GetReal Security: Why We Invested

Today, GetReal announced its $17.5M Series A. We’re excited to lead this investment in the preeminent team out to combat a new attack vector threatening the modern enterprise: malicious, synthetic media, including deepfakes, manipulated content, and AI-generated disinformation.

As cybersecurity investors, we understand the importance of trust. But what happens to trust when what or whom we perceive is no longer trustworthy? Today, we assume that someone on a video call who looks and sounds like our colleague, friend, or family member is that person and thus we share and act on information. This assumption is being strained by Generative AI. In the coming months, it will break.

That’s why we’re backing GetReal. We believe detection capabilities for synthetic and deepfake content will be critical to maintaining trust in our connected digital world, and that this is the world-class team best positioned to tackle this problem.

The Rise of Synthetic Media
In an era where data is the new currency, the sanctity of digital identity has never been more critical. Synthetic media—generated or manipulated content including deepfake videos, synthetic voices, and AI-driven avatars—enables bad actors to erode trust at scale. This technology, once the realm of science fiction, is now accessible and increasingly sophisticated. It spans frontier models from OpenAI or Google Gemini to Qwen or DeepSeek, plus applications such as ElevenLabs or HeyGen. These tools move beyond text generation to rich synthetic media that is increasingly indistinguishable from real media. All of this has enabled countless attacks based on deepfakes, from the $25M CFO scam to the $500B+ market dip after a deepfake image of an explosion near the Pentagon.

Today, even enterprises with hardened authentication systems—MFA, secure passwords, etc.—often rely on loosely authenticated human interaction for critical interactions ranging from helpdesk contact to payment verification to calls with major customers or suppliers. These interactions often assume that someone who looks and sounds like a trusted colleague is, in fact, that colleague. Synthetic media poses a fundamental disruption to this identity trust, creating a pressing need for new approaches to verification. This is where GetReal steps in, with a vision and technology stack that is redefining the cybersecurity landscape.

A World-Class Team with a Proven Track Record
A company is only as strong as its people. GetReal was co-founded by Dr. Hany Farid, often referred to as the “godfather of digital forensics,” whose pioneering work in image analysis and deepfake detection has shaped the discipline. Hany’s decades of experience as a foremost expert in the detection of synthetic or manipulated media is uniquely valuable in helping businesses and governments combat the explosion of digital fakes. GetReal is led by Matt Moynahan, a veteran President and CEO of leading cybersecurity companies such as Forcepoint, Veracode, and OneSpan. Under his leadership, these companies scaled globally and brought breakthrough products to market. The broader GetReal team. Including the founding investors, several of whom worked closely with us at AlienVault prior to its acquisition by AT&T, brings a powerful combination of groundbreaking academic research, deep cybersecurity expertise, and a seasoned team with extensive entrepreneurial and commercial experience scaling companies—exactly the kind of talent we seek to support at Forgepoint.

A Technical Approach Differentiated to the Core
We believe that GetReal’s multi-modal, multi-model technology differentiates it from the competition. In contrast to single-technique solutions—often susceptible to adversarial attacks and continuously developing market capabilities—GetReal uses robust, multi-layered detections that draw on Hany’s expertise. This includes proprietary methods that detect the “tells” of Gen AI. Because Gen AI lacks an innate understanding of physics, its content often subtly violates the laws of physics. By keying off this intrinsic failure mode, GetReal’s detections are uniquely resistant to Gen AI countermeasures. This makes GetReal uniquely positioned to become a market leader in detecting and protecting against sophisticated attacks.

Looking Ahead
Our investment thesis at Forgepoint has always been to back transformative companies that address the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity, AI, and infrastructure software. As synthetic media evolves, we’re confident that GetReal’s technology—and the extraordinary team driving it—will play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of digital identity verification. We can’t wait to support GetReal on this journey and look forward to the continued innovation and market leadership they’ll bring to the fight against advanced digital fraud. Stay tuned for more updates as we help propel GetReal to the forefront of this critical battle for truth in the digital realm.

See additional coverage in TechCrunch.