DeepFake Challenges: Exploring Deeptrack's Arsenal of Solutions to Combat Escalating Deepfake Conundrum
Deeptrack: A Nairobi-Based Startup Tackling Deepfake Threats
Deeptrack, a 10-month-old startup based in Nairobi, has made a significant impact in the growing market of deepfake detection. Founded by Brian K'Oyundi, who previously worked at Vambo AI, the company was born out of a $10,000 investment and a focus on addressing the growing problem of deepfakes.
In its first ten months, Deeptrack has evolved from a personal initiative into a promising startup. The company has positioned itself to tackle the expanding global deepfake problem, which is projected to grow from $114.3 million in 2024 to over $5.6 billion by 2034.
Deeptrack's solution suite reflects this need by addressing the rising sophistication of deepfakes. The startup has launched four products: Sentinel, Gotham, Atlas, and Foundry. Sentinel is used for KYC checks, Gotham is a deepfake detection system for enterprises, Atlas verifies media files, and Foundry flags forged or altered documents.
Deeptrack's detection system runs on deep neural networks and uses a multistage forensic pipeline for analysis and classification. The team's models are trained on thousands of deepfake samples and use APIs from Reality Defender for additional scanning.
The team at Deeptrack is lean, with about ten people spread across several African countries. However, as the company scales, it is preparing to hire more machine learning engineers and expand its office space. The team has grown slowly since inception, with most members working remotely and their roles now narrowly defined.
Deeptrack currently has two paying clients. The next release from the startup is Mirror, a tool aimed at high-net-worth individuals, public figures, and companies facing reputation attacks. Mirror operates on two principles: proactive scraping and voiceprint and faceprint protection.
The global deepfake detection market is led by North America, accounting for 42.6% of revenue. However, Deeptrack is not ignoring the potential in other regions. The startup is considering raising $300,000 later this year to extend the runway and do more hires.
Deeptrack is also aware of the risk of enterprise abuse of deepfake detection tools. Deepfakes can be used to harass or discredit others, and the startup is taking steps to ensure that its tools are used ethically.
In addition to its core business, Deeptrack is also hosting Moonshot, a conference featuring Africa's top founders, creatives, and tech leaders. Moonshot will return to Lagos on October 15-16, and early bird tickets are currently 20% off.
Brian K'Oyundi has been accepted into The Residency, a six-week in-person founder program in San Francisco, and plans to use the time to learn how to pitch Deeptrack for follow-on investment. The startup has not raised any additional funding to date.
Deeptrack is preparing to face the challenges of a rapidly growing market and is committed to staying at the forefront of deepfake detection technology. With its focus on innovation and ethical use of AI, Deeptrack is well-positioned to make a significant impact in the fight against deepfakes.
- Deeptrack's growth from a personal initiative to a promising startup was fueled by an initial investment of $10,000 and a focus on address the growing problem of deepfakes in technology and cybersecurity.
- As Deeptrack scales, it is preparing to raise $300,000 later this year for hiring more machine learning engineers and expanding its office space, focusing on the expanding global deepfake problem in the market of artificial-intelligence.
- In the face of the growing threat of deepfakes, Deeptrack is not only developing advanced deepfake detection systems like Gotham and Atlas, but also ensuring the ethical use of its tools, recognizing the potential for deepfake technology to be used for harassment or discreditation.
