Reality Defender
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Reality Defender does
Reality Defender is a New York-based deepfake detection company founded in 2021 that sells to Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies. Its core product is an ensemble-of-models detection engine that combines hundreds of platform-agnostic techniques across audio, video, image, and text, returning normalized 0-1 confidence scores and a multimodal status taxonomy (AUTHENTIC/FAKE/SUSPICIOUS/NOT_APPLICABLE/UNABLE_TO_EVALUATE). The platform is delivered through the "Real Suite," which bundles four products: RealAPI (a public developer API with SDKs in TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, and Java, offering a free tier of 50 detections per month), RealScan (enterprise scanning of media files), RealCall (real-time voice deepfake detection in under 500 milliseconds at the IVR level), and RealMeeting (live video conferencing protection).
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: enterprise field sales to financial services, government, legal, media, and Fortune 500 buyers (named customers include JPMorganChase, Match Group, Orange Business, Accenture, and ZeroFox), augmented by a self-serve developer funnel launched in July 2025, an OEM/integration partner network (ZeroFox, 1Kosmos, Proof, Charm Security, ValidSoft, Alethea), channel partners (Orange Business in France, Certified AI Access in South Africa, Sensity), and a planned AWS Marketplace listing. Revenue is generated primarily through annual enterprise subscriptions sized as loss-avoidance infrastructure (referenced against an average deepfake incident cost of ~$500,000 and documented cases reaching $25 million) with usage-based API overage billing. The company is venture-backed, having raised a $15M Series A in October 2023 and a reported $33M Series A close in October 2024, plus undisclosed strategic investments from BNY, Samsung Next, and Fusion Fund in April 2025.
Reality Defender firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reality Defender
- Legal name
- Reality Defender, Inc.
- Website
- https://realitydefender.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reality Defender industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Deepfake Detection Software
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Authenticity, Watermarking & Deepfake Detection (HDAAAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Device & Playback Security (Secure Video Path, HDCP, Trusted Execution) (MPAHAMAJ)
Keywords
Where Reality Defender is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Reality Defender business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Enterprise Subscription (Real Suite): Annual enterprise contracts for RealScan, RealCall, RealMeeting, and RealAPI products, sized against the cost of a single prevented deepfake incident (averaging nearly $500,000 and reaching $25 million in documented cases). Pricing is quote-based and framed as loss-avoidance infrastructure investment.
- Usage-Based Developer API: Pay-as-you-go API access with a free tier of 50 detections per month (audio and image only). Paid tiers extend to video and other modalities with usage-based overage billing, allowing self-serve developer adoption that funnels high-volume users into enterprise contracts.
- Freemium Developer Tier: Free public developer access to the RealAPI to drive viral distribution, build a global detection network, and create top-of-funnel demand for paid enterprise tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Developer Tier — 50 audio or image scans per month via public RealAPI/SDK |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Subscription — Quote-based Real Suite (RealScan, RealAPI, RealCall, RealMeeting) |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Future AWS Marketplace Listing |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Reality Defender product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reality Defender provides an AI-powered deepfake detection platform that identifies synthetic and manipulated media across audio, video, image, and text in real time. The platform is delivered via API, web application, and on-premises deployment, enabling enterprises and government agencies to verify the authenticity of digital content at scale.
Product overview
Reality Defender is an enterprise deepfake detection platform offering the Real Suite, a unified platform-plus-modules architecture that delivers multi-modal AI-generated media detection for voice, video, image, and text content. The Real Suite is anchored by RealAPI, the public developer API and SDK (with a free tier of 50 scans per month and SDKs in TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, and Java), and complemented by RealScan (enterprise tool for detecting AI-generated deepfakes across video, audio, and imagery), RealCall (real-time voice deepfake detection operating in under 500 milliseconds at the IVR level for contact centers), and RealMeeting (deepfake protection for live video conferencing). Together, these products enable enterprises, governments, and platforms to embed detection into contact center security, secure video conferencing, access security and fraud prevention, and brand and executive protection workflows across finance, government, legal, media, and enterprise industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Real Suite: Enterprise suite of deepfake detection tools launched in November 2025, encompassing RealScan, RealAPI, RealCall, and RealMeeting products targeting sectors from SMEs to government agencies.
Products and services
- Reality Defender Deepfake Detection Platform
- Reality Defender API
- Reality Defender Web Application
- Reality Defender On-Premises Deployment
Quantifiable outcome
- Average deepfake fraud incident costs enterprises ~$500,000 (per industry research)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Reality Defender
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Reality Defender technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability10 records
Feature8 records
Reality Defender partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- ZeroFoxflagshipZeroFox and Reality Defender announced an integration partnership that embeds AI-generated media detection capabilities into ZeroFox's external threat protection platform, enabling analysts to verify and disrupt synthetic media campaigns using multimodal detection for voice, video, and image content. Demonstrated at the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit and Black Hat USA in June 2026.
- Orange Business (Orange Group)flagshipReality Defender partnered with Orange Business, the enterprise division of French telecom Orange, to integrate deepfake detection technology into Orange's communication services. The collaboration targets enterprise communication channels with multimodal detection across audio, video, image, and documents, extending detection capabilities through collaborations with several other tech companies.
- AletheacoreAlethea and Reality Defender announced a partnership to integrate deepfake detection with online risk intelligence, combining Reality Defender's real-time media manipulation detection with Alethea's AI risk platform Artemis for broader threat assessment targeting entities facing AI-generated disinformation and impersonation.
- Charm SecuritycoreCharm Security and Reality Defender announced a strategic partnership to integrate deepfake detection into Charm's Agentic AI workforce for fraud and security applications, enabling financial institutions, digital platforms, and enterprises to access real-time deepfake detection for voice, image, and text directly through Charm's AI agents.
- Grist Mill Exchange (GME)coreGrist Mill Exchange launched metered API access and announced a partnership with Reality Defender to enhance government data access and deepfake detection, enabling real-time data integration and added authenticity safeguards for government missions.
- 1Kosmoscore1Kosmos announced a strategic partnership with Reality Defender to integrate deepfake detection technology into the 1Kosmos blockchain-based biometric authentication platform, enhancing AI-generated impersonation defenses.
- Law & ForensicscoreReality Defender and Law & Forensics announced a strategic partnership to integrate deepfake detection technology into legal workflows and digital forensics, providing forensic-grade AI verification tools for attorneys to verify digital evidence and client communications amid rising AI-enabled fraud in the legal sector.
- Hume AIcoreReality Defender partnered with Hume AI to enhance voice synthesis threat detection using Hume's Empathic Voice Interface (EVI), developing proactive defenses against sophisticated synthetic voice threats and generating datasets for improved detection capabilities.
- ValidSoftcoreReality Defender and ValidSoft announced a strategic alliance combining ValidSoft's real-time voice biometric authentication with Reality Defender's audio deepfake detection capabilities, offering military-grade identity assurance and deepfake detection in real time for enterprises and government agencies.
- AccentureflagshipAccenture announced a suite of new generative AI-powered cybersecurity services on November 19, 2024, that leverage partnerships with technology providers such as Reality Defender. Services include Secure AI Solutions, Deepfake Protection, Business Cyber Crisis Recovery, and Quantum Security Suite.
- ProofcoreProof introduced Verify, a real-time identity verification solution that integrates Reality Defender's deepfake detection platform to protect businesses from AI-generated fraud in high-risk transactions like wire transfers, password resets, and account recovery.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreReality Defender participated in the AWS Generative AI Accelerator program and has a long-standing partnership with AWS, with plans for a future listing on AWS Marketplace to enable consumption-based procurement for AWS-anchored enterprises.
- Certified AI AccesscoreCertified AI Access, a South African AI trust and risk infrastructure company, partnered with Reality Defender to introduce deepfake detection tools for South Africa's financial sector, with initial deployments focused on fraud detection, customer verification, and risk controls.
- Match GroupcoreMatch Group commissioned Reality Defender to analyze profile images from Tinder and Hinge, finding that 99.4% show no signs of malicious AI manipulation. The company plans to develop new detection tools and publish educational materials on deepfakes.
- NATO StratComcoreReality Defender partnered with NATO StratCom to identify deepfake videos spreading misinformation in a NATO country in 2022, and supported a NATO cognitive warfare experiment in late 2025 where operational military planners were tested on their ability to distinguish AI-generated deepfakes.
- Reality Defender Ethics CommitteecoreReality Defender formed an Ethics Committee with three founding members including former Google privacy chief Keith Enright and ex-Twitter trust and safety lead Yoel Roth to provide oversight as AI detection firms accumulate power to certify what is authentic.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Reality Defender competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sensity AI: Sensity AI is a direct competitor offering deepfake and synthetic media detection across images, video, and audio for enterprise and government clients. It is integrated alongside Reality Defender into Orange Business's collaboration tools, making it a head-to-head rival for the same channel-led deals.
- Hive AI: Hive AI provides AI-generated content detection (text, image, audio, video) via API and enterprise products, directly competing with Reality Defender's RealAPI and Real Suite. It serves a similar developer and enterprise customer base across trust & safety, media, and platform use cases.
- DeepMedia AI: DeepMedia is a direct deepfake detection competitor offering multimodal detection APIs for face, voice, and video manipulation. It targets similar enterprise and government use cases, including defense and media verification.
Emerging players
- DuckDuckGoose AI: DuckDuckGoose AI is an emerging deepfake detection startup offering AI-generated image and video detection APIs. It targets comparable enterprise and platform use cases but with a narrower modality footprint than Reality Defender's multimodal suite.
- Resemble AI: Resemble AI provides voice cloning and a corresponding 'Resemble Detect' deepfake detection product. While primarily a voice synthesis vendor, its detection offering competes with Reality Defender in audio deepfake detection for enterprise and security use cases.
- Sentinel AI: Sentinel AI is an emerging deepfake detection vendor targeting enterprise and media verification workflows with deep learning-based detection models. It addresses similar trust-and-safety and content authentication use cases as Reality Defender's Real Suite.
- ValidSoft: ValidSoft is a voice biometric authentication vendor that formed a strategic alliance with Reality Defender to combine voice biometrics with audio deepfake detection. It is both a partner and a partial competitor in voice-based identity assurance for contact centers and government clients.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft (Azure AI Content Safety / Video Authenticator): Microsoft offers deepfake and AI-generated content detection capabilities within Azure AI Content Safety and previously via the Video Authenticator tool. As a broad incumbent with native integration across Microsoft 365, Teams, and Azure, it represents the largest potential bundling threat to standalone vendors like Reality Defender.
- Pindrop: Pindrop is an established voice fraud and authentication vendor serving contact centers and financial institutions. Its voice liveness and deepfake detection capabilities overlap directly with Reality Defender's RealCall product for IVR-level voice authentication.
- McAfee Deepfake Detector: McAfee launched a consumer deepfake detection feature within its security suite, signaling broad-incumbent entry into AI-generated media detection. While targeting consumers initially, it represents a potential expansion path into SMB/enterprise segments where Reality Defender also competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Reality Defender social profiles
Digital presenceReality Defender compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Reality Defender financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reality Defender leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Reality Defender funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors26 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reality Defender M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reality Defender
What does Reality Defender do?
Reality Defender provides an AI-powered deepfake detection platform that identifies synthetic and manipulated media across audio, video, image, and text in real time. The platform is delivered via API, web application, and on-premises deployment, enabling enterprises and government agencies to verify the authenticity of digital content at scale.
Is Reality Defender a public or private company?
Reality Defender is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Reality Defender founded?
Reality Defender was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Reality Defender based?
Reality Defender is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Reality Defender make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Enterprise Subscription (Real Suite) is the primary driver. The others are usage-Based Developer API and freemium Developer Tier.
Who are Reality Defender's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sensity AI, Hive AI and DeepMedia AI. Emerging players are DuckDuckGoose AI, Resemble AI, Sentinel AI and ValidSoft. Broad incumbents are Microsoft (Azure AI Content Safety / Video Authenticator), Pindrop and McAfee Deepfake Detector.
Does Reality Defender have an API?
Yes. Reality Defender offers a public REST API (RealAPI) for deepfake detection, authentication via X-API-KEY header. Endpoints include AWS Presigned URL (POST /api/files/aws-presigned), All Media (GET /api/v2/media/users/pages/{page_number}), Media Detail (GET /api/media/users/{requestId}), and Create User Feedback (POST /api/v2/user-feedback). Free tier offers 50 audio or image scans per month. Supports files including images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .webp up to 10MB), audio (.mp3, .wav, .m4a, .aac, .ogg, .flac, .alac up to 20MB), video (.mp4, .mov up to 250MB), documents (.pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt up to 5MB), and text. Polling or webhook-based result retrieval with normalized 0-1 confidence scores; ensemble results recommended. Developer documentation is at docs.realitydefender.com/api-reference/quickstart.
What industry is Reality Defender in?
Reality Defender's product category is Deepfake Detection Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAKAK, Content Authenticity, Watermarking & Deepfake Detection, with a secondary code of MPAHAMAJ, Device & Playback Security (Secure Video Path, HDCP, Trusted Execution). Its NAICS code is 51621.