Simpact Ventures, together with two other funds, has invested in CulturePulse, a platform that utilizes AI to analyze and forecast social dynamics in real-time.
CulturePulse, a Slovak-American startup in the Civic-Tech sector, has secured a funding round of over $2.5 million (with $1.5 million already injected into the company). The round included investments from Simpact Ventures, a leading Polish venture capital fund focused on impact investing, as well as funds from the USA and the Czech Republic. The newly acquired funds will enable the company to further expand in Europe and extend the reach of its AI-powered risk monitoring system (ARES). The ARES platform has already been successfully used by organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the University of Cambridge, and the Norwegian government.
Addressing Global Social Cohesion Challenges
In today’s world, social cohesion is increasingly threatened by the growing impact of conflicts, misinformation, and social polarization. These interrelated issues have far-reaching consequences, undermining the stability and development of societies worldwide and posing significant social challenges. These problems do not exist in isolation—they influence and reinforce each other, creating a complex network of challenges that societies must address.
This is why CulturePulse’s AI-based platform creates realistic models of community behavior designed to effectively predict conflicts, counteract misinformation, and foster social cohesion by providing decision-makers with tools for rapid response and risk minimization. The societal impact of this technology was a key factor in Simpact Ventures’ decision to invest $1.5 million in CulturePulse, alongside B Ventures Group (USA) and Rockaway Capital (Czech Republic), supporting the startup’s expansion and the development of its AI-powered risk monitoring system (ARES).
“What convinced us most was the technology itself and the vast global market for its application. This is an excellent example of civic-tech with a positive impact, allowing near real-time monitoring of situations in various regions and countries—particularly relevant now, given the instability of social sentiments in many parts of the world. The solution can also be leveraged in business to enhance sales processes. We expect this technology to generate both significant social and financial returns, in line with our investment policy,” said Krzysztof Grochowski, partner at Simpact Ventures.
The Science Behind the Technology
CulturePulse’s technology is built on over a decade of research, published in hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific journals by its key experts, including Dr. Justin Lane (CEO of CulturePulse). These solutions have enabled not only the analysis of social media reactions and the effectiveness of advertising campaigns but also the precise forecasting of conflicts in regions such as Northern Ireland, where tensions persist for decades rather than just hours or days. The ARES platform has been successfully used by the United Nations (UN) to analyze and model the living conditions of Palestinian communities in the context of ongoing tensions, as well as by the University of Cambridge and the Norwegian government.
AI as a Solution to Contemporary Social and Economic Tensions
In an increasingly polarized world, a single event can trigger a social and economic crisis with catastrophic consequences. This is why the Slovak-American startup CulturePulse, operating in Slovakia and the USA, developed ARES—an innovative platform capable of predicting human behavior and modeling complex global events. Created by scientists from the University of Oxford, ARES helps to better understand the social and psychological mechanisms behind crises, providing decision-makers with tools to anticipate and prevent conflicts.
With its advanced capabilities, ARES can analyze over 200 languages, assess 93 psychological factors such as anxiety and loyalty, and deliver highly accurate forecasts, often in real-time. One of ARES’s key strengths is its ability to create realistic digital twins of populations, allowing for the simulation and prediction of social, economic, and psychological effects of policies before their implementation.
“ARES is not intended to replace policymakers but to provide them with a powerful decision-support tool. Global challenges are not just technical—they primarily concern people,” said Justin Lane, CEO of CulturePulse. “Our tool was created to translate academic research into concrete solutions. By combining advanced human behavior analysis with innovative technologies, CulturePulse is helping organizations and governments create a more stable and connected world, where AI helps prevent crises and improve societal well-being,” he added.
Support from Governments and International Organizations
Recently, in Palestine, ARES was commissioned by the United Nations to analyze and model the living conditions of local communities amidst ongoing tensions. After decades of failed peace efforts, the UN decided to explore AI’s potential as an innovative tool for promoting stability. CulturePulse teams visited the region and engaged with local residents to better understand their daily realities, including economic, psychological, and social challenges. This groundbreaking work provided the UN with a clearer picture of the emotional and economic factors influencing human behavior while laying the groundwork for a more sustainable approach to resolving long-term conflicts. ARES also created a digital twin of the Palestinian community, enabling the modeling of complex scenarios and testing the effectiveness of policies before implementation.
Another key area of research for CulturePulse was Northern Ireland. ARES first conducted a simulation of the 40-year conflict to gain a deeper understanding of the key motivations driving opposing sides. The platform was then used to assess the real-time impact of political and economic decisions. Finally, ARES predicted the long-term consequences of various scenarios, offering decision-makers a clear picture of the social and emotional effects of conflicts.
Source: CEO.com.pl
