InfoHawk raises $2.25M pre-seed to detect AI-driven deception and scams
What's the deal? InfoHawk, an Austin-based startup that detects and neutralises online deception, has closed a $2.25M pre-seed round led by Moonshots CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The company was founded by Rob Leathern, Ben Poiesz, and Jamie McCrindle — all veterans of major tech platforms.
The startup's software uses AI-driven content detection and infrastructure mapping to help enterprises protect users from scams and digital fraud, delivered through APIs.
Angel investors in the round include Jon Leibowitz, former two-term chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with Brian O'KelleyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (founder of AppNexus), Rob GoldmanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (former head of ads at Meta), Vlad Fedorov (chief technology officer of GitHub), and several other former senior leaders from Google and WhatsApp.
Why now? AI tools have supercharged the scam economy. Fraudsters can now clone legitimate websites, videos, and brand assets in seconds. Consumers globally lost an estimated $442B to scams in 2025, according to GASA.org, while counterfeit goods add another $467B annually.
Scammers operate across jurisdictions and platforms, making attribution and enforcement nearly impossible without specialised intelligence. The result is a fraud ecosystem that is faster, cheaper, and harder to detect than ever.
What could go wrong? InfoHawk is entering a crowded fraud-detection market with well-funded incumbents. At the pre-seed stage, it must prove its technology works at the internet scale it promises — a steep technical challenge. And scammers adapt quickly; any detection tool faces a constant arms race.
The signal: The round reflects growing investor conviction that AI-generated deception is now a category-defining problem, not just a feature bolted onto existing cybersecurity products. The calibre of the angel investors — spanning regulation, ad tech, and platform trust and safety — suggests the industry sees a gap between what platforms can police internally and what independent infrastructure can catch.
"Rob, Ben, and Jamie bring two decades of experience from inside the largest platforms. They understand both how this ecosystem works and how to break it for the bad guys," said Kelly Perdew, founding partner at Moonshots Capital.
Moonshots Capital, founded in 2014, has backed 131 companies to date, with 33 exits and 18 unicorns. It focuses on early-stage investments in cybersecurity, fintech, AI, and defence innovation.
Read more: prnewswire.com
