co-founder Jack Abraham faced similar frustrations at his home in Miami Beach.

In 2024, he launched Sauron – dubbed the evil, all-seeing eye from “The Lord of the Rings” – to create what he sees as a military home security system for elites. The idea also echoed in Bay Area circles, where crime has been a constant topic during and after the outbreak, even as San Francisco Police Department statistics show property crime and homicides are down over the past year.

The startup raised $18 million from the management behind Flock Safety and Palantir, security technology investors including 8VC, Abraham’s startup lab Atomic, and Hartz’s investment firm A*. It came out of the blue exactly a year ago, promising to launch the first phase of 2025 with a system that combines AI-driven intelligence, advanced sensors like LiDAR and fuel estimation, and 24/7 surveillance by ex-military and law enforcement personnel.

But a year later, Sauron is still in development – a fact that its new CEO, Maxime “Max” Bouvat-Merlin, candidly acknowledged in an interview with TechCrunch.

After nearly nine years at Sonos, including a stint as chief marketing officer, Bouvat-Merlin took over at Sauron last month. He is spending his first days on the job finalizing key questions: which sensors will be used, how the security system will work, and when the company will deliver products to customers’ homes.

The answer to that last question? Later in 2026 at the earliest – a significant delay from the initial period.

“We are in a development phase,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “You’re going to see the step-by-step process in which we find our way to market.” All the different tools – our concierge service, our AI software running on our servers, our smart cameras – are building blocks that are coming together in the blueprint we’ve just laid out. “

However, Bouvat-Merlin sees a striking similarity between Sauron and Sonos, both of which target affluent customers first, rely on word-of-mouth growth, and combine complex hardware and advanced software. “I had lunch with John MacFarlane, the founder of Sonos, a few weeks ago,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “All the topics that he was thinking about when starting Sonos were similar topics that we are discussing at Sauron.”

Both companies faced the same questions: Start with high-end customers or more premiums? Professional installation or DIY? Make everything at home or help the environment? “We may make different decisions, but the questions are the same,” he said.

Security problem

Bouvat-Merlin says he was drawn to Sauron by the goal and the opportunity to solve a real customer problem. “Protecting people’s homes is important, but I also like the prevention aspect – changing people’s minds before they make the wrong decision and get into trouble,” he said.

His research showed that market leaders with high-quality home security products have the smallest market shares and Net Promoter Scores. “People are not happy with their answers today,” he said. “There are so many fake things that when the police are called, they don’t respond because they think it’s a false alarm.”

The company is targeting customers “where safety and security are of utmost importance” – people like Hartz. The plan is to start with this first step, to establish a reputation for helping customers who want it, and to develop what Bouvat-Merlin calls “more money.”

Problem (ongoing)

So what exactly is Sauron’s house? The answer is still growing. The collection starts with camera pods with multiple sensors – “40 cameras and different types of sensors, maybe LiDAR and radar, which would be hot,” said Bouvat-Merlin. These pods connect to servers running machine learning software on computers, all connected to a 24/7 concierge service staffed by ex-military and law enforcement personnel.

“Those people understand systems,” he said. “They are ideal for helping us develop our machine learning approach and train our machines to recognize unusual patterns.”

Deterrence system remains unclear. Methods being considered include loudspeakers, lighting, and other methods. But Mr. Bouvat-Merlin emphasized that prevention should begin before entering a home, realizing that buildings are being monitored, seeing vehicles circle the area several times, and identifying threats at each stage.

“The more we get ahead of the ban, the more we can convince people that this is the wrong house to steal and the wrong decision,” he said.

As for the drones mentioned when Sauron scrapped his plans last year, Bouvat-Merlin declined to say more. “These are street talks. I don’t want to get too deep at this point because there are many things we can do, but we are a small group,” he said. He added that, big picture, the goal is to grow the ecosystem through partnerships rather than reinventing the wheel.

Time is a business model

With fewer than 40 employees, Sauron plans to hire 10 to 12 more in 2026. The company will also begin working with startups later in 2026, with a Series A fundraise planned for mid-year.

“Raising a Series A is not about parenting because we have to – because we want to,” said Bouvat-Merlin. “I want to make sure that we show progress and explain how we will use the additional capital to accelerate growth, (including) launching our first product, driving customer adoption, and accelerating the process.”

The company has already attracted a list of prospective customers, he said, thanks to the work of Sauron’s three founders, who include roboticists and engineers. Vasumathi Raman. “We hope that the process will be oral, and then develop differently over time.”

But Bouvat-Merlin cares about growth. “I want to make sure we’re growing well and maintaining the experience and core services over time,” he said. “I want to deal with the growing pains as much as possible while driving profits.”

A question of government control

Face recognition and privacy concerns are a big concern for the high-resolution screen. Bouvat-Merlin described one method: a trust system in which landlords give access to real people. “I have allowed you to enter my house, so now you are among the trusted people.” When you come, I find you and you are allowed to enter.

License plate recognition is also considered for the identification of vehicles around multiple zones. “How do we see this as a threat? The military and law enforcement community will be very good at developing our machine learning approach,” he said.

Either way, Bouvat-Merlin is confident about the opportunities ahead. The home security market is fragmented. ADT leads with a market share of around 18%, while its competitors have smaller pieces. “A lot of companies started as traditional security companies and are trying to add technology,” said Bouvat-Merlin. “We’re looking at it in a different direction — we’re a technology startup in San Francisco bringing technology to this market.”

Sauron reappears on the scene as anxiety grows among the wealthy. The most recent incidents include the November armed robbery at the home of modern investors Lachy Mkwati and Yoswa Buckley in San Francisco’s Mission District, where $11 million in cryptocurrency was stolen in a 90-minute ordeal involving harassment and threats.

“We see rich people attracting criminals,” Bouvat-Merlin said. “We’ve seen a lot of robberies in San Francisco and other big cities in the United States, sometimes with guns. I don’t think the world is getting better – maybe there’s a big gap between people at the top and bottom of the economy.

However, much is still unknown about Sauron’s path forward. The company has to complete everything from sensor changes to production facilities. (Bouvat-Merlin also suggested that they might start in the US to be closer to regulation, then move to lower-cost areas as the volume increases.)

It must also know how to serve customers in different locations, from suburban areas to urban areas, while maintaining excellent service.

For now, Bouvat-Merlin says he’s focused on listening to his team, building confidence, and completing the process he’s putting in place. “I don’t want people to believe me – I want to show them why they should.”

The company hopes to share more information about its product by the end of next year.