Backing IdentifAI to restore trust in digital content
July 24th, 2025
A few months ago, a photo of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer jacket went viral. It was shared millions of times, discussed, praised, and mocked. Only later did most people realise the image had never existed. AI generated it.
That moment, trivial on the surface, marked a turning point. When a convincing image can circulate the world in seconds—before anyone has the chance to question its authenticity—we realise how fragile visual trust has become. For many, this was a wake-up call. For Marco Ramilli, the founder of IdentifAI, it was a call to action.
We’re proud to lead IdentifAI’s €5 million funding round, joining the team once again after having led their seed round in 2024. We believed in their vision early on, and today we’re doubling down—because the company has not only delivered on its technological roadmap, but also demonstrated impressive traction, market demand, and the ability to attract world-class talent.
Founded in Italy and already expanding across Europe and into the US, IdentifAI is building a platform to detect whether images, video, or audio content have been generated or manipulated by AI. Their technology is designed to operate in real-time, at scale, with a high degree of precision. It’s already being used by companies that want to ensure the authenticity of what they see—and what they share.
The need is urgent. As generative AI becomes an integral part of the internet’s infrastructure, the ability to verify content will become foundational. A recent report from UNCTAD estimates that the AI market will grow from $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033. In parallel, public concern is growing: according to Deloitte, nearly 70% of people familiar with generative AI worry about being deceived by synthetic content. Almost 60% say they can’t reliably tell what’s real anymore.
IdentifAI addresses this challenge at its root. The team brings together expertise in cybersecurity, finance, and frontier AI research. Marco Ramilli, a cybersecurity researcher and entrepreneur with experience in offensive security and malware analysis for the US government, leads technology development. Marco Castaldo, with a long career in international finance, drives the company’s business and growth strategy.
Since our initial investment, IdentifAI has made significant strides—not just on the product front, but in building an international team with deep industry experience. Strategic hires in both commercial and technical roles have positioned the company to engage with partners across sectors and markets.
Their background shows in the product. IdentifAI’s platform is built with the mindset of a security lab: it assumes bad actors will try to bypass detection, and it adapts accordingly. The system can spin up new detectors as new generative models appear. It works across images, video, and voice. It offers detection tailored to specific use cases—finance, insurance, and media—and returns results quickly, including forensic indicators when needed.
We were impressed not only by the technology, but by the vision. IdentifAI is not trying to chase every possible AI use case. It focuses on one of the most immediate and impactful problems of the generative era: the erosion of certainty in digital content. That clarity of focus, combined with a platform already validated by market demand, convinced us to reinvest.
With this round, the company will continue to develop its detection engine, expand its reach in Europe and the US, and strengthen its partnerships across various industries. The momentum is clear, and the mission is more relevant than ever.
At United Ventures, we believe deeptech can offer powerful answers to the challenges created by rapid technological change. But progress without trust is unstable. That’s why we’re excited to support IdentifAI as partners in building a more transparent digital future.
Because if the question is whether something is real, we all deserve to know the answer.
