Why We Invested in Reality Defender, securing trust in the age of AI
The democratization of AI sparked a surge in sophisticated deepfake attacks, with fraudsters and bad actors exploiting synthetic media to impersonate family members, government officials, and trusted business partners (among countless other incidents). Financial institutions face particular pressure as criminals deploy deepfaked voices and videos in an attempt to unauthorized wire transfers and password resets.
In this rapidly evolving threat landscape, Reality Defender has emerged as a crucial line of defense.
Reality Defender’s multi-modal detection system sets new standards in deepfake detection. The platform leverages advanced AI models to analyze critical communication channels in real time for deepfake impersonations and synthetic identities, focusing on subtle human markers that deepfakes typically fail to replicate. The company’s sophisticated approach has gained significant traction in the financial sector, with major U.S. banks implementing the technology for voice fraud detection in call centers, video verification during customer onboarding, and executive impersonation monitoring to safeguard brand reputation.
We are thrilled to join Reality Defender’s Series A extension alongside lead investor Illuminate Financial. Founded in February 2021, the company brings together an exceptional leadership team and a research focused organization with over two thirds of the company being technical – a testament to their commitment to advancing deepfake detection science. This research-first approach enables continuous model development and fine-tuning with simulated attacks, ensuring the platform stays ahead of emerging threats. While others focus on provenance-based approaches for content distribution, Reality Defender addresses the urgent need for immediate threat assessment and prevention through real-time detection capabilities.
Reality Defender understands diverse organizational needs and offers flexible deployment options for every conceivable environment: a seamless API integration for existing workflows, a user-friendly cloud-based web application, on-premise solutions for heightened security requirements, and robust integrations into popular call center and web conferencing platforms.
As synthetic media threats evolve and multiply, Reality Defender’s multi-layered approach provides enterprises with a robust shield against deepfake attacks. The platform’s combination of advanced AI models, flexible deployment options, and commitment to ongoing innovation positions it as a crucial partner in maintaining digital trust and security across industries. With this new funding and expanded partnership network, Reality Defender is poised to accelerate its mission of securing organizations’ critical communications from the mounting challenges of malicious deepfakes.
Carlos Castellanos is an investor at Samsung Next. Samsung Next’s investment strategy is limited to its own views and does not reflect the vision or strategy of any other Samsung business unit, including, but not limited to, Samsung Electronics.