Dragonfly AI, which specializes in neuroscience-led predictive AI for global brands, secures investment led by 24Haymarket and appoints Fiona Dent to board.
Additional funding from Guinness Ventures, Foresight and others brings the total for the investment round to more than £5m.
January 2026 – Dragonfly AI, a leader in AI-powered creative testing, has announced investment that allows it to fund multi-year growth and innovation, including global expansion.
The close of the round will accelerate growth at Dragonfly AI and further advance its category-defining, neuroscience-led technology, which takes a fundamentally different approach to AI. By operating without reliance on training data, Dragonfly AI’s patented technology sidesteps the bias inherent in many generative AI models, offering a comprehensive breakdown of how creative assets will perform in real life. As a result, the company’s pioneering platform has been adopted across multiple sectors by global brands, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola and L’Oréal, while delivering demonstrable return on investment and integration into platforms such as CreativeX.
The deal also highlights the importance of continued investment and innovation in UK universities. The biological algorithm that underpins the technology was developed in the neuroscience department at Queen Mary University of London, providing a fundamentally different approach to AI than data-trained models. One of its fellows, Hamit Soyel, continues in the role of chief scientist and inventor at Dragonfly AI, ensuring scientific rigor as the company stays ahead of the competition in predicting buyer behavior.
The round was led by 24Haymarket, an early-stage investor with extensive experience backing enterprise SaaS and AI-enabled technology businesses. Dragonfly AI is also pleased to announce the appointment of Fiona Dent to its board of directors.
The investment will accelerate Dragonfly AI’s strategic priorities, including the rollout of new Emotion & Memory metrics, expanded video analysis across platforms, growth of Dragonfly Connect for enterprise integrations, expansion of US sales and customer success teams, and continued investment in research and product innovation.
Steve King, chief executive officer at Dragonfly AI, said: “This investment in Dragonfly AI is a strong endorsement of our science-led approach and performance-tested technology, already trusted by some of the world’s biggest FMCG brands[1]. We help more than 70 global brands ensure their advertising is noticed and remembered, and this funding allows us to deepen our impact for customers, improve the effectiveness of their spend, and bring our algorithms directly into the tools and workflows they use every day.”
Tom Haywood, partner at 24Haymarket, said: “Dragonfly AI has built an exceptionally easy-to-use, yet highly capable platform, underpinned by a world-class algorithm developed at Queen Mary University of London, and is already trusted by an impressive roster of clients. The business continued to grow materially during our investment process, reinforcing our conviction that Dragonfly AI has the foundations to scale into a category-defining business.”
Board appointment
Fiona Dent brings deep experience in scaling high-growth technology, data and media businesses. She has held senior global leadership roles, including at Time Inc., where she pioneered digital transformation and drove commercial innovation across multiple markets. Fiona brings hands-on strategic, governance, and operational insight. Her appointment further strengthens the company’s board as it expands its US footprint and accelerates enterprise adoption.
[1] Customers include Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola and L'Oréal, five of the world’s 10 largest FMCG suppliers. Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fastmoving-consumer-goods-fmcg.asp.
