Venture capital fund Draper Associates has invested S$500,000 in Reality Detector, a Singapore-based deep-tech startup that delivers video-based deception detection software.
Reality Detector, which is the first of its kind in Singapore, aims to create a world where all people can access undistorted reality and accurately place their trust in others. The company seeks to restore authenticity, realism, and credibility in human interactions.
Singapore startup community
Prior to raising capital from Draper Associates, Reality Detector, which Dennis Ye founded last year, conducted a pre-seed investment round with support from Draper Startup House.
Draper Startup House is an active startup ecosystem builder and global hospitality chain for traveling entrepreneurs.
“To help me in raising my pre-seed round, (Draper Startup House Founder) Vikram (Bharati), who used to head Investments, organized a real IC for me with prominent people in the local startup community such as Fannie Soubiele and Cynthia Ding,” Ye said in a press statement.
Deception detection
Conventional methods for deception detection such as polygraphic use are inaccurate, time-inefficient, and restrictive. Other existing methods are also quantitatively and qualitatively inferior, requiring hardware, contact, and control.
To combat these, Reality Detector detects deception cues by analyzing live or recorded videos, eliminating the need for physical contact.
Rooted in behavioral science, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and computer vision methods, Reality Detector is the only existing pure software solution that can be applied to videos for deception detection analytics of invisible biometrics.
The video-based deception detection software will have even more useful applications amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, it can make sure travelers are declaring truthful responses regarding their whereabouts, which is critical in the post-pandemic world.
Draper Startup House rebranded in January from Tribe Theory to Draper Startup House. This was after receiving a US$3.5M investment from prominent American venture capitalist Tim Draper.
In May, Draper Startup House launched its funding platform, Draper Startup House Ventures.
Silicon Valley-based Draper Associates is an early-stage VC that invests in industry-transforming companies.