Brooklyn-based startup imper.ai announced a public launch and secured $28 million in funding to bolster its efforts in combating the rising threat of generative AI. The investment round, led by Redpoint Ventures and Battery Ventures, saw participation from Maple VC, Vessy VC, and Cerca Partners.
Imper.ai provides real-time monitoring for impersonation risks and deepfake detection across major communication platforms, including Zoom, Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, Google Workspaces, and ATS. The company claims its agentless platform detects malicious behavior by analyzing security signals from network devices and digital personas. In a departure from traditional content-scanning methods, imper.ai’s technology examines “digital breadcrumbs” that attackers cannot replicate, such as device telemetry, network diagnostics, and behavioral markers, cross-referenced with specific organizational knowledge.
The need for such technology has surged amid a sector-wide response to the increasing availability of tools that facilitate the creation of deepfakes and voice cloning. According to a recent estimate by Deloitte, AI-driven fraud could lead to annual losses of $40 billion in the U.S. by 2027.
“AI-driven impersonation has become one of the biggest drivers of financial loss and reputational risk for enterprises,” said Noam Awadish, CEO of imper.ai and former executive at autonomous driving company Mobileye. He noted that the company aims to assist Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) in strengthening their defenses and shifting focus towards prevention rather than crisis response.
Awadish is joined by partners Anatoly Blighovsky and Rom Dudkiewicz, both of whom have backgrounds in leadership roles within Unit 8200, the Israeli Defense Forces’ equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency. This military intelligence unit has recently established a significant presence in Silicon Valley. Notably, in July, cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks acquired identity management firm CyberArk for $25 billion in cash and stock, with many of its founders also hailing from Unit 8200.
The new funding will primarily support imper.ai’s expansion into the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors, among others. “Social engineering attacks have become one of the toughest challenges in cybersecurity because people can no longer tell who’s real and who’s not,” stated Erica Brescia, managing director at Redpoint Ventures. She emphasized that imper.ai offers a natural solution to this pressing problem, enabling companies to ensure the authenticity of every call, message, and interaction, thus protecting trust, privacy, and business continuity.
As deepfake technology evolves, imper.ai’s development marks a critical step in the broader battle against AI-driven threats, underscoring an urgent need for innovative security measures in an increasingly digital landscape.
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