Amsterdam-based Verify, an AI-based content verification solution provider, has secured €1M in a fresh round of funding. Investors included serial entrepreneurs Niels Bouwman and Chris Hall.
Google has also backed Verify through its Google for Startups Cloud Programme.
The Dutch startup will use the funds to hire skilled AI developers and data scientists. It aims to expand directly in Europe and the US through its channel partners, including Bynder and Lytho.
Initial clients of Verify include Vinci Energies, Erasmus University, and the Dutch national union FNV.
New management roles
With this investment, Niels Bouwman, the founder and former CEO of Lytho, is now the CEO of Verify. Chris Hall, founder of Bynder, has joined Verify’s Supervisory Board.
Hugo Smits, Verify’s founder and former tech lead at Nintendo, will continue as the CTO.
Chris Hall says, “At my previous ventures, Label A and Bynder, we realised the importance of monitoring the distribution of our clients’ imagery.”
“Once a picture is out there on social media, it can circulate all over the internet without the owners’ or brands’ consent, leading to significant issues, such as financial loss or, worse, reputation damage.”
“With artificial intelligence on the rise, distinguishing between human-generated and AI-generated content becomes extremely relevant. That’s why I invested in Verify: to assist brands and creators in gaining back control over their visual content.”
An AI-driven content verification solution
Founded in 2024 by Hugo Smits, Verify has launched an AI algorithm that embeds invisible fingerprints in images and videos, ensuring their authenticity with 100 per cent certainty.
This technology allows the tracing of digital media files across the internet, helping in combating fake news and copyright infringements, and distinguishing between human-generated and AI-generated content.
Through its tech solutions, Verify claims to establish itself as the leading global digital authenticity and provenance standard.
CEO Bouwman, says, “Every day, more than twenty-eight billion images are uploaded to the Internet, the vast majority of which cannot be traced and measured.”
“When an organisation publishes its visual brand assets, it cannot verify whether it has achieved widespread popularity or where it eventually ended up. As a result, the brand impact of these visuals remains largely unknown.”
“A content creator who dedicated countless hours editing images may never locate where they have been published. By utilising our technology, organisations and creators gain a comprehensive overview of their visual assets’ journey and unveil how they are perceived.”
“Our purpose is to transform the digital realm into a trustworthy environment,” adds Bouwman.
01
Empowering Ukrainian Startups: Highlights from the PowerUp Ukraine 2024 Conference