Root Signals, a startup with dual headquarters in Helsinki and Palo Alto, has raised $2.8 million in seed funding to further its development of enterprise tools for generative AI (GenAI) auditing. The round was led by Angular Ventures, with additional support from Business Finland. The funding will help accelerate the development of Root Signals’ platform, expand its AI models, and scale its sales and marketing efforts.
Founded by Dr. Ari Heljakka, who holds a PhD in GenAI, Root Signals provides businesses with enterprise-grade tools to measure, monitor, and control the output of large language models (LLMs). The company’s unique “LLM-as-a-judge” technique allows businesses to implement comprehensive evaluations, ensuring GenAI applications deliver consistent and reliable results. Root Signals’ solution is designed to help companies mitigate risks while maximizing the value of their GenAI deployments.
Root Signals focuses on a scalable, long-term approach to GenAI auditing, known as EvalOps. This methodology enables organizations to automate the process of measuring complex AI behaviors, such as hallucinations, relevance, and regulatory compliance. EvalOps simplifies the task of scrutinizing AI outputs, making it easier for AI engineers to evaluate and monitor LLM applications in real time.
“Generative AI lacks built-in quality control, and it’s not like traditional software that you can trust to work consistently. Think of it as an unreliable freelancer that requires constant oversight,” said Dr. Heljakka. “With our platform, companies can automate these checks using understandable, scalable metrics, making AI applications more auditable and reliable.”
Root Signals’ platform is particularly appealing to independent software vendors building GenAI-powered bots for specialized verticals, as well as AI teams within large, established companies seeking to gain a competitive edge through GenAI. The platform provides detailed model-to-model comparisons, helping companies make informed decisions about replacing large models like GPT with smaller, more efficient on-premise models—crucial for businesses operating in regulated industries where compliance and data privacy are paramount.
Oguzhan Gencoglu, Root Signals’ Head of AI, highlighted the importance of trust in AI systems, stating, “Our users constantly ask how they or their customers can trust the AI itself. We’ve integrated self-measurability into the core of our evaluation engine to ensure transparency and trust in AI behavior.”
The growing need for reliable GenAI auditing tools is becoming increasingly evident as enterprises struggle to implement LLM-based projects at scale. Gil Dibner, Partner at Angular Ventures, emphasized the significance of Root Signals’ approach, noting, “90% of enterprise GenAI projects are stalling because companies lack the necessary evaluation tools. Root Signals’ solution, which uses AI to manage AI, fills this gap, allowing enterprises to succeed in GenAI implementation.”
With its latest funding round, Root Signals plans to expand its presence globally, catering to the rising demand for robust AI evaluation tools. The company’s unique EvalOps framework has positioned it as a key player in the evolving GenAI landscape, offering a solution that not only ensures compliance and control but also maximizes the potential of AI applications in industries ranging from finance to healthcare.
Root Signals operates offices in Palo Alto, California, and Helsinki, Finland, and continues to collaborate with leading experts to refine its platform for the enterprise market. The $2.8 million raised brings the company closer to its mission of making GenAI applications more measurable, auditable, and scalable for businesses worldwide.
