Ukrainian-made AI platform Mantis Analytics detects Russian fakes in the news

Ukrainian developers have created the Mantis Analytics platform based on artificial intelligence, which allows monitoring and analyzing the information space, detecting manipulations and fakes. AIN.Capital’s editor got the details from the company.

What is Mantis Analytics

• Mantis processes thousands of messages and gigabytes of data from mass media, social networks, and information platforms in real time. Then arranges everything on an interactive map.
• The data helps counter disinformation and hostile propaganda more effectively. After all, everyone can see how the Russians spread fakes and exchange information.
• Mantis Analytics is fully based on modern machine learning technologies, uses NLP and LLM models for fast and effective analysis of huge volumes of unstructured data.
• Mantis was born as a volunteer project that was tested within the defense-tech cluster Brave1. You can learn more about the cluster and what it offers startups in the defense sector by following the link below.

The startup’s story

• Mantis Analytics was founded by Maksym Tereshchenko (CEO), Ostap Vykhopen (STO), and Anton Tarasiuk (Director of Expertise). The current team is more than 10 people, half of whom work full-time.

“It all started as a non-commercial initiative. In March 2022, everyone was trying to figure out ways to help. There were many different chats where people cooperated to do something. Advertisers were chatting, journalists were chatting, and of course, the AI community was chatting, too. In one of these chats, AI, ML, and NLP specialists came up with an idea to create a tool that would help analyse the information space to be able to extract important data from all the information that was and is being shared today to help understand where the truth is and where the lies are, what the enemies are saying, and how to counter them in the best way,” Anton Tarasiuk told AIN.Capital.

“Then we cooperated with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine — the task was to monitor the information space, to see the main narratives being promoted by the enemy in order to counter them.

Gradually, other users and clients appeared. In February 2023, it became clear that “you can’t stop an idea whose time has come. We have the best NLP and ML specialists in Eastern Europe with extensive international experience on our team. We already have a product. That means we are a startup! Now we are at the stage of full corporatization and are moving on to attracting the first seed investments.”

• According to Anton, Mantis Analytics is already talking to investment funds and plans to raise a seed round in the near future. Before that, the product was developed at founders’ own expense, with the help of infrastructure and other grants. In particular, they received $25,000 from Brave1.
• Mantis Analytics cooperates with the National Security and Defense Council. And, additionally, with several government agencies, which the startup cannot disclose. As for foreign users, as of September, the startup already has a commercial commitment with one American analytics center and is negotiating with another.
• While Mantis Analytics is preparing the platform for production state, the team is focused on project collaboration. In the future, it is planned to sell a subscription to the platform. The company does not plan to close the non-commercial projects, because helping the state to protect cognitive security is part of the startup’s mission. In addition, such cooperation is a valuable source of expertise.
• Currently, the first version of MVP Mantis Analytics is working, which is already being used by some customers in test mode. At the end of September, the company plans to launch the second version of MVP, which will have a significantly expanded set of functions. The next one will be the production version.