# Francisco Aguilar

> Francisco Aguilar is the founder and CEO of Bounce Imaging, the company behind a softball-sized, throwable 360-degree camera that lets police, firefighters and soldiers see inside dangerous spaces before stepping into them. He conceived the idea as a graduate student at MIT and Harvard after watching rescuers struggle to find survivors in the rubble of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The original Explorer earned a spot on TIME's Best Inventions of 2012; the thermal-equipped Pit Viper 360 repeated the honor in 2024. Today his cameras are used by 300-plus police and fire departments and by defense customers including U.S. Special Operations Command.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Bounce Imaging
- **Organizations:** Bounce Imaging, MIT Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship
- **From:** Costa Rica
- **Nationality:** American (born in Costa Rica)
- **Education:** A.B., Harvard University, MBA, MIT Sloan School of Management, Master in Public Policy (MPP), Harvard Kennedy School
- **Known for:** Invented the Explorer, a throwable 360-degree tactical camera for first responders, Two-time TIME Best Invention honoree (Explorer, 2012; Pit Viper 360, 2024), Won the $50,000 grand prize at the 2012 MassChallenge competition

## Career timeline

- **2010** — Witnesses the response to the Haiti earthquake; conceives a low-cost throwable camera for search and rescue.
- **2012** — Founds Bounce Imaging with support from MIT's Venture Mentoring Service; wins $50,000 grand prize at MassChallenge.
- **2012** — The Explorer is named one of TIME's Best Inventions of the year.
- **2013** — Wins the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge.
- **2015** — Commercial release of the Explorer; deploys 100 units to police departments nationwide.
- **2016** — Wins a top prize at the 43North startup competition and relocates Bounce Imaging to Buffalo, New York.
- **2024** — Launches the thermal Pit Viper 360 in September; named to TIME's 200 Best Inventions of 2024.
- **2024** — Expands defense reach with U.S. Special Operations Command and a NATO ally deployment, backed by In-Q-Tel.

## Achievements

- Invented the Explorer, a throwable 360-degree tactical camera for first responders
- Two-time TIME Best Invention honoree (Explorer, 2012; Pit Viper 360, 2024)
- Won the $50,000 grand prize at the 2012 MassChallenge competition
- Won the 2013 MIT IDEAS Global Challenge
- Named to the Forbes Next 1000 list
- Grew Bounce Imaging to serve 300+ police and fire departments
- Secured defense adoption with U.S. Special Operations Command and a NATO ally

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — Launched the Pit Viper 360, a thermal panoramic throwable camera.
- **2024-11** — Pit Viper 360 named to TIME's 200 Best Inventions of 2024.
- **2024-12** — Expanded defense work with U.S. Special Operations Command and a NATO ally, supported by In-Q-Tel.

## Links

- Website: https://bounceimaging.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/franciscoaguilar
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bounceimaging
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJaLWynuV0I
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/BounceImaging/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/francisco-aguilar
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-12