OpenOrigins

OpenOrigins is a London-based content-provenance company that uses a purpose-built blockchain to prove digital photos and videos are real human-created content rather than AI-generated synthetics. Rather than trying to detect deepfakes after the fact, the system anchors original media cryptographically at the point of capture, creating a tamper-evident record that can be verified by anyone afterwards.

The platform is aimed primarily at newsrooms, archives and content producers who need to demonstrate the integrity of their footage in a world where AI-generated images are indistinguishable from real ones at a glance. OpenOrigins partners with UK broadcaster ITN to protect more than 70 years of news archives, and has launched OpenOrigins Source, a capture app that combines instant cryptographic anchoring with a public verification portal. A separate marketplace lets rights holders license verified content for AI training.

Founded in 2021 by Cambridge PhD Mansoor "Manny" Ahmed, the company has raised approximately $7.25 million in total, including a $4.5 million seed round led by Galaxy in late 2024 with participation from Galaxy Ventures and Unbound. Capital has been deployed to expand into the US and India and to scale the partnerships pipeline with global media organisations.