NEW YORK, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reality Defender, the RSA Innovation Sandbox-winning deepfake and AI-generated media detection platform, today announced strategic investments from BNY (NYSE: BK), Samsung Next, and Fusion Fund. These collaborations reinforce the organizations' commitment to the prevention of deepfake-enabled fraud across critical financial and communication channels.
Reality Defender logo (PRNewsfoto/Reality Defender)
Founded in 2021, Reality Defender provides best-in-class detection against advanced communication-based threats posed by dangerous deepfake impersonations. The company's comprehensive solutions for enterprises, government, and institutional clients help protect against everything from advanced voice fraud in call centers to deepfake intrusions into highly sensitive web conferencing calls.
As deepfakes continue to spread and cause tangible damages, Reality Defender's technology has become increasingly critical in the fight against fraud and disinformation. A deepfake attempt happened every five minutes in 2024 according to Entrust, while deepfakes now account for 40% of all biometric fraud as reported by the same source, showing the immediate need for Reality Defender's AI-driven real-time detection capabilities in maintaining the trust and integrity of critical financial systems.
"BNY, Samsung Next, and Fusion Fund's strategic investments and global expertise will allow Reality Defender to scale our technology during a time of heightened deepfake volatility," said Ben Colman, Co-Founder and CEO of Reality Defender. "With their support and alignment with our mission of securing critical communication channels against deepfake impersonations, we can work toward defeating the most advanced fraud attacks and cyber threats of our time."
"Financial institutions face unprecedented risks from deepfake technology that can compromise critical communication channels and undermine trust in our systems," said Marianna Lopert-Schaye, Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships, Investments and Innovation for BNY. "Our investment in Reality Defender reflects our commitment to protecting the integrity of financial transactions through industry-leading security innovations that address emerging threats at scale."
"As AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated, the ability to detect deepfakes in real time is vital for maintaining trust in digital communications," said Raymond Liao, Managing Director, Samsung Next. "Reality Defender's multimodal approach and proven technology align perfectly with our focus on supporting innovations that secure the future of communication in an AI-powered world."
"Deepfake technology represents one of the most significant emerging threats to institutional trust in our digital economy," said Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner of Fusion Fund. "Reality Defender's pioneering approach to multimodal detection addresses this challenge head-on with technology that not only identifies today's threats but is engineered to anticipate tomorrow's attacks. We're proud to support their mission of securing critical communication channels in an increasingly AI-powered world."
Reality Defender was named the Most Innovative Company at the 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox competition and continues to lead the industry in developing innovative solutions for detecting and preventing AI-generated threats.
Terms of the investments were not disclosed.
About Reality Defender Reality Defender secures critical communication channels against deepfake impersonations, enabling enterprises and governments to interact with confidence in an AI-powered world. Our patented multimodal approach detects sophisticated impersonations in real time, while flexible deployment options integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure. Through continuous engineering and rigorous testing, Reality Defender empowers security teams to stop deepfake-enabled attacks before they can compromise assets or damage institutional trust.
About BNY BNY is a global financial services company that helps make money work for the world – managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For 240 years BNY has partnered alongside clients, putting its expertise and platforms to work to help them achieve their ambitions. Today BNY helps over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly all the top 100 banks globally to access the money they need. BNY supports governments in funding local projects and works with over 90% of the top 100 pension plans to safeguard investments for millions of individuals, and so much more. As of December 31, 2024, BNY oversees $52.1 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.0 trillion in assets under management.
BNY is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Headquartered in New York City, BNY employs over 50,000 people globally and has been named among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. Additional information is available on www.bny.com. Follow on LinkedIn or visit the BNY Newsroom for the latest company news.
About Samsung Next Samsung Next invests in bold and ambitious founders, focusing on transformative innovations in AI, intelligent machines, healthtech, consumer services, and frontier technology. Learn more at www.samsungnext.com.
About Fusion Fund Founded in 2015 by Managing Partner Lu Zhang, Fusion Fund has consistently supported technically driven entrepreneurs leveraging data and technology to redefine industries. Since its inception, Fusion Fund has been an early pioneer in AI – driving thought leadership and investing in early leaders.
With $190M in committed capital, Fusion Fund IV builds on the success of Funds I, II, and III by focusing on next-generation technology and AI solutions to meet the rising demands for efficiency and scalability across industries.
