LetsData

High-Level Overview

LetsData is a Ukrainian cybersecurity startup founded in 2022 that builds an AI-powered early warning system to detect and prevent information operations (InfoOps), such as disinformation campaigns, synthetic identities, and coordinated manipulation across social media platforms like X, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.[1][2][5] It serves governments (e.g., FCDO, UK Embassies, NATO member states), defense organizations, armed forces, and enterprises in financial services, critical infrastructure, and global brands, solving the problem of proactive threat detection in vast digital landscapes where traditional keyword-based tools fail to catch early signals.[1][3][5] The platform scans millions of posts in real-time using semantic AI, achieving 89% detection at inception with 97% accuracy, and has reached $1 million ARR with clients across the US, UK, and Europe.[1][5]

Origin Story

LetsData was co-founded in 2022 by Ksenia Iliuk, an expert in information operations detection for governments who grew frustrated with inadequate tools, and Andriy Kusyy, a former machine learning lead at Grammarly with cutting-edge tech expertise.[1][3][4] The duo met eight years earlier and began collaborating on consulting projects after attending an information warfare event at Chatham House, sparking the idea to scale research on disinformation into a product for broader use.[2][3] Inspired by Ukraine's history of revolutions (2004 Orange Revolution and 2013–2014 Revolution of Dignity) and wartime testing grounds for cybercriminals, they initially helped media groups and non-profits for free, building early traction through data insights for think tanks and policy-making.[2][4] Pivotal moments included refining the product in Ukraine's high-threat environment and securing equity-free support via Google's Ukraine Support Fund.[2]

Core Differentiators

• Semantic AI Over Keyword Reliance: Uses "No Keyword approach" with machine learning and large language models to detect coordination patterns, narrative shifts, and threats like hundreds of reposts per second within 5 seconds, uncovering 89% of InfoOps at inception—far beyond reactive tools.[1][2][5]
• Proactive, Scalable Alerts and Insights: Real-time scanning of millions of sources across 50+ countries triggers instant email/API/portal alerts; AI Analyst enables plain-language queries for intelligence, plus expert investigation reports.[5]
• User-Friendly and Efficient: GPU-enabled processing, Google Vertex AI for model training, and simple setup (define priorities → AI scans → alerts → act) reduce manual monitoring costs, delivering actionable intelligence for non-experts.[2][5]
• Ethical, Real-World Focus: Commits to integrity by avoiding authoritarian partners, emphasizing transparency, privacy, and pragmatic tools that empower defense against state-sponsored, cybercriminal, or competitive threats.[3][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

LetsData rides the surge in AI-driven disinformation threats, amplified by generative AI enabling low-budget attacks (e.g., $20 operations from Vietnam targeting Fortune 500s), amid geopolitical tensions like Ukraine's war serving as a global testing ground for InfoOps.[1][4][5] Timing is critical as media threats shift from costly/manual to cheap/scalable, with daily multi-platform campaigns by states, cybercriminals, and competitors exploiting elections, markets (e.g., crypto), and enterprises—LetsData's semantic detection counters this by shortening response times in an exploding data environment.[2][4] It influences the ecosystem by safeguarding democracy, informing policy via think tanks, integrating with defense workflows, and enabling proactive enterprise security, positioning Ukraine as a hub for resilient cybersecurity innovation.[2][5]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

LetsData's $1.6M pre-seed round (led by SMOK Ventures, with Startup Wise Guys and others) fuels US/Europe expansion, AI enhancements, and scaling from 20-person team to broader cybersecurity dominance, building on $1M ARR and high-profile clients.[1] Rising AI threats and hybrid warfare will shape its path, potentially evolving into a standard for InfoOps defense as generative tools proliferate. Its Ukrainian roots and execution track record suggest growing influence in protecting global narratives, turning early detection into a strategic edge for a more secure digital world.[1][4]