NEWS
TECHNOLOGY NEW VENTURE: Mo Vij, who launched General Informatics in 2004, started 365 Labs in early 2020 with a focus on creating technology and software for law enforcement agencies.
Law and innovation
MOHIT “MO” VIJ wants to change the way you interact with local law enforcement. Vij founded software company 365 Labs in January, using his @ Highland campus as headquarters. The company, which creates software and technology for law enforcement agencies, is funded by Vij Capital LLC, a private capital firm Vij created two years ago to fund technology firms. After examining law enforcement agency processes that had not been altered in decades, Vij began exploring ways to make the departments more accessible. “We were looking for challenges,” Vij says. “We saw this problem and asked, ‘why can’t we fix this?’” While brainstorming ideas to bring law enforcement up to date, Vij and his team watched movies like Minority Report to see how people envision public safety working in the future. “Someone’s going to do this,” Vij said. “Why not us?” Since opening in January, 365 Labs has revamped law enforcement systems, updated software and changed processes within about a dozen agencies across the country. These processes include how police process records, how courts handle warrants, how law enforcement issues tickets and how people pay them. The new software will transform agencies, Vij says, and allow those facing budget constraints to do a lot more with less. However, the most important factor, Vij says, is the cooperation the new software will create 114
DON KADAIR
Mo Vij and his 365 Labs is using technology to improve the efficiency of police operations as well as build greater transparency with the public. BY JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS
between law enforcement and communities as well as the transparency it will provide. The team at 365 Labs created a citizen portal, which Vij compares to a credit report. People are able to access the portal and view any records about themselves. Lab-created apps allow communities to easily pass on tips and information to law enforcement, Vij says. Citizens can go online and send information about a theft directly to law enforcement, take a picture of something they think is suspicious and send it to their local police department or even send in tips about crimes. The company also created a program for community cameras. Cities that can’t pay for community security cameras would be
able to access those of citizens who apply for the program’s personal outdoor security cameras. The company has grown to 30 employees, with half working at its headquarters in Baton Rouge and the other half working in offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It hopes to be a billion-dollar company by the end of the decade, Vij says. Headquarters will remain in Baton Rouge, Vij says, and he created @Highland for this purpose. General Informatics, the IT company he launched in 2004, is also located there. Vij sold a majority share of General Informatics to Rosewood Private Investments in October 2020. Vij is currently working with clients in California, Tennessee,
Texas, and Washington state as well as in London and Ireland. He has patents for many of his products, both domestically and internationally. However, he hopes the company will help stimulate the local economy first. While Baton Rouge has been home to support centers for national firms, Vij would like to see companies create products here, not just have tech support offices. “Can we hire local graduates and create interesting enough jobs to make them want to stay here?” Vij asks. “That creates training and mentoring. Whole ecosystems start that way. We started this company to create a tech ecosystem. That’s why we will always be in Baton Rouge.”
BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com
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