Imagga Technologies is excited to announce its receipt of a pivotal grant under the “Support for Innovative Enterprises awarded with ‘Seal of Excellence'” program, a constituent of Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. This esteemed endorsement empowers Imagga, a leader in image recognition and artificial intelligence solutions, to forge ahead with its innovative AI-Mode project.

The AI-Mode project aims to create a state-of-the-art Content Moderation Platform, designed to revolutionize how companies approach and automate their content moderation workflows. By harnessing advanced AI capabilities, the platform will facilitate proficient image, video, and live streaming moderation, providing an indispensable tool in maintaining the sanctity of user-generated content (UGC) platforms and safeguarding brand integrity.

The Imagga Content Moderation Platform is a full-circle content moderation solution combining the best of artificial and human intelligence. This robust system is proficient in identifying and filtering a broad spectrum of inappropriate content, including explicit imagery, offensive symbols, regulated substances, violence, and propaganda, thereby reinforcing a brand’s digital ecosystem. The innovative use of machine learning significantly amplifies efficiency, potentially reducing the volume of concerning content by a factor of twenty through proactive AI-assisted filtering and iterative refinement from human moderators.

This development project originates from Imagga’s successful application and subsequent distinction under the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program, which has been operational since 2018. The EIC Accelerator is a cornerstone of the European Union’s commitment to fostering innovation, offering cutting-edge enterprises the chance to compete for up to €2.5 million in grant financing, complemented by an opportunity for an equity investment of up to €15 million. Despite the rigorous competition with over 75,000 applicants, Imagga has emerged as a standard-bearer of innovation.

The Seal of Excellence is awarded to project proposals submitted under a Horizon Europe call for proposals and ranked above predefined quality thresholds but not funded by Horizon Europe due to budgetary constraints.

The Seal of Excellence is a quality label first introduced during Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation framework program (2014-2020). It has gradually become a key instrument in recognizing innovation on EU level, which is later on funded by local government grant schemes. 

So far, only 12 Bulgarian companies have received SoE, and the funding will come as a grant under the fourth measure of Bulgaria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan – “Support for Innovative Enterprises awarded with “Seal of Excellence” and co-financed by NextGenerationEU. It’s worth mentioning all applicant projects are assessed by four independent remote assessors (among 1,500 professionals authorized by the EIC after assessment of relevant expertise). Their assessments are combined in a general report with a maximum integral assessment of up to 15 points. Companies with a score of more than 13 points are awarded the ‘Seal of Excellence’.

Fuelled by the financial stimulus of the AI-Mode grant, Imagga is committed to developing a sophisticated Content Moderation Platform that aligns with stringent EU content regulation standards and pioneers real-time moderation capabilities. This development underscores Imagga’s commitment to fostering a safer, more respectful digital space, fortifying its position at the forefront of AI-driven technological solutions.

This publication was created with the financial support of the European Union – NextGenerationEU. All responsibility for the document’s content rests with Imagga Technologies OOD. Under no circumstances can it be assumed that this document reflects the official opinion of the European Union and the Bulgarian Ministry of Innovation and Growth.