Osavul Raises $3 Million in Funding to Bring Information Security Technologies to the Business Sector
Osavul, an AI-driven media intelligence company, secures $3M (€2.78M) in a late seed round of funding led by three European investors. It will expand its experience and expertise from the public sector to the private sector, applying innovative AI-powered solutions to safeguard brand reputation for businesses. By analyzing the information environment, identifying narrative attacks and online threats, it will help protect organizations from reputation damage.
September 12, 2024
Delaware & Kyiv — Osavul, an AI-powered media intelligence company, receives a seed investment of $3 mln (€2.78 mln) from three European investors: 42CAP, u.ventures, and SMRK. This makes it one of the biggest investments in Europe in this sector.
Founded in February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and aimed at tackling disinformation, Osavul has developed an AI-driven intelligence platform for information environment assessment. The solution is capable of working with data from text, video, audio formats across various platforms such as websites, social media, etc.
Osavul has built a trusted reputation on the market. It started as an innovative approach to propaganda disinformation deception and achieved the title of an Honorary Digital Ambassador of Ukraine. Then, it advanced to become a technology partner for the EU Commission-funded projects.
With this round of funding, Osavul aims to scale its operations globally, enhance its AI algorithms, accelerate its outreach, and offer new opportunities for the B2B segment. With tools for analyzing information narratives, their sources, and ways of spreading, it’ll be possible to prevent reputation threats and run media intelligence analytics without costly research.
The largest investment is made by 42CAP, an early stage German VC.
“Osavul is already the industry-leading startup in the EU in its sector,” stated Alex Meyer, General Partner at 42CAP. “It is driven to scale its opportunities to the US market and offer new opportunities for the business sector. So it is a perfect match for us as the fund specializes in seeding the next generation of tech and data-driven B2B software companies across Europe, with a sharp focus on those poised for international success.”
To support the entrepreneurs who dare to build global ventures is important for u.ventures.
“We are focused on ambitious founders from Eastern Europe to support them at this critical period by developing sound economic policy and leadership. Expertise in combating disinformation by Osavul’s practices and leveraging AI will help businesses of both European and US markets to avoid reputational risks and navigate the complex landscape of brand integrity,” says Andrii Sorohan, Venture Director at u.ventures.
A year ago, Osavul was backed by the SMRK venture fund and raised $1 million in seed funding. Now, the VC joined the next round.
“We have been impressed by Osavul's results since our initial investment in 2023. It was not a question to support the company once again. We are happy to participate in Osavul's mission to protect society from disinformation and other information threats,” commented Vlad Tislenko, partner at SMRK VC.
Osavul’s Approach: AI for Positive Impact
According to the World Economic Forum, Information Threats are considered one of the key risks for the world. While AI may boost the scale and effectiveness of attacks, it can also be used to protect society from AI-driven misinformation and polarization.
Dmytro Plieshakov, co-founder and CEO of Osavul, notes that now is the perfect time to harness artificial intelligence to combat bad actors in the informational landscape.
“AI's influence in narrative attacks is particularly concerning, as it can be used to shape public opinion through misinformation. Osavul applied AI specifically to detect and address these sophisticated narrative attacks, ensuring a more resilient informational ecosystem. This significant investment empowers us to expand our tech experience and initiatives designed to make the digital world a safer and more trustworthy space for everyone”, Dmytro says.
Osavul brings security practices to business
Besides the governments, misinformation can damage company reputations, manipulate financial markets, and affect investor confidence, leading to economic instability and financial losses.
Dmytro Bilash, co-founder of Osavul, emphasizes three main points that Osavul helps with: detecting who spreads information, analyzing its impact, and laying the groundwork for decision-making.
“87% of business executives said that the spread of disinformation is one of the most significant reputational risks to businesses. And Gartner anticipates that by 2028, enterprise spending on battling this threat will surpass $500 billion, cannibalizing 50% of marketing and cybersecurity budgets. With the support of investors, we are now set to bring innovative ways for businesses to analyze narrative attacks and insights in digital media and open-source data in order to make the right decisions in time,” Dmytro stated.
About Osavul
Osavul, a media intelligence company, was founded in 2022. Experts with years of experience in generative AI have developed an AI-powered analytical platform to analyze the information environment, and narratives in there, reveal and combat informational threats. Osavul became a tech partner for EU Commission funding projects and an assistant in analysis of information warfare targeting NATO. With new funding, Osavul’s team will implement its approach in the B2B segment.
About 42CAP
42CAP is a seed-stage investment firm based in Munich, Germany. It initially invests € 0.5 to 1.5m in seed-stage tech and data-driven companies across Europe with global ambition.
About u.ventures
u.ventures invests in early-stage technology startups with world-class teams and a global potential for growth. Its goal is to support local entrepreneurs who dare to build exciting global ventures.
It was established by the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF, formerly Western NIS Enterprise Fund), a $285 million regional fund, a pioneer in Ukraine and Moldova with over 29 years of successful experience in investing in small and medium-sized companies.
About SMRK
SMRK is a Ukrainian fund which provides venture investment in startups at different stages of evolution. Its main focus is on IT-products at Seed and Round A stages.
Press Contact:
Antonina Ria
Media Relations Manager for Osavul
antonina.ria@calibrated.agency
Signal: antoninaria.48
Sources for corporate announcement:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/umaef_uventures-invested-in-osavul-an-ai-powered-activity-7239943307693330432-bWnc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dmytro-bil_i-am-glad-to-finally-share-this-news-publicly-activity-7239951187712606209--dux?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Vx7Edi2RQ3qB75QE/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ir2eQSnDeSBJfy8u/
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/osavul_osavul-42cap-smrk-activity-7239921082181328896-ptJD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mykhailo-fedorov-9670b4a3_ukrainian-startup-raises-3-million-to-scale-activity-7239977437516767232-TkUZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios