German computer vision & cybersecurity startup TrustNXT raises pre-seed funding to develop technology that protects visual data in business processes.
Contentlockr
Hamburg-based TrustNXT, a German computer vision & cybersecurity startup and a corporate spin-off of Basler AG, has secured €1.6M in pre-seed funding.
The round includes participation from D11Z.Ventures and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
Tizian Hoppen, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF, says, “Trust is the foundation of a functioning economy. Today, important decisions are based on digital media such as photos and videos. TrustNXT has impressed us with its digital trust technology, which is based on years of deep tech research.”
Protecting visual data
Founded in 2024 by Sebastian Adank, Ariane Scheer-Danielsson and Andreas Reich, TrustNXT develops technology to secure digital business processes and establish trust in complex environments.
The founding team combines expertise in visual data processing, technology, business, and marketing.
TrustNXT is building a software platform for the manipulation protection of visual data. The platform integrates cryptography, computer vision, and patented trust technology to verify the authenticity of images and videos. It is designed to maintain data integrity in business processes.
The company’s first product is a fraud prevention solution for the insurance sector. It targets manipulated damage photos and enables full automation of claims and underwriting without human review. Insurers can use the solution to prevent image fraud, reduce processing times, and scale operations.
TrustNXT also plans to expand into additional vertical markets.
Patrick Schmitt, Principal at D11Z.Ventures, says, “We are excited about the cryptography technology used by TrustNXT. It generates a technically unique fingerprint of the sensor data at the point of origin of a medium. It is irrevocably linked to the medium – a physical, tamper-proof evidence. This prevents manipulation and proves the origin of digital content beyond doubt.”
“In the current race between AI-manipulated media and AI that recognises such manipulation, TrustNXT renders this duel obsolete. TrustNXT’s technology will restore trust in digital media for the long term.”
Capital utilisation
Ariane Scheer-Danielsson, co-founder and MD at TrustNXT, says, “In a world where AI can generate deceptively real images in seconds, trust and data integrity are crucial. Without them, digital business models are threatened. Our mission is to secure this integrity for companies.”
TrustNXT will use the funds to expand its technology for protecting images and videos in B2B applications from AI-based manipulation and cyberattacks.
The company is focusing on tamper-proof, real-time protection of video data in industrial settings and plans to launch its first pilot projects in 2026.
Brief about the investors
HTGF is an early-stage investor in Germany and Europe, financing startups in deep tech, industrial tech, climate tech, digital tech, life sciences, and chemistry. It invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can also participate in later-stage financing rounds.
Since its launch in 2005, the fund has financed more than 780 startups and recorded almost 200 exits. Currently, HTGF manages a volume of over €2B and is a public-private partnership. Investors include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and 45 companies and family offices.
D11Z.Ventures is a European venture capital family office based in Heilbronn and Munich. The firm focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments in software and deep tech. Its investment areas include cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, energy, and enterprise software.
D11Z.Ventures works with portfolio companies through access to cloud infrastructure, strategic guidance, and expert-led workshops. The firm maintains connections with German mid-sized companies and international market leaders.
