Marco Ramilli is the founder of IdentifAI, a startup specialising in the development and training of (de)generative models.
He is also the Group Chief Innovation Officer at Tinexta, an industrial group that offers innovative solutions in the fields of digital trust, cyber security and business innovation to support the digital transformation and growth of businesses, professionals, and institutions.
Previously, Marco founded SimpleNetworks, which provides innovative services for companies entering the Web 2.0 era, and Yoroi, a Managed Cyber Security Service Provider focused on uncompromising defense for its clients, sold to Tinexta in 2024.
Marco holds a Ph.D. in Information and Communication Technology and has worked with the U.S. Government, the IEEE, and various academic institutions as a researcher, speaker, and educator.
In April 2024, you founded IdentifAI, a startup that offers a platform to detect whether an image was generated by AI or created by a human. What inspired you to create IdentifAI?
Marco: It all began two years ago, in a taxi. I received a message about a viral image on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Pope in a puffy coat. At first, I didn’t think much of it, it was cold, and he often wears white. But as it turned out, the image was fake, and it sparked intense polarisation. Some people didn’t see the issue, while others were outraged. Eventually, the Vatican denied the authenticity of the image, confirming it was a fabrication. But by that point, the damage had been done. Public opinion had already been divided, fueled by a lie.
That moment made me think: Can I do something about this? Can I help solve this problem? I decided to take action. I forged a partnership with the University of Bologna and Federico II University. Together, we established research groups to explore potential solutions. This led to the creation of what we believe are the first AI (de)generative models. These models analyse images, videos, and audio to assess the likelihood that the content has been artificially altered. And that’s how IdentifAI was born.
In June 2024, we participated in an international challenge and ranked among the top five, with the leading solution only 2% more accurate than ours. At that time, our technology had an accuracy rate of 88%, and now, we’re approaching 94%.
We realised that there were no solutions on the market, and that we could revolutionise the market by improving it 100%. So, IdentifAI officially launched just before summer 2024. Then, in the summer of 2024, I sold my company, Yoroi, to Tinexta and took some time off to recharge and reflect. After a few months of rest, I returned to the business with renewed energy. Our goal is clear: to build an international company.
IdentifAI is capable of accurately determining whether an image or video was produced by generative AI or a human, helping users become more aware of what they are viewing. Could you tell us more about the company’s business model?
Marco: Today, we offer two key services. The first is a web application that allows users to upload images, videos, or audio files, and receive an analysis of whether the content has been altered. This service is targeted at organisations that need to verify the authenticity of media.
The core idea behind this is simple: if you’re using generative AI to create content and share it with others, those recipients need to know whether the content is AI-generated or human-made. That’s where we come in.
The decisions you make are only as good as the information you have. The more accurate and high-quality the information, the better your decisions will be. This isn’t about fighting fake news, it’s about giving people the right to know if the content they’re consuming is authentic.
The second part of our business model, which is driving our growth, involves selling APIs. Our APIs are integrated into a variety of solutions, such as identity verification for banking onboarding or assessing insurance claims. For example, instead of sending an expert to evaluate damage after a minor accident, insurers can rely on photos sent by body shops to assess the situation.
We live in a world where images and videos were once trusted as proof, but today, they can easily be fabricated. Our APIs allow third-party applications to integrate our technology and verify content authenticity with ease. For the web app, we operate on a pay-per-user/month basis. For the API service, it’s pay-per-use, depending on the number of API calls.
In September 2024, IdentifAI raised €2.2 million in a funding round led by United Ventures. What milestones has the company achieved so far?
Marco: We opened up our capital for a seed round to test both the viability of our technology and the market demand. United Ventures came on board with a straightforward agreement: we provided the technology, and they supplied the capital. This resulted in our first €2.2 million funding round in September. The goal of the seed round was to validate the market.
In the first three months, we secured four clients, confirming that there is clear demand. Everyone uses images and videos, whether for simple video calls or more complex applications, so there is always a relevant use case for our technology.
What have been the biggest challenges in your entrepreneurial journey so far? And what do you see as the next challenges for IdentifAI?
Marco: Entrepreneurship is full of challenges at every stage. The beginning is the hardest, and bootstrapping is tough. The main complexity is having to make all the decisions yourself, there’s no room for delegation at the start. It’s a huge responsibility, and you have to move quickly. You have to embrace uncertainty because you won’t always have all the details, so you need to be okay with making mistakes. The key is to be reactive, to identify errors quickly and change course without letting ego get in the way.
Then comes the scaling phase. Here, the challenge is building processes. It’s tough because you go from handling everything yourself to structuring things in a way that allows you to delegate. Structuring is tedious, but it’s essential for growth.
After scaling, the next phase is consolidating your structure, and that’s when you need managers. Entrepreneurs and managers are very different roles.
In this context, I like to think of business as more of a marathon than a sprint. Business isn’t a race where you either win or lose in a set time frame; it’s more like a long-term journey. If you know there’s no end point, you don’t give up, you just keep going.
My advice? Don’t leave the dream unfulfilled. If you have an idea, go for it. Errors are part of the process, and there’s no real deadline. Everyone dreams of a startup that explodes overnight, but success isn’t just about that. It’s also about sharing solutions and helping others.
One final question: What is your vision for the future of the AI industry?
Marco: Technologically, AI is changing everything. It will help us a lot, and while it might eliminate some jobs, it will also create new ones. We’re at a very exciting time.
I believe AI will drastically change the way we handle information. Information is the foundation of our economy and society today. We live in a world of instant, continuous information, a constant stream of data that keeps us constantly adapting. But if that information is altered or generated, it could cause serious issues, not just for individuals but for society as a whole.
That’s why I agree that AI needs to be regulated. Waiting until it’s too late is not an option. I also believe AI is more of a tool that can help us than harm us, but not everyone uses it positively. That’s where we need to step in. I don’t think technology is neutral, it’s up to developers to build safeguards to ensure that AI is used responsibly. The AI Act is a good start, but as developers, we must also include safety measures in our products to prevent misuse.
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For more info on IdentiFAI, visit: https://identifai.net/