Tech founder Dan Purcell was devastated to discover that his former partner had uploaded private intimate videos of them onto a porn site without his knowledge. This led him to create a solution to prevent such violations in the future. Purcell’s Ceartas startup has recently secured $4.5 million in funding from European VC Earlybird and Upside VC, a fund established by The Sidemen, a popular YouTube influencer group.
Ceartas DMCA was founded in 2021 by Purcell (CEO) and Jonny Smyth (CTO). The startup applies AI technology to protect brands and fight against piracy for content creators and brands.
Using AI, Ceartas de-indexes content and automatically sends legal notices for pirated material. Their proprietary AI platform scans digital platforms to identify and remove unauthorized content, including deepfakes.
The platform claims to reduce the visibility of problematic content on Google by 98% and has the capability to address deepfakes. Based in Dublin and Berlin, Ceartas plans to expand to Los Angeles and has already partnered with platforms like OnlyFans and Fanfix.
During a conversation, Purcell shared his personal experience that inspired the creation of Ceartas: “I was blindsided when private videos of myself ended up online without my knowledge. It was a terrible situation that motivated me to develop a solution.” He also mentioned that existing services were more geared towards large enterprises, prompting him to build Ceartas specifically for individual creators.
Ceartas currently focuses on assisting YouTubers and Instagram influencers but plans to expand to enterprise solutions for various industries. The startup’s fully automated service utilizes AI technology for efficient content protection without relying on third-party tools.
Partnering with Earlybird was a strategic decision for Ceartas as the VC firm had been actively seeking a company specializing in brand protection. The competition in the brand protection space includes platforms like Rulta, BranditScan, Red Points, and Vobile, each offering similar services.
Ceartas emphasizes its unique approach to delisting unauthorized content quickly while also identifying deepfakes. The startup’s AI technology uses a contextual understanding to assess content and initiate legal actions as needed.
The recent funding round for Ceartas also attracted support from industry experts and angels with backgrounds in gaming, content creation, music, and television sectors, further solidifying the startup’s position in the market.
