Defined

ActiveVenture Capital

Updated: Mar 19, 2026 ·

About

Defined.ai operates as a global technology company, providing a comprehensive marketplace for ethically sourced AI training data and specialized solutions. The firm empowers artificial intelligence teams by offering services to collect, annotate, and evaluate data, thereby facilitating the development, scaling, and deployment of high-quality, responsible AI models. Their platform serves as a crucial resource for various stages of AI product lifecycle management.

The company was founded in 2015 by Daniela Braga, PhD, with its origins in Seattle, Washington, complemented by an R&D center in Lisbon, Portugal. Dr. Braga, a seasoned serial tech entrepreneur with extensive experience in artificial intelligence, recognized the growing need for high-quality, ethically obtained data to fuel advanced AI development, leading to the inception of Defined.ai.

Defined.ai primarily serves AI builders and development teams across various industries. The company's overarching vision centers on enabling responsible artificial intelligence through rigorous ethical data sourcing practices. They are committed to establishing new benchmarks for ethical considerations within the AI data landscape, striving to advance the capabilities and redefine the frontiers of AI in a trustworthy manner.

Recent News & Mentions

May 1, 2021FundingDefined - Seed

Financial History

Defined has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in May 2021.

Total Raised

$3.0M

Valuation

N/A

Investments Made

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Apr 1, 2025	Tailscale	$160.0M Series C	—	Accel, Builders, C2 Investment, Cedar Capital Group, CRV, Cyberstarts VC, Essence VC, Forgepoint Capital, Greylock, GV (Google Ventures), Heavybit, M12, Mayfield, Glenn Solomon, Rain Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Resolute Ventures, The Hit Forge, Uncork Capital, Assaf Rappaport, Nkechi Iregbulem, Quinn Slack
Mar 1, 2025	Kosli	$10.0M Series A	—	Andreessen Horowitz, Heavybit, Insight Partners, Matrix, Next47, Upside Partnership, Y Combinator, Sahin Boydas
Aug 1, 2024	pgEdge	$10.0M Seed	—	Grotech Ventures, OMERS Ventures, StartEd \| EdTech Week
Jul 1, 2024	Mira	$9.0M Seed	—	Katapult VC, NFX, Polychain Capital, Polygon, Susa Ventures, Symbolic Capital, Abe Burns, Adam Jackson, Gil Elbaz
Jul 1, 2024	Tembo	$14.0M Series A	—	Grand Ventures, Illuminate Financial Management, Chelcie Taylor, Jeff Richards, Uncorrelated Ventures, Venrock
Nov 1, 2023	Inverted AI	$4.0M Seed	—	Grotech Ventures, OMERS Ventures, StartEd \| EdTech Week
Oct 1, 2023	Arteria AI	$30.0M Series B	—	AXA Strategic Ventures, Greylock, Illuminate Financial Management, Katapult VC, Chelcie Taylor, Jeff Richards, Notable Capital, Ajit Tripathi
Sep 1, 2023	Cognota	$5.0M Series A	—	Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Grotech Ventures, Thomas Noonan
Apr 1, 2023	Tembo	$7.0M Seed	—	Emma Steele, Cincy Tech, Grand Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, Venrock
Mar 1, 2023	pgEdge	$9.0M Seed	—	Grotech Ventures, OMERS Ventures, StartEd \| EdTech Week
May 1, 2022	Tailscale	$100.0M Series B	—	Accel, Builders, C2 Investment, Cedar Capital Group, CRV, Divergent Capital, Essence VC, Flex Capital, FTX Ventures, Greylock, GV (Google Ventures), Heavybit, M12, Glenn Solomon, Pareto Holdings, Redpoint Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Resolute Ventures, Sequoia Capital, The Hit Forge, Uncork Capital, Akshay Kothari, Derrick Li, Jeremy Stoppelman, Jeremy Yap, Nitay Joffe, Nkechi Iregbulem, Quinn Slack, Sahil Lavingia, Sam Blond, Scott Belsky, Varadh Jain
Nov 1, 2021	CourtCorrect	$3.0M Seed	—	Ascension Ventures (UK), Cincy Tech, Grand Ventures, La Famiglia, Venrock, Visionaries Club
Jul 1, 2021	Spark	$5.0M Series A	—	—
Mar 1, 2021	Arteria AI	$11.0M Series A	—	Illuminate Financial Management, Chelcie Taylor, Jeff Richards
Jan 1, 2021	Bold Commerce	$28.0M Series B	—	Grotech Ventures, OMERS Ventures, StartEd \| EdTech Week
Nov 1, 2020	Tailscale	$12.0M Series A	—	Accel, Builders, CRV, Essence VC, Flex Capital, Greylock, Heavybit, M12, Redpoint Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, TenOneTen Ventures, Uncork Capital, George Kurtz, Nkechi Iregbulem, Quinn Slack
Aug 1, 2020	Cognota	$2.0M Seed	—	—
Apr 1, 2020	Tailscale	$3.0M Seed	—	Essence VC, Heavybit, M12, Redpoint Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Uncork Capital, Nkechi Iregbulem, Quinn Slack

Funding Rounds Raised

Date	Round	Lead Investors	Other Investors
May 1, 2021	$3.0M Seed		iNovia Capital, Version One Ventures

Financial History

Defined has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.

Total Raised

$3.0M

Valuation

N/A

Leadership Team

Key people at Defined.

Mark Trevitt

Managing Partner

Leadership Team

Key people at Defined.

Mark Trevitt

Managing Partner

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

Defined is an investment firm focused on delivering superior risk-adjusted returns by partnering with best-in-class management teams. Its mission centers on aligning interests with investors and portfolio companies to create long-term value. The firm typically invests in sectors where it can leverage domain expertise and operational support to accelerate growth and innovation. Defined plays a significant role in the startup ecosystem by providing capital, strategic guidance, and network access, thereby enabling emerging companies to scale effectively.

Origin Story

Founded in the early 2000s by a group of seasoned investment professionals, Defined evolved from a traditional private equity firm into a more specialized investor with a focus on operational excellence and alignment with management teams. The founding partners brought deep industry knowledge and a commitment to meritocracy, fostering a culture of accountability and growth. Over time, Defined refined its investment philosophy to emphasize partnership and value creation, which has driven its evolution and success.

Core Differentiators

Unique Investment Model: Focuses on alignment by requiring personal investments from both its professionals and portfolio company management teams, ensuring shared incentives.
Network Strength: Leverages a broad network of industry experts and operational partners to support portfolio companies beyond capital.
Track Record: Demonstrates consistent delivery of superior risk-adjusted returns through disciplined investment and active management.
Operating Support: Provides hands-on operational assistance, helping companies optimize performance and scale efficiently.

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Defined rides the trend of value-driven, partnership-oriented private equity investing, which contrasts with purely financial or passive investment approaches. The timing is favorable due to increasing demand for operational expertise in scaling startups and mature companies alike. Market forces such as technological innovation, digital transformation, and the need for sustainable growth models work in Defined’s favor. By fostering strong management partnerships and operational improvements, Defined influences the broader ecosystem by setting standards for responsible, aligned investment practices.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Defined is poised to expand its assets under management and deepen its impact by continuing to refine its investment approach and operational support capabilities. Trends such as ESG integration, digital innovation, and global market expansion will shape its journey. Its influence is likely to grow as it helps portfolio companies navigate complex market dynamics, driving sustainable growth and value creation. This forward momentum ties back to Defined’s core mission of partnering with exceptional teams to deliver superior outcomes for all stakeholders.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding has Defined raised?

Defined has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.

Who are Defined's investors?

Defined's investors include iNovia Capital, Version One Ventures.