ESA BIC UK supports startup to challenge growing fake news threat

Trusted Media Capture
(Credit: Serelay)

In a bid to counter increasingly sophisticated methods of editing photographs and videos, Serelay analyses both the content and context of uploaded images to flag any alterations made to visual content. Using satellite timing and location metadata, this enables organisations to rapidly authenticate any imagery submitted through a Serelay-enabled mobile app.

The Challenge

Founded in March 2017, Serelay quickly received funding from the Google Digital News Initiative that enabled it to develop a validated prototype. However, it needed further funding and support to create a marketable product. The team also wanted to understand how to work at a granular level with the satellite signals received by imaging devices and use external datasets to ensure a high level of confidence in sensor metadata.

Solution

Funding for external expertise and IP protection
A physical office location to enhance team working and support other funding applications
Networking opportunities, enabling collaboration with other start-ups and discussions with potential investors
Esteem due to affiliation with ESA

Serelay has made very significant commercial and technical progress during its 12 months at ESA BIC UK, which is perhaps the best testament to the quality and effectiveness of the incubation programme. We’re very grateful for the support we received.

Roy Azoulay Founder and CEO, Serelay Limited

The Benefits

Since joining ESA BIC UK in December 2017, Serelay has doubled its team from two to four employees. The wide-ranging support from the ESA BIC team has helped it ready its product for launch, provoking serious interest from major organisations within insurance and media sectors. Serelay has already filed two patents, with more pending.

Serelay has chosen to remain in its Harwell Campus office in parallel with being chosen to participate in Facebook’s first London-based LDN_LAB Deep Tech for Good programme. The company has received a £300,000 applied research grant from Innovate UK, won the 2018 Thames Valley Tech Award for best start-up and been accepted into the Founders Factory Accelerator Programme and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) Labs incubator programme.

Serelay case study (PDF, 209 KB)

Last updated: 09 April 2019