Guardify, a Nebraska-based provider of digital evidence management solutions, announced this week that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Engage Vision, an Artificial Intelligence-driven video intelligence startup also headquartered in Nebraska.
Guardify leadership said they expect the acquisition to strengthen its core platform — widely used by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and child advocacy centers — by integrating Engage Vision’s advanced computer vision technology. Both companies say the acquisition will modernize digital evidence workflows through AI-powered video analysis, automated object detection and real-time analytics.
“We’re trying to be a powerful force for good,” said Guardify CEO Ben Jackson. “At the same time, [we’re] teaching people you can build incredibly powerful technical tools that serve a much broader purpose, and you can do it in Nebraska.”
Founded in 2020 under the name VidaNyx and inspired by Project Harmony, a prominent Child Advocacy Center in Omaha. Guardify has become one of the largest digital evidence management platforms for child advocacy centers in the United States. With nearly 84,000 users and over 400 centers as clients, the company said it has helped protect more than 340,000 children. Its software supports digital evidence management and secure data sharing, particularly in child abuse cases, while offering tools that reduce manual processes and potential bias.
Engage Vision was established in 2022, initially focusing on retail analytics using existing security camera footage. It quickly expanded to develop AI-driven tools for automated video analysis across various industries.
Engage Vision Founder and CEO Luis Merino said joining forces with Guardify will help Engage Vision scale its capabilities to a broader audience, including law enforcement and justice-focused organizations.
Merino explained that Engage Vision’s technology seeks to uncover subtle interactions in the physical world that often go unnoticed. The company aims to reveal hidden patterns in human and object interactions, capturing nuanced details that typically escape everyday perception.
Guardify emphasized in a press release that Engage Vision’s technology will integrate seamlessly with the platform’s existing suite. The company aims to streamline investigative workflows for child protection services, prosecutors and law enforcement. The combined solution, the companies said, will feature enhanced analytics, real-time alerts, and a more efficient way to manage complex evidence.
The Engage Vision team is moving into Guardify’s office. Guardify will integrate Engage Vision’s technology under its brand while continuing to expand Engage Vision’s capabilities for existing and new customers. The new features should roll out in the coming months.
Jackson added that the partnership builds on Nebraska’s emerging tech ecosystem, with local innovators balancing “realistic” problem-solving and a creative approach. He noted the technology’s potential to bolster justice-focused innovation across the state and beyond.
“We’ve just eclipsed 340,000 kids that we’ve protected,” Jackson said. “and that all came out of a little idea that spurred from Omaha, Nebraska.”
