# Verdict Machine Closes Pre-Seed With Y Combinator, Draper Dragon and Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz

> Verdict Machine closed a pre-seed round backed by Y Combinator, Draper Dragon and Gaingels to build AI security controls for on-chain finance institutions.

- Published: 2026-11-15T00:46:20+00:00
- Section: Funding
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-15/verdict-machine-crypto-security-pre-seed
- Source: [Dealroom.co](https://dealroom.co/news/172767-deel-and-check-point-alumni-back-verdict-machine-s-crypto-security-pre-s/)

## Key takeaways

- Verdict Machine closed a pre-seed round backed by Y Combinator, Draper Dragon, First Peak Ventures, Gaingels, Latitude Fund, Tekedia Capital, Transpose Platform, Twenty Two Ventures and UNETI AI Labs.
- Deel chief executive officer Alex Bouaziz and OneSource Virtual chief executive officer John Bax joined as angel backers.
- Founders Dan Danay, Isaac Grossman and Liran Kogan previously launched and led blockchain security at Check Point, and the startup has signed a global reseller agreement with Check Point.

Verdict Machine, an AI cybersecurity startup for on-chain finance, has closed a pre-seed round backed by Y Combinator, Draper Dragon, First Peak Ventures, Gaingels, Latitude Fund, Tekedia Capital, Transpose Platform, Twenty Two Ventures and UNETI AI Labs. [Dealroom.co](https://dealroom.co/news/172767-deel-and-check-point-alumni-back-verdict-machine-s-crypto-security-pre-s/) reported the round, whose size was not disclosed.

## Verdict Machine's Investors and Angel Backers

Angel backers in the round include Deel chief executive officer Alex Bouaziz and OneSource Virtual chief executive officer John Bax. [Gaingels](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000022/gaingels) and [Uneti Ventures](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000ee9t/uneti-ventures) appear on the roster as UNETI AI Labs.

Based in Tel Aviv, Verdict Machine describes itself as a cyber software factory for on-chain finance. Its AI learns each institution's digital-asset environment, reasons through how an attack would unfold there, and generates tailored controls. The same model screens transactions before they execute.

Founders Dan Danay, Isaac Grossman and Liran Kogan launched and led blockchain security at Check Point, the NASDAQ-listed security company. The team has also signed a global reseller agreement with Check Point, giving a pre-seed startup a route into enterprise security budgets.

Verdict Machine's early customers include LayerZero, Tezos contributor Trilitech and stablecoin payments platform Codexa. The company sets out its product on [its own site](https://verdictmachine.com).

"As crypto and on-chain finance gain institutional adoption, they need cybersecurity that meets institutional standards," said Samiz Bayan, partner at Draper Dragon.

Dealroom.co framed the investor roster, spanning crypto, fintech and AI backers, as a signal that securing on-chain infrastructure is becoming a distinct category. Finance is moving on-chain as stablecoins settle large volumes and tokenization brings more assets onto blockchain rails. A 2026 survey of major investment banks found some tokenized-market use cases already in production, while security and smart-contract vulnerabilities rank as a leading adoption barrier.

## Companies in this story

- Verdict Machine · website: https://verdictmachine.com
- [Gaingels company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000022/gaingels) · website: https://gaingels.com
- [Uneti Ventures company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000ee9t/uneti-ventures) · website: https://uneti-ventures.com

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