Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on innovative solutions for deradicalization. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we want to share our insights with you. This time, you will discover 5 promising startups tackling radicalization.
The internet and social media companies are the primary channel of radicalization in the 21st century. Now, they are also tackling radicalization with tech-driven solutions. For instance, Youtube redirects anyone who searches for “ISIS” to videos that dissect their propaganda.
Heat Map: 5 Top Startups Tackling Radicalization
Using our StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 1.379.000+ startups & scaleups globally, we looked at innovation in the field of deradicalization. For this research, we identified 36 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & scaleups developing innovative solutions to tackle radicalization. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 36 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Moonshot – Counter-Messaging
Radicalization is a gradual process that requires sustained exposure to radical views. Extremist groups ranging from radical Islamists and white nationalists to anti-abortionists use the web to target vulnerable individuals. Generally, many of these individuals do not trust mainstream media and look for alternative theories. Startups are working on solutions that connect to these individuals online to prevent radicalization.
Moonshot is a British startup that offers counter-messaging solutions to tackle radicalization. The startup uses artificial intelligence (AI) to find vulnerable audiences online who might be at risk of violent extremism and terrorism. This allows the startup to target these audiences with campaigns and interventions. The startup’s solutions connect vulnerable individuals with safer content online, as well as key service provisions such as counselors and growth opportunities.
Keshif – Conflict Prevention
Disadvantaged or conflict-hit communities are at a greater risk of exposure to radical views. Local engagement is a major driver of deradicalization and disengagement from extremist groups. Data analytics enable startups to identify vulnerable communities and their dynamics. This allows governments and relevant authorities to identify specific regions and take local measures to tackle radicalization.
The US-based startup Keshif develops a web-based exploration and analytics tool for conflict prevention. The solution helps governments and organizations to understand sensitive and complex environments. It uses data to efficiently meet the needs of conflict-affected individuals and address challenges to stabilization. The startup also provides solutions for the entire data lifecycle to maximize local impact.
Insikt Intelligence – Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)
The easy accessibility and anonymity of social media is a potent weapon for extremist leaders. Radicalization through social media spreads much faster than through offline channels because of the large echo chambers that online communities offer. In addition to propaganda, online spaces also facilitate recruitment, fundraising, and disinformation campaigns. To counter this, law enforcement agencies seek SOCMINT solutions to monitor social media data and take countermeasures based on the provided insights
Insikt Intelligence is a Spanish startup that builds artificial intelligence-based tools for social media intelligence. The startup’s Inviso intelligence platform uses natural language processing (NLP), data analytics, and advanced visualization. It detects radicalizing users online and determines the topics they are talking about. Moreover, it alerts the authorities about any unusual activities and identifies the underlying online communities.
Yonder – Incident Management
Radical views online are mostly limited to fringe communities that are generally inaccessible to social media monitoring tools. Similar dynamics play out in viral attacks and narratives that may impact the reputation of brands or governments. Identification of these fringe, yet influential, elements is key to tackling radicalization and misinformation. Startups are working on proactive tools that use machine learning to identify emerging narratives.
Yonder is a US-based startup that uses AI and machine learning to navigate the complex digital ecosystem. The startup’s incident management solution fills gaps in social intelligence and finds influential communities online engaged in behavior-altering conversations. The solution provides daily briefs, summary reports, and incident reports to help brands and authorities understand how narratives take shape. Yonder also provides an AI-powered platform to tackle disinformation campaigns.
Fivecast – Threat Analytics
Despite the anonymity and fringe location, extremists, similar to organized criminals, end up leaving a digital footprint. This digital footprint includes hints of new linkages and emerging threats. All of this information provides an opportunity for authorities to identify the key players and prevent major incidents before harm is done. Startups are working on solutions that accelerate the fight against radicalization by enabling actionable threat detection.
Australian startup Fivecast offers risk-based threat analytics for investigative and intelligence challenges. Fivecast ONYX monitors images, videos, and text online to build links between networks, groups, and similar entities. The threat analytics solution helps authorities scan, detect, and investigate potential security risks. The startup provides solutions to counter violent extremism, organized crime, insider threats, and fraud detection.
What About The Other 31 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence and enable you to achieve your goals faster. The 5 startups tackling radicalization showcased above are promising examples out of 36 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
