Disinformation is no longer confined to election cycles or state level geopolitical conflict. It is increasingly becoming a direct commercial risk, capable of damaging brands, disrupting markets, and undermining trust at speed. Against this backdrop, London based AI company Refute has raised £5 million in seed funding to expand its counter disinformation platform and help organisations operate in a more hostile information environment.
The funding round was led by Amadeus Capital Partners, with participation from Playfair, Episode 1, Osney Capital, and the UK government backed National Security Strategic Investment Fund. The investment reflects growing concern across both public and private sectors about the scale and sophistication of modern influence operations.
From political manipulation to corporate risk
The nature of disinformation has evolved rapidly over the past few years. What were once relatively isolated campaigns are now highly coordinated operations that blend automated bot networks, influencer amplification, and AI generated content. These campaigns are increasingly targeting businesses alongside governments and public institutions.
Refute’s platform is designed to identify early indicators of online manipulation and provide near real time intelligence that allows organisations to respond before narratives gain traction. Since emerging from stealth and closing a pre seed round in 2024, the company has begun working with both public sector bodies and commercial organisations operating in higher risk environments.
According to the company, disinformation is now routinely being used to undermine corporate credibility, influence regulatory debates, and destabilise operations in sectors such as mining, energy, and infrastructure.
Real world signals from live deployments
Refute reports a notable increase in coordinated inauthentic activity detected through its monitoring systems. During recent European elections, including in Romania, the company identified more than 32,500 inauthentic TikTok videos linked to organised influence operations targeting expatriate communities. These campaigns were designed to distort political discourse and exploit algorithmic amplification.
Beyond electoral contexts, Refute’s monitoring has revealed that approximately 40 per cent of tracked mining sites have experienced activity associated with misleading narratives or inauthentic actors. Such efforts can affect investor confidence, community relations, and long term project viability.
These findings underline how influence operations are now being deployed as tools of economic and reputational pressure rather than purely political messaging.
Building resilience in a hostile information environment
Tom Garnett, CEO and co founder of Refute, said the company was created in response to what he describes as a new era of hybrid warfare.
Disinformation is no longer just a peripheral nuisance, but a reputational threat and strategic weapon targeting nations, institutions and corporations alike. Organisations need the ability to detect and respond to these threats at speed, before they escalate into material harm.
Refute’s platform combines AI driven analysis with contextual intelligence to surface manipulation patterns and recommend proportionate responses. The aim is not only to react to incidents, but to help organisations build long term resilience against persistent information threats.
Scaling technology and impact
The new funding will be used to further develop Refute’s technology, expand its analytical capabilities, and support a growing client base across Europe and beyond. The company is focused on improving detection accuracy, shortening response times, and enhancing its ability to track cross platform influence campaigns in near real time.
Investors backing the round point to the increasing convergence of national security concerns and commercial risk as a key driver behind the opportunity.
As information warfare becomes more automated, more scalable, and more accessible to a wider range of actors, tools that can bring clarity and early warning are becoming essential infrastructure rather than optional defences.
With this funding, Refute aims to position itself as a critical partner for organisations navigating an information landscape where trust, reputation, and operational stability are increasingly contested.