Pangram raises $9M and launches AI image detection tool amid surge in AI-generated content

Pangram, an AI detection startup, announced it raised $9 million and launched a new AI image detection tool. The company’s detection systems are now being used by Substack to show readers when their favorite authors use AI to write newsletters. Pangram’s co-founder and CEO Max Spero discussed the challenges of AI detection on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, emphasizing that the proliferation of AI-generated text and images has created a broader trust problem across platforms and institutions.

The funding round and product expansion come as AI-generated content increasingly appears in contexts where verification matters, such as job applications, product reviews, and insurance claims. Pangram positions itself as part of a growing ecosystem of startups aiming to serve as a “trust layer” for the internet by detecting AI-assisted versus AI-generated content.