Vermillio
Vermillio operates TraceID, an AI-powered platform that uses neural fingerprinting to identify intellectual property and likeness in generative AI outputs, offering studios, record labels, publishers, and individual creators content protection, takedown management, and AI-licensing infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Vermillio does
Vermillio is a Chicago-based AI company that operates the TraceID platform, which uses proprietary neural fingerprinting and atomization technology to identify intellectual property and likeness (NIL) within AI-generated content. The platform is built on proprietary content-matching models that decompose media into elemental signatures and match them against unauthorized AI outputs across the open web, YouTube, and generative AI platforms such as Suno, Udio, and ElevenLabs. The platform unifies two functional modules: TraceID Protection (continuous monitoring, threat detection, and managed takedowns) and TraceID Licensing (auditing, smart-contract-based terms, and revenue recovery when IP is licensed to AI developers), supplemented by the 2026 launch of an SDK branded AI Guardrails-as-a-Service that embeds creator preferences and AI-content detection directly into downstream AI platforms.
Vermillio serves four primary customer segments: major studios (e.g., Sony Pictures), record labels (Sony Music), individual talent and agencies (WME, Pink Floyd / David Gilmour, individual creators), and the publishing industry, where the Association of American Publishers (representing HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette, Simon & Schuster) adopted TraceID as the publishing-industry standard for AI-rights enforcement in May 2026. AI developers and DSPs are a secondary buyer segment accessed through the SDK.
The business operates a multi-stream revenue model: tiered self-serve subscriptions for individual creators (Free, $100/month Pro, $300/month Pro+, undisclosed Premium); enterprise contracts with studios, labels, and trade associations; a 50% revenue share plus 8% royalty on AI licensing opportunities surfaced through the platform; and a pay-per-call SDK licensing model targeting AI music platforms and DSPs. Distribution combines a PLG self-serve funnel at app.vermill.io with enterprise field sales for marquee accounts and an embedded OEM channel via the SDK. The company is venture-backed, having closed a $16 million Series A in March 2025 co-led by Sony Music Entertainment and DNS Capital.
Vermillio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vermillio
- Legal name
- Vermillio, Inc.
- Website
- https://vermill.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vermillio operates TraceID, an AI-powered platform that uses neural fingerprinting to identify intellectual property and likeness in generative AI outputs, offering studios, record labels, publishers, and individual creators content protection, takedown management, and AI-licensing infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vermillio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Rights Management and IP Protection
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Content Authenticity, Watermarking & Deepfake Detection (HDAAAKAK), AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), AI Observability, Monitoring & Evaluation Platforms (Drift, Quality, Safety) (HDAEANAF)
Keywords
Where Vermillio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vermillio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Tiers (TraceID Protection): Monthly subscription tiers for IP and NIL protection services: Free tier with limited snapshot, Pro at $100/month with 30 takedowns/month, Pro+ at $300/month with 120 takedowns/month, and Premium with unlimited takedowns for high-profile individuals and brands.
- AI Licensing Platform (Content Marketplace): Platform enabling content owners (studios, labels, talent) to license their IP to AI developers, with auditing of authorized AI licenses, smart contracts, and payment management for revenue sharing.
- AI Licensing Revenue Share: Vermillio takes a 50% revenue share from licensing opportunities surfaced through its platform. Additionally, an 8% royalty on amounts received by IP owners in Opportunity Agreements.
- SDK Pay-Per-Call Model: Enterprise licensing of the Vermillio SDK to AI music platforms and DSPs on a pay-per-call basis, enabling scalable enterprise-grade protection aligned with usage.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier offering a one-time snapshot of highest-risk unauthorized uses with monthly threat reports, threat takedowns, threat history archive, and takedown status tracking. |
| Subscription | Monthly | Active protection for a growing digital presence with monthly refreshed threat snapshots and 30 monthly takedown requests. |
| Subscription | Monthly | Protection for high-profile creators with 120 monthly takedown requests. |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium protection for public figures, brands, and victims of AI abuse with dedicated account manager and unlimited takedown requests. |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Vermillio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vermillio offers the TraceID platform, an AI-powered system that uses neural fingerprint technology to monitor, identify, and trace intellectual property and name/image/likeness (NIL) in any AI-generated content across the internet. The platform combines protection (threat monitoring, deepfake detection, automated takedowns) with monetization (an AI licensing marketplace enabling IP holders to license content to AI developers). Vermillio also delivers an AI Guardrails-as-a-Service SDK for AI music platforms and DSPs to integrate Likeness Opt-In controls and AI-generated content detection directly into their applications.
Product overview
Vermillio is an AI licensing and protection platform offering TraceID as its core product—a unified platform combining protection and licensing modules. TraceID Protection provides content monitoring, threat detection, and takedown management against AI-generated infringement. TraceID Licensing enables content owners to license IP to AI developers. The platform expanded with AI Guardrails-as-a-Service for music industry rights management, including a developer SDK and Likeness Opt-In features. The 4C Verified program surfaces licensing opportunities for creators. The company operates from Chicago with backing from Sony Music and DNS Capital.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TraceID: AI-powered rights management platform for protecting intellectual property and managing AI licensing, featuring neural fingerprint technology to identify protected content across AI-generated content on platforms.
Products and services
- TraceID The primary AI-powered platform by Vermillio that monitors, protects, and licenses intellectual property and name, image, likeness (NIL) in the generative AI era. Uses neural fingerprint technology to identify content across AI platforms and trace it back to its rightful creators.
- TraceID Protection Subscription module that protects creators, performers, and IP owners against deepfakes, unauthorized distribution, and use of their content by generative AI platforms. Includes threat snapshots, monthly threat reports, threat history archive, and managed takedown requests (tiered from 30 to unlimited per month).
- TraceID Licensing Module enabling content creators, studios, labels, and talent to license their IP and NIL to AI developers with full visibility, control, usage tracking, and scalable revenue streams through data royalties. Includes auditing of authorized AI licenses, smart contracts, and payment management.
- AI Guardrails-as-a-Service Infrastructure service for the music industry allowing rights holders to set rules before content gets misused. Includes Likeness Opt-In controls for artists to define AI usage parameters and the AI or Not detection tool for identifying AI-generated music.
- Vermillio SDK Software development kit for AI music platforms, DSPs, and developers to integrate Vermillio's TraceID guardrails directly into their applications. Supports real-time enforcement of artist preferences on a pay-per-call basis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 5,000 pirated AI audiobook instances detected per new best-seller within one month of release, drawing more than 200,000 collective streams.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Vermillio
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Vermillio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Vermillio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Digital Service Providers (DSPs)coreVermillio SDK targets DSPs and AI music platforms as integration partners, enabling them to honor artist rights and licensing preferences through real-time guardrails embedded in their platforms.
- Association of American Publishers (AAP)flagshipAAP partnered with Vermillio in May 2026 to deploy TraceID technology for detecting and removing AI-generated pirated audiobooks and infringing literary works from online platforms including YouTube. Vermillio's technology uses neural fingerprints to identify protected IP across AI-generated content, with over 5,000 instances found per new best-seller within a month of release.
- Sony PicturescoreSony Pictures partnered with Vermillio on projects involving IP protection and AI licensing for film and television content. The partnership supports Sony Pictures' efforts to protect intellectual property in generative AI environments.
- WMEcoreWME, a global leader in entertainment, sports and fashion talent representation, partnered with Vermillio to protect and empower its talent clients for the AI future through TraceID protection services.
- David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)minorDavid Gilmour of Pink Floyd collaborated with Vermillio on music IP protection and AI licensing initiatives, enabling the artist to manage how his music and likeness are used in generative AI contexts.
- Pink Floyd's The OrbminorThe Orb collaborated with Vermillio on AI licensing and IP protection projects involving Pink Floyd's music catalog.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vermillio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Truepic: Content authenticity and provenance platform using cryptographic verification and C2PA standards to certify genuine digital content. Adjacent competitor in the content authentication space, focused on provenance rather than detection.
- Story Protocol: Web3-based IP licensing protocol enabling creators to register, license, and monetize IP for AI training and use. Overlaps with Vermillio's AI licensing marketplace vision but takes a blockchain-based approach to rights management.
- Resemble AI: Voice AI platform offering voice cloning and voice detection capabilities, including deepfake voice identification. Partial overlap with Vermillio's likeness/voice protection modules and serves music and entertainment customers.
Direct peers
- Reality Defender: Deepfake and AI-generated content detection platform serving enterprises, governments, and platforms across audio, video, and image modalities. Directly comparable technology stack and target customer base to Vermillio's AI or Not detection product.
- Sensity AI: AI-generated content detection and deepfake identification platform serving enterprises and platform operators. Overlaps with Vermillio's detection capabilities and serves similar customers concerned with synthetic media risk.
- Pex: Audio content identification and rights management platform using fingerprinting technology to detect unauthorized use of music and audio content. Closest comparable in audio-specific fingerprinting methodology and rights enforcement for music labels.
- Hive: AI-generated content detection API serving platforms and developers with content moderation and AI-detection capabilities. Comparable to Vermillio's SDK approach for embedding detection into third-party platforms.
- DeepMedia: Deepfake detection and synthetic media identification company targeting platforms, governments, and media organizations. Comparable detection technology and use cases for identifying AI-generated content across modalities.
- Loti AI: Direct competitor in AI likeness and IP protection, offering similar services to talent agencies, studios, and individual creators to detect and remove unauthorized AI-generated content. Closest direct peer to Vermillio in the talent/likeness protection niche.
Broad incumbents
- Audible Magic: Long-established audio content identification and rights management provider serving music labels, publishers, and platforms. Established incumbent in audio fingerprinting that competes with Vermillio's music rights management capabilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vermillio social profiles
Digital presenceVermillio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vermillio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Vermillio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vermillio 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 Vermillio
What does Vermillio do?
Vermillio offers the TraceID platform, an AI-powered system that uses neural fingerprint technology to monitor, identify, and trace intellectual property and name/image/likeness (NIL) in any AI-generated content across the internet. The platform combines protection (threat monitoring, deepfake detection, automated takedowns) with monetization (an AI licensing marketplace enabling IP holders to license content to AI developers). Vermillio also delivers an AI Guardrails-as-a-Service SDK for AI music platforms and DSPs to integrate Likeness Opt-In controls and AI-generated content detection directly into their applications.
Is Vermillio a public or private company?
Vermillio is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Vermillio founded?
Vermillio was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vermillio based?
Vermillio is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vermillio make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Tiers (TraceID Protection) is the primary driver. The others are AI Licensing Platform (Content Marketplace), AI Licensing Revenue Share and SDK Pay-Per-Call Model.
Who are Vermillio's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Truepic, Story Protocol and Resemble AI. Direct peers are Reality Defender, Sensity AI, Pex, Hive, DeepMedia and Loti AI. Audible Magic is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Vermillio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vermillio.
What industry is Vermillio in?
Vermillio's product category is AI Rights Management and IP Protection. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAG, Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII), with a secondary code of HDAAAKAK, Content Authenticity, Watermarking & Deepfake Detection. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.