Khosla Ventures Leads $16.2M Series A In Loti AI, Backed By WME & CAA, To Shield Celebrities From Deepfake Threats

Seattle-based Loti AI has secured $16.2 million in Series A funding to power the next wave of deepfake defense tech.

Led by Khosla Ventures and joined by FUSE, Bling Capital, Ensemble, Alpha Edison, and K5 Tokyo Black, the $16.2 million raise brings Loti’s total funding to $23 million, marking a pivotal shift in how seriously the industry is treating digital identity defense, according to Variety.

Don’t Miss:

Celebrity Protection in the Age of AI

Loti AI builds protection software for celebrities, influencers, politicians, athletes, and everyday consumers navigating a world where their faces and voices can be cloned in seconds. According to GeekWire, the startup uses proprietary facial and voice recognition to monitor global digital content, flag unauthorized uses, and remove manipulated or infringing media, from deepfake endorsements to fake social media accounts.

Founded in 2022 by Luke Arrigoni, Rebekah Arrigoni, and serial entrepreneur Hirak Chhatbar, the company is quickly emerging as a leader in likeness protection. Loti’s tech began with a focus on high-profile individuals but recently expanded to include consumer-facing tools that help anyone reclaim control over their digital presence.

The funding comes at a pivotal moment. According to Variety, the re-introduction of the No Fakes Act, a bill designed to help artists and public figures protect their voice and likeness, has earned support from tech giants like Google and Amazon AMZN.

Trending: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates.

This tailwind in Washington is giving Loti an even stronger foothold as legal infrastructure begins to catch up with AI’s rapid evolution. “They come to us to protect their likeness, their IP rights, and now increasingly to manage how they participate in the generative AI economy,” said Loti CEO Luke Arrigoni, according to GeekWire.

The company has also formed high-level partnerships with talent agencies WME and CAA, as well as Dolphin Entertainment, whose subsidiaries like 42West, The Door, and Elle Communications now have access to Loti’s suite of tools, GeekWire writes.

Khosla Ventures sees this moment as necessary. “Our thesis around Loti is simple. Generative AI enables new deepfake technology that creates new risks and challenges around fraud and trust – challenges that celebrities, influencers, and brands are not prepared for today,” Jon Chu, a partner at Khosla Ventures, said in a statement. “And Loti has world-class technology paired with a category-leading product that has proven itself by protecting A-list celebrities, household name brands, and individuals and local businesses from threats.”

See Also: Mark Cuban Backs This Innovative Startup That Turns Videos into Games  — Claim Your Share Now

Loti is Quietly Building Market Dominance

Loti’s platform has other features beyond detection and takedown. It equips clients with the tools to govern how their likeness is handled across digital ecosystems, spanning everything from social media to streaming sites to AI datasets. The system operates as both a shield and control panel, either by initiating removals or staying ahead of misuse through active monitoring.

The startup is also facing competitive pressure, most notably from Sony-backed SONY Vermillio AI, which raised $16 million last month, according to a statement. But Loti isn’t flinching. “We see new entrants to our space from time to time,” said Arrigoni, “but they are often deterred by the massive technical complexity of monitoring the internet for face and voices so they pivot out of our space. While I’m sure everyone has decent tech, ours is battle-hardened and bespoke to those that rely on these protections.”

Ranked No. 156 on GeekWire’s list of top Pacific Northwest startups, Loti is growing fast and showing no signs of slowing down. While revenue numbers remain under wraps, the client list is reportedly “growing exponentially.”

Read Next:

Image: Shutterstock