Vermillio, an AI licensing and protection platform, announced that it has raised $16 million in Series A funding, led by Sony Music Entertainment and DNS Capital.
Vermillio will utilize the funds to scale operations and continue building out solutions for a generative AI internet that enables talent, studios, record labels, and more to protect and monetize their content.
Vermillio is the first AI platform that securely licenses IP and allows IP holders and talent to engage with GenAI technologies safely. And by providing cutting-edge protection and third-party attribution, Vermillio’s TraceID enables talent and IP holders to take advantage of the benefits of Generative AI with secure control of their data and AI rights. TraceID offers the ability to manage terms, conditions, and usage rights while capitalizing on new revenue streams made possible with Generative AI.
With the new funding round, Vermillio will continue to protect leading talent, record labels, and studios. And last year, Vermillio announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with talent agency WME to shield their clients from IP theft and deliver opportunities to monetize their name, image and likeness (NIL) by securely licensing their data.
To showcase the unique opportunity that authenticated AI with TraceID presents, Vermillio launched a Spider-Verse AI engine with Sony Pictures where fans created their own unique digital version of themselves in the animation style of the Spider-Verse artists. And each of the 1.5 million unique fan creations was tracked using TraceID and with the ability to trace back to the filmmakers’ source IP.
Along with Sony Music and Legacy Recordings, Vermillio then collaborated with The Orb and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd to develop a project where fans “remixed” their album and created original artwork. Each of these partnerships are rooted in the seamless and secure control of TraceID.
Vermillio’s team designed TracelD to eliminate key concerns around consent, credit, and compensation with Generative AI. And TraceID’s extensive offerings include IP and NIL content monitoring and reporting, alerts and takedowns, lost revenue management, IP and NIL asset preparation for AI licensing, auditing of authorized AI licenses, and payment management.
With the company’s co-founders collaborating for over a decade in the space, the company brings together over a century of combined AI expertise. Vermillio Co-Founder and CEO Dan Neely is advancing major conversations about AI around the world and he provided guidance for the introduction of the landmark NO FAKES Act.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are setting a new standard for AI licensing—one that proactively enables consent, credit, and compensation for innovative opportunities. With the support of an innovation leader like Sony Music, Vermillio will continue building our products that ensure generative AI is utilized ethically and securely. At this critical moment in determining the future of AI and how to hold platforms accountable, we are proud to protect the world’s most beloved content and talent.”
– Dan Neely, Co-Founder & CEO of Vermillio
“Sony Music is focused on developing responsible generative AI use cases that enhance the creativity and goals of our talent, protect their work, excite fans, and create new commercial possibilities. Dan Neely and the team at Vermillio share our vision that prioritizing proper consent, clear attribution and appropriate compensation for professional creators is foundational to unlocking monetization opportunities in this space. We look forward to expanding our successful collaboration with them as we work to support the growth of trusted platforms by enabling secure AI solutions that are mutually beneficial for technology innovators, artists and rightsholders.”
– Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment
