Analysis platform Egregious has raised £820,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Fuel Ventures and Oxford Capital.
The London-based business is developing advanced technologies to defend humans from AI misuse.
The funding will be used to accelerate Egregious’ product development and scale its Human AI platform, preventing humans from AI-driven deception, disinformation and harmful content.
The funding comes after the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report placed disinformation as the #1 global risk for the second consecutive year, alongside cyber espionage and societal polarisation.
Egregious says it is on a mission to defend humans from the misuse of AI by delivering transformative solutions across critical sectors.
These include providing secure social media intelligence; safeguarding enterprises from AI-driven scams; driving AI-powered social media marketing strategies; detecting and mitigating open-source intelligence risks; and enabling insurers to identify global security risks through AI-driven social media intelligence.
“AI-powered bots and agents are a powerful tool but they also pose a growing threat. These AI agents give people superhuman powers to shape narratives, manipulate systems, and undermine trust at scale,” said Rupert Small, PhD, CEO and founder of Egregious.
“At Egregious, we’re building a defense line for humanity. With Oxford Capital and Fuel Ventures behind us, we’re ready to face these global challenges head-on and redefine how we combat AI-driven deception.”
Mark Pearson, founder of Fuel Ventures, added: “Egregious represents a bold step forward in the AI space. Rupert and his team have demonstrated exceptional expertise and have an unwavering commitment to addressing some of the most critical challenges facing society today due to evolving technology in the world.
“We’re thrilled to support Egregious as they lead the charge in Human AI innovation, and look forward to supporting them grow in 2025.”
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