Impersonation attacks have become the newest weapon of choice for cybercriminals. Over the past year, these attacks have surged more than tenfold, fuelled by deepfakes, voice clones, and sophisticated social engineering.
With enterprises increasingly communicating through video and messaging platforms, the ability to imitate an employee or executive has become dangerously easy. Imper.ai has emerged in response to this reality, securing $28 million in fresh funding and officially launching its real-time cyber impersonation prevention platform.
With backing from Redpoint Ventures, Battery Ventures, Maple VC, Vessy VC, and Cerca Partners, Imper.ai is now set to accelerate global expansion. At a time when cybercriminals are evolving faster than traditional defences, the company enters the market with a clear message: identity should no longer be the easiest way in.
Protecting the new attack surface: identity
Identity, not infrastructure, has become the modern entry point for cyberattacks. From fake IT help desk messages to deepfake video calls, attackers no longer need to breach systems; they can simply persuade their way in. The risks are already visible.
A recent credential-based attack on Jaguar Land Rover halted production and disrupted IT systems, resulting in an estimated $1.5 billion in losses. The FBI also reported that business email compromise scams cost organisations $2.8 billion last year. Analysts warn that the financial toll of AI-generated impersonation could reach $40 billion annually in the US by 2027.
Imper.ai aims to neutralise this threat before it lands. The company’s platform detects impersonation attempts in real time across Zoom, Teams, Slack and other communication systems by identifying digital markers that attackers cannot fake. Instead of scanning content for irregular phrases or unusual language, an approach criminals are rapidly learning to bypass, the system evaluates deeper signals: device telemetry, network diagnostics, and behavioral patterns linked to unique organisational knowledge.
Intelligence-grade technology, enterprise design
Imper.ai was founded by seasoned cyber-intelligence leaders: Noam Awadish, Anatoly Blighovsky, and Rom Dudkiewicz. Their backgrounds span Mobileye and elite cyber divisions of Israel’s intelligence unit 8200, bringing defence-grade capabilities into the enterprise world. The platform prevents attacks at the earliest moment of contact, whether that starts on a video call, phone interaction, or internal chat, blocking impersonation before employees have a chance to respond.
The technology stands out for being agentless and privacy-first. It runs silently across the communication environment without requiring plug-ins, add-ons, or workflow disruption. This design has already driven adoption across finance, healthcare, and technology companies seeking to restore confidence in digital interactions.
Rebuilding trust in enterprise communication
As workplaces become more distributed, hybrid, and external-facing, securing every conversation has become a business priority. Imper.ai’s mission is to bring trust back into everyday communication, ensuring that employees can confidently respond to colleagues, vendors, and customers without worrying if the person on the other side is real.
“Social engineering attacks have become one of the toughest challenges in cybersecurity because people can no longer tell who’s real and who’s not,” said Erica Brescia, Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures. “What stood out about imper.ai is how naturally it solves that problem. It gives companies the confidence that every call, message, and interaction is authentic, protecting trust, privacy, and business continuity at the same time.”
“Impersonation isn’t just a feature of modern attacks – it’s becoming the primary threat vector,” said Barak Schoster, partner at Battery Ventures, and board member of imper.ai. “imper.ai is building what we believe will be a foundational layer of enterprise security: real-time verification at the point where human trust is most vulnerable. This is a category-defining company in the making. We’re proud to back this exceptional team.”
“AI-driven impersonation has become one of the biggest drivers of financial loss and reputational risk for enterprises,” said Noam Awadish, Co-Founder and CEO of imper.ai. “Gartner expects that by 2027, half of all enterprises will invest in anti-deepfake and disinformation-security tools, a clear sign this is no longer a niche issue. We built imper.ai to help CISOs strengthen their defences and focus on prevention instead of crisis response.”
