Research originating in Cardiff University’s HateLab is entering a new phase of growth following investment in university spin-out nisien.ai.
The company received joint backing from the Development Bank of Wales and the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Wales, managed by Foresight Group. The investment is supporting recruitment, research and development, and the continued commercialisation of products for detecting and responding to online harm.
nisien.ai was founded in 2023 by Professors Matt Williams and Pete Burnap. It combines research in criminology, human behaviour, data science and artificial intelligence to help organisations identify emerging online risks and make faster, evidence-based decisions.
Its HERO technology grew from the HateLab Dashboard, which was originally developed through ESRC funded research and co-created with practitioners in government, policing and civil society. The platform goes beyond keyword searching by analysing linguistic context and intent, helping users separate harmful activity from background noise.
nisien.ai has created 14 new highly skilled technical jobs all located in the South Wales area. The company has also worked through the Welsh Government Airbus Endeavr Wales programme on technology to detect AI-generated and modified information, including potential misinformation across online platforms.
The investment illustrates a wider model of research impact. HateLab continues to generate evidence, test methods and contribute to policy. The spin-out provides a route for that knowledge to become technology that can be used by organisations dealing with online risk in real time.
The growth of nisien.ai also anchors specialist AI and online-safety capability in Wales. From its base at sbarc|spark in Cardiff, the company is creating opportunities for researchers, analysts, engineers and trust-and-safety specialists while taking Welsh research into international markets.
Read Cardiff University’s announcement
Visit nisien.ai