Italian cybersecurity platform IdentifAI raises €5 million to tackle the rise of deepfakes with detection platform
IdentifAI, a Cesena-based startup tackling the threat of AI-generated disinformation, has raised a €5 million funding round to fuel international expansion in Europe and into the US, as well as its continued development of a proprietary deepfake detection technology.
The round was led by United Ventures and follows a €2.2 million Seed round less than a year ago.
“We’ve built a system that evolves in real time, allowing us to respond rapidly as new generative models enter the market. With AI’s exponential growth, we’re working against the clock and this new funding round couldn’t come at a better time,” said Marco Castaldo, Co-founder of IdentifAI. “Our background in cybersecurity is a key differentiator, because it means we understand the inherent danger of a tech, or risks associated with potential deviant uses of it.”
Founded in 2024 by cybersecurity experts Marco Ramilli and Marco Castaldo, IdentifAI has built an AI platform that can reportedly determine – with a high degree of confidence and accuracy – whether a piece of content (image, video, or voice recording) was created or manipulated using generative AI, or whether it is a genuine human creation.
The new funding will support IdentifAI’s entry into key European and US markets. The round will also help accelerate R&D efforts to continuously perfect the accuracy and performance of IdentifAI’s detection models.
“From the very beginning, our goal has been to build a global company – because truth is a universal value, and it needs to be protected on a global scale,” added Founder Marco Ramilli.
According to a recent report by UNCTAD, the global AI market is expected to surge from €160 billion in 2023 to €4 trillion by 2033 – a 25x increase in just ten years. During that time, AI is projected to rise from 7% to 29% of the frontier technology market.
Public concern is growing as well. A recent Deloitte study found that nearly 70% of respondents familiar with gen-AI worry that synthetic content could be used to deceive or manipulate them. Nearly 60% said they struggle to distinguish between AI-generated and human-created media, and a striking 84% believe synthetic content should be clearly labeled.
“IdentifAI is building technology to address one of the most pressing challenges created by the rapid advancement of AI itself: distinguishing what’s real from what’s not. This is a foundational issue for the future of AI,” said Massimiliano Magrini, Managing Partner and Co-founder of United Ventures. “The team has demonstrated exceptional vision, execution, and international ambition – positioning IdentifAI as one of Europe’s most promising players in the fight against disinformation.”
The company has recently made some strategic senior hires to consolidate its international presence with Kate Burns as VP of EMEA, James Cashmore as Commercial Director and Justin Cooke and Jean-Pierre Levieux coming on as Advisors.
IdentifAI also says they are in discussions with leading industry partners globally, to validate and scale the adoption of its technology.
The post Italian cybersecurity platform IdentifAI raises €5 million to tackle the rise of deepfakes with detection platform appeared first on EU-Startups.
