Meet Navee: The Start-up revolutionizing online brand protection through AI

Hey Hacker community!

Navee has been nominated in HackerNoon's annual Startups of The Year awards! You can vote under the following categories (City: Paris, France and Industry: Business Intelligence, Analytics, and IT Services)

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Meet Navee, The Startup Engineering a Counterfeit-Free Future

What’s the story behind Navee?

Navee was born in San Francisco when our co-founders, Matteo Amerio and Mathieu Davet, stumbled upon a striking discovery—1 out of every 2 apartment listings online turned out to be fake. It was an eye-opener for them, and they quickly realized that the problem of fraudulent online content stretched far beyond just real estate.

This initial discovery ignited the idea behind Navee. They saw how counterfeits, fraud, and trademark infringements were costing businesses billions in revenue while damaging their reputations. So, they set out to create a solution that would protect brands from these threats, regardless of the industry.

Today, we’ve grown from that initial idea into a tech-forward startup dedicated to protecting brands and consumers online—one image at a time.

Why is tackling counterfeiting so important?

Counterfeiting is not just an issue of lost revenue; it has wide-reaching impacts on consumer safety, brand integrity, and even environmental sustainability. Fake products—whether it's counterfeit luxury items, fraudulent electronics, or fake pharmaceuticals—pose serious risks to consumers. As if those weren’t bad in themselves already, counterfeiting also fuels unfair labor practices and contributes to pollution in a grand scale.

At Navee, we believe that counterfeiting is an attack on innovation, and we see it as our mission to help brands safeguard their products, their reputation, and their consumers. Counterfeiters are becoming more sophisticated, but we try to be several steps ahead through our technology.

How does Navee take on the counterfeit industry?

Let’s be honest—fighting counterfeiters is like facing Goliath. The counterfeit industry is massive, valued at over $500 billion annually, and counterfeiters are constantly evolving their tactics. But at Navee, we see ourselves as David in this battle. With AI-powered solutions on our side, we’ve been able to outsmart counterfeiters and take the fight to them.

Instead of waiting for counterfeit listings to pop up, our technology is proactive. One way we do this is we detect, block, and remove counterfeit content from online platforms before it even reaches the market. By staying agile and innovative, we’re leveling the playing field and making real progress in the fight against counterfeits.

What role does AI play in Navee’s success?

AI is the backbone of our entire operation. We use AI to search, enrich, and act on counterfeit content across hundreds of online platforms. Our approach is broken into these three key phases:

1. Search: Our AI-powered search engine scans images and text across the web, identifying counterfeit products even when images have been modified or distorted.

2. Enrich: Navee recognises prior encounter with any element, whether it's a phone number, logo, or image. By gathering said data, our system can automatically and efficiently recognize counterfeits, significantly speeding up the entire process and making sure our teams of moderators are dealing with relevant and high-value listings.

3. Act: Finally, we take action. Our system triggers takedown requests or blocks counterfeit listings through an automated process that allows brands to see before they can go live, providing brands with proactive protection.

   
   

A key part of this process is our Collaborative Visual Authentication Network (CVAN), which allows us to work closely with brands and platforms to block counterfeits before they’re even uploaded. At the heart of CVAN is NaveeGPT, a cutting-edge AI system that enables automated moderation at scale. It is a crucial element of our CVAN platform, ensuring counterfeit content is flagged and handled quickly and with human-level precision.

Can you share some of Navee’s success stories?

A recent success story involves a client we've been partnering with for about a year. At the outset, 65% of their listings on major marketplaces like Amazon were counterfeit, with nearly 7 out of the top 10 listings featuring unauthorized products. Now, that figure has been reduced to zero.

This achievement goes beyond just numbers; it's about ensuring ongoing visibility and tracking it consistently. Our focus on keeping marketplaces clean is central to both our success and our clients'. We work to maintain a counterfeit-free environment, ensuring that consumers are protected from unintentionally or deliberately purchasing fake products.

What drives Navee as a startup?

At our core, Navee is a tech-first company. Everything we do is grounded in scientific inquiry and a strong commitment to innovation. We don’t just react to counterfeit threats—we proactively anticipate and counter them. Our AI is constantly evolving, allowing us to stay at the forefront of brand protection.

In addition, we take great pride in our international and diverse team, which is one of our greatest strengths. With over 15 nationalities across our three offices in Paris, the Philippines, and India, and employees and clients from around the globe, this diversity fuels our ability to think globally and deliver cutting-edge solutions on a global scale.

Vote for Navee as Startup of the Year!

Our journey is just beginning, but with AI and cutting-edge technology as our driving force, we are confident that we can bring about a counterfeit-free future. Help us continue this fight—vote for Navee as Startup of the Year!