London-based Refute Raises £5M Seed Funding

The funding comes amid an evolving threat environment in which malicious actors are increasingly combining automated networks, influencer activity, and AI-driven tools to conduct coordinated disinformation campaigns. These efforts are no longer limited to governments and public institutions, but are increasingly directed at commercial organisations.

Since emerging from stealth and closing a pre-seed round in 2024, Refute has developed AI-based capabilities that are now used by both commercial and public-sector clients. Its platform is designed to identify early indicators of online manipulation and to provide near real-time intelligence and response recommendations.

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The company reports a rise in disinformation activity affecting clients in higher-risk sectors. During recent European elections including in Romania Refute identified more than 32,500 inauthentic TikTok videos linked to coordinated influence operations targeting expatriate communities. In the mining sector, its monitoring has indicated that approximately 40 per cent of tracked sites have been subject to activity associated with misleading or inauthentic actors.

Such campaigns are intended to influence online discourse and undermine institutional credibility, creating potential risks for organisations, reputations, and market stability.

According to Tom Garnett, CEO and co-founder of Refute, Europe is facing an unprecedented level of hybrid warfare:

Disinformation is no longer just a peripheral nuisance, but now a reputational threat and strategic weapon targeting nations, institutions and corporations alike.

Refute was created to meet this moment. We help governments and commercial organisations strengthen their resilience, protect their operations, and outpace their adversaries to function in an increasingly hostile information environment.

Refute plans to use the new funding to further develop its technology and support its efforts to help organisations and democratic institutions address the growing challenges posed by hybrid warfare and disinformation threats.

About Refute

Refute is a technology company focused on protecting organisations from disinformation threats. Using a data-driven approach, the platform detects, analyses, and responds to malicious campaigns in real time. By tracking narratives and behavioural patterns across interconnected data sources, Refute helps organisations identify risks, safeguard reputations and respond faster to emerging information threats.