VRFY Solutions Group UK, an AI-driven transcription and data intelligence platform founded by two veteran police officers, has secured £200,000 in pre-seed investment led by Fuel Ventures.
The funding will accelerate adoption of the company’s secure AI transcription solution within UK police forces and lay the groundwork for expansion into other critical sectors, including healthcare and the NHS.
VRFY’s technology addresses a growing crisis in UK policing — the combination of rising workloads, officer shortages, and the administrative burden created by legacy transcription processes. The platform can cut police transcription and report-writing time by more than 80%, freeing officers from hours of manual paperwork and allowing them to return to active duty faster.
The solution also reduces transcription costs by up to 70%, creating the equivalent of extra policing hours without additional budget expenditure — a critical advantage at a time when police resources remain under intense pressure.
Founded by Jeff Meyers and Mike Willford, who bring more than six decades of combined law enforcement experience, VRFY was created to solve the very problems they faced daily in the force.
Meyers explained: “Policing is facing a perfect storm of rising workloads, officer shortages, and increasing demands for speed and accuracy. We’ve built a secure AI solution with end-to-end encryption and strict access controls that doesn’t just save time. It protects officers’ wellbeing and improves the quality and speed of justice — ultimately helping to improve public safety.”
The mental health benefit of the technology is one of its most profound impacts. According to police sickness data, up to 95% of PTSD-related absences among administrative staff stem from manual transcription work, as employees are repeatedly exposed to distressing material — from violent crimes to domestic abuse cases — over extended periods.
These transcription roles are typically held by junior civilian staff, with an overrepresentation of women in these positions. By automating the process, VRFY significantly reduces secondary trauma exposure and contributes to a healthier, more resilient workforce.
“Our platform doesn’t just make transcription faster,” Meyers added. “It helps mitigate the serious toll transcription can take on these employees’ mental health. That’s not just good for individuals — it’s essential for the long-term sustainability of policing.”
While VRFY’s initial focus is on law enforcement, the company’s founders see clear applications across other public sector domains. The firm is already exploring tenders in healthcare, where the administrative load is a growing crisis.
Meyers said: “The same challenge exists in the NHS — highly skilled nurses and doctors are spending hours on paperwork instead of patient care. With AI handling transcription and reporting securely, we can help return thousands of hours back to frontline work. During staff shortages, that’s not just efficient — it’s life-saving.”
Mark Pearson, Founder of Fuel Ventures, said his firm was backing VRFY because of its potential to deliver measurable, real-world efficiency to essential services:
“AI-first businesses like VRFY have the opportunity to bring direct efficiencies to some of the most important sectors. In law enforcement, up to six hours can be lost to transcribe a single hour of audio — a stark example of inefficiency that VRFY is tackling head-on.”
“We invest in founders who solve real problems with determination and insight, and Jeff and Mike are doing exactly that. VRFY is uniquely placed to bring wholesale change to public safety — and soon, to other sectors too.”
VRFY’s approach is rooted in security, trust, and operational impact. The platform uses end-to-end encryption, strict access controls, and locally hosted infrastructure, ensuring sensitive material never leaves secure environments — a crucial requirement for police and healthcare data.
As public sector organisations increasingly turn to AI to bridge resource gaps, VRFY’s model shows how innovation can enhance not just efficiency but human resilience and wellbeing.
By freeing people from repetitive, high-stress administrative work and safeguarding mental health in the process, VRFY represents a new frontier in how AI can strengthen public safety and serve society at large.
