AI detection startup Pangram raises $9 million amid surge in bot traffic

AI detection startup Pangram has raised $9 million to expand its tools for identifying AI-generated text and images. The funding arrives as internet infrastructure firm Cloudflare reports that bot traffic has surpassed human traffic online for the first time.

“

With the new building Kunst at BURG, we are investing in the future of a significant and renowned art and design location in Germany.

The funding round was led by Menlo Ventures, with contributions from Haystack, ScOp, Script Capital, and Cadenza. Alongside the investment, Pangram introduced Pangram 4, a new text detection model claiming over 99% accuracy in identifying AI-assisted writing and mixed human-AI content. The company also released Pangram Image, an AI image detector, in research preview.

Pangram was founded about two years ago by Stanford AI and machine learning graduates Max Spero and Bradley Emi. Their system trains a large machine learning model on millions of human documents, then creates a "synthetic mirror" of each document. This mirror replicates the original's topic, length, and tone but is written by an AI model. The detector identifies stylistic differences between human and AI writing without relying on metadata or watermarks.

“

We are very pleased that the implementation of our new building can now begin.

The startup differentiates between content that is entirely AI-generated and content where a human uses AI for refinement. Users can access Pangram through a $20-per-month web subscription or a Chrome extension that provides real-time labeling of posts on platforms like X, LinkedIn, Substack, Reddit, and Medium. Notable API clients include Substack, which uses Pangram to indicate AI-written newsletters, along with Quora, educational institutions, publishers, and recruiters.

“

The new building creates the spatial conditions to connect artistic practice, teaching, research, and exhibitions even more closely in the future.