Dragonfly AI Secures £5 Million New Investment from 24Haymarket, Guinness Ventures, and Foresight

Dragonfly AI, a leader in AI-powered creative testing, led by Steve King, David Mitchell, James Harvey, Hamit Soyel, Miranda Mapleton, Shelley Martin, and others, has raised £5 million in new investment led by 24Haymarket with participation from Guinness Ventures, and Foresight. The company has appointed Fiona Dent to the board.

The funding will accelerate Dragonfly AI’s growth and advance its neuroscience-driven, training-data-free technology, which avoids bias common in generative AI and predicts real-world performance of creative assets. The platform is now used across industries by global brands including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and L’Oréal, delivering measurable ROI and integrating with platforms like CreativeX.

The investment underscores the value of ongoing innovation in UK universities. Dragonfly AI’s technology, based on a biological algorithm developed at Queen Mary University of London, offers a fundamentally different approach to AI than data-trained models. Chief Scientist Hamit Soyel continues to lead the scientific development, ensuring rigor and maintaining a competitive edge in predicting buyer behavior.

The funding will advance Dragonfly AI’s strategic priorities, including launching new Emotion & Memory metrics, expanding video analysis across platforms, growing Dragonfly Connect for enterprise integrations, scaling US sales and customer success teams, and continuing investment in research and product innovation.

Steve King, CEO of Dragonfly AI, described the investment as a strong endorsement of the company’s science-driven, performance-tested technology, which is already relied upon by over 70 global FMCG brands. The funding will enhance impact for customers, improve ad spend effectiveness, and integrate Dragonfly’s algorithms directly into daily workflows.

Tom Haywood, partner at 24Haymarket, highlighted the platform’s ease of use and robust capabilities, noting its world-class algorithm from Queen Mary University of London and a growing client base, reinforcing confidence in Dragonfly AI’s potential to become a category-defining business.