EarnOS Raises $18.5 Million to Combat AI Bots in Digital Advertising
EarnOS, a New York-based startup aiming to verify human interaction with online brands, has raised $18.5 million in funding, according to a company statement. The round includes a $6 million investment led by venture firm 1kx, with additional support from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures, as well as a $12.5 million contribution from Verona over four years.
How Does EarnOS Verify Human Interaction?
The company’s app, Ero, allows users to earn rewards by engaging with brand content through tasks like fitness tracking or scrolling through curated feeds. Brands pay only when humans interact, according to Phil George, EarnOS’s CEO and founder, who told Business Insider that the platform ensures “verified internet” by filtering out AI bots.
“The entirety of advertising online was envisaged at a time where the assumption was that everyone online was a person,” George said. “This dynamic has changed with the rise of AI.”
What Are the Implications for Digital Advertising?
EarnOS positions itself as an alternative to traditional platforms like Google and Facebook, which rely on clicks and impressions that may include bot activity. The app distributes rewards in USD stablecoin, which users can spend via an EarnOS Visa card. Brands pay a fee, with up to 75% of ad spend going directly to users, George said.
The company’s beta test from March 2025 to December 2025 reported 3 million signups and $50,000 in rewards, with partnerships including Nike. John Shiel, senior content and engagement manager at Nike Innovation Labs, called EarnOS “a loyalty program for who you are as a person rather than as a particular brand.”
Why Is This Significant in the Context of AI Growth?
The rise of AI has led to a shift in online traffic, with Cloudflare reporting that bot activity surpassed human activity for the first time this month. George said the funding will support expansion into new markets as “the internet is going to get worse before it gets better.”
EarnOS launched in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia, with a $30 million annualized rewards pool funded by brands in sectors like ride-hailing, retail, and streaming. The company’s 24-page pitch deck, shared exclusively, outlines its strategy to combat ad fraud through human verification.