Founders Everywhere: Roger Pecina and John Buell
Roger Pecina and John Buell are the co-founders of eve Vehicles, an autonomous vehicle company providing on-demand video services for public safety.
Welcome to Founders Everywhere, where we highlight the incredible people behind the companies we’ve backed at Everywhere Ventures, a global pre-seed fund supported by a community of 500 founders and operators.
Public safety agencies across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges. Staffing shortages have reached critical levels, with public safety agencies struggling to recruit and retain staff. This leaves many cities operating with significantly reduced forces and ensuring rapid and effective response has become more difficult than ever. eve Vehicles is stepping up to meet this need with its cutting-edge autonomous drone technology. Their flagship system, the AV8™ Drone First Responder (DFR) Network, is designed to provide real-time intelligence during emergencies, ensuring faster, more informed decision-making. Unlike traditional drones stored in vehicles, AV8 drones "live" in strategically placed nests around cities, ready to deploy within seconds of a 911 call. These drones autonomously launch, capture live video feeds, and return to recharge without operator intervention. By addressing critical gaps in public safety, eve Vehicles is redefining how communities are protected by empowering first responders to allocate resources efficiently, enhance safety, and save lives.
Co-founder and CEO Roger Pecina’s passion for drones began over a decade ago when he built his college’s first operational drone as an engineering student. Since then, he has dedicated his career to advancing drone technology, working as Lead Mechanical Engineer under Colin Guinn, a pioneer in U.S. drone technology. Roger teamed up with co-founder and Vice President of Business Development, John Buell, who brings over 40 years of experience in public safety and robotics, including 14 years in the military and 26 years with the Austin Police Department, where he founded their robotics and drone program. The eve Vehicles team is based in Austin and are proud of their roots, being one of the first companies to establish a drone-first responder system in Texas. Roger and John share more about how they’re building autonomous technology to expand the horizons of humanity.
What inspired the creation of eve Vehicles?
Roger: We originally wanted to develop drone networks, partnering with the University of Texas at Austin for research. Things shifted when I met John and he showed me a video of him providing real time, life-saving information on a scene as a drone pilot. With the insights John provided the officers on the ground, he was able to save both a child and a police officer. I decided then and there, there was nothing more important we could be doing with drones.
What’s eve Vehicles’ North Star?
We enhance safety for both citizens and first responders in public safety operations. We help provide fast, accurate and insightful information to first responders, decreasing response time, decreasing overall costs, and saving lives.
What makes eve Vehicles a must-have vs. a nice to have?
John: Recruiting in public safety is at an all-time low. In Texas, the Austin Police Department had a 99% decrease in applicants and is close to 50% understaffed. Unfortunately, this is a widespread issue across the country. Public safety is in desperate need of a force multiplier and our drone technology addresses these critical gaps and helps agencies allocate their limited resources effectively. And in today’s world, if it didn’t get captured on video, it didn’t happen.
Roger: I genuinely believe that every police department in America is going to have a drone system within the next 3-5 years, making us a must-have.
Tell us about a recent milestones eve Vehicles has crushed.
We launched a pilot program with the Bee Cave Police Department in August 2024, marking the first drone-first responder network in the Austin metro. Since then, we’ve encountered numerous instances where exaggerated or inaccurate information from 911 calls was clarified by the video we provided. This allowed for a more measured and accurate deployment of public servants, ensuring the appropriate response for each situation.
Why the name eve Drones?
The name reflects “the eve of something great,” like Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, while also referencing Eve from Genesis as a symbol of beginnings and revolutions. We chose lowercase styling (“eve”) because it had more stickiness that way and felt softer on the eyes.
Fun fact:
Roger: I’m an amateur powerlifter—it helps me manage stress and stay sane!
John: Drones are my hobby and my life. I fly nonstop from everything in robotics. My office is packed with over 75 drones ranging from micros to ones with 10-foot wingspans.
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