Haatch led the pre-seed round, which includes contributions from the British Business Bank and the East Midlands Combined County Authority.
"As a trusted advisor to financial services boards, I kept seeing the same pattern: teams got excited about the potential of generative AI but then hit a wall when asked about governance and compliance. We founded Vigilant AI.ai because the toolset to answer those questions simply didn’t exist. Our platform enables people in the business to onboard AI Teammates where work happens whilst real-time guardrails and audit logs protect and govern. Customers gain AI productivity at speed, with regulatory compliant trust."
The funding round was led by the founders of Onfido and will support geographic expansion and product development.
"The Workday case is a wake-up call and highlights why Warden AI exists, to bring independent auditing and oversight to AI development and use in HR. We built the platform to open up the black box of AI systems, which in turn builds trust in AI, increases adoption, gives organizations the evidence to deploy and defend AI systems, and protects the people they impact. Ensuring AI use is a win-win for all"
Nexus Venture Partners led the seed round to support team expansion and product development.
"We don’t sell a platform; we sell a solution. Our AI agents are paired with humans-in-the-loop to ensure 100% accuracy. Peace of mind doesn’t come from a tool; it comes from a result. That’s why we win against consultants because they don’t just sell software, and neither do we."
Symvan Capital backs Bristol artificial intelligence startup Tikos to address the black box problem.
"We’re excited to support Mike and Don in making AI systems trustworthy and compliant, addressing one of the most urgent challenges in AI. With over a decade of proprietary research, their ability to retrofit explainability and auditability into existing models is game-changing for regulated industries and high-stakes AI applications."
The oversubscribed round was led by Bethnal Green Ventures with participation from a group of specialist investors and angels.
"Vouchsafe was one of the standout successes of the CivTech programme, tackling a challenge that affects millions. Their approach to identity verification is a game-changer, making it easier, faster, and more cost-effective for public services to reach those who need them most. This funding is a testament to the impact they are already making, and I’m excited to see how they scale their work to help even more people access vital services."
