The Dutch tech startup DuckDuckGoose is enjoying great popularity with its detection software in times of deepfake fraud and has raised 1.3 million euros in its first investment round.

DuckDuckGoose, a Dutch tech startup, has raised €1.3 million in its first investment round from Piet Colruyt’s Belgian impact investment fund SI3, among others. The company develops detection software to unmask deepfake images and speech, and investors are more interested in it than ever as deepfake scams are on the rise.

Deepfake scam

AI is taking phishing to the next level, leading to more sophisticated deepfake scams. For example, malicious parties can generate believable deepfake images to, for example, solicit a colleague to make a transaction. Gartner also expects deepfake to undermine the security of facial recognition.

Demand for detection software is increasing as more and more phishing attacks based on deepfakes are taking place. “We are very happy that investors are recognizing the possibilities of our software. Bank fraud, sextortion, hate speech, social polarization… Those with malicious intent can do a lot of damage with deepfake images. But with our software, you can unmask deepfakes,” says Parya Lotfi, CEO of DuckDuckGoose, a former TU Delft startup.

Belgian investor

Last week, the agreement was signed by the Belgian impact investment fund SI3 of the Shaping Impact Group and Strg+Alt+Invest, who are investing a total of 1 million euros in the startup. Earlier this year, Aruma Ventures, Graduate Entrepreneur and Kwetter stepped in for a combined amount of 300,000 euros, bringing the total investment to 1.3 million euros.

“We will use the investment to expand our position in the world of digital identity. We are also making our technology scalable so that we can later efficiently extend its applicability to other use cases, such as non-consensual deepfake adult content, fake news, and deepfake telecommunications. It’s a software cat and mouse game. By using AI, malicious parties can develop ever better versions of deepfake software. It’s up to us to always be and stay one step ahead of them,” says Lotfi.

“In the SI3 fund, a safe society is a prominent argument. “DuckDuckGoose contributes to a safe society by preventing the general public from being determined by false frames,” says Jamy Goewie, partner at the social investment company Shaping Impact Group.