Counterfeiters are racing to exploit the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence, using technology to spin up fraudulent products, websites, and marketplace listings at scale. Fraud that once required significant effort and capital can now start with a few prompts and a laptop. From apparel featuring blockbuster characters to fake advertisements and websites selling supplements with unsafe ingredients, intellectual property is being copied, monetized, and distributed across global marketplaces before brands even realize what’s happening.
The costs are growing in lockstep with the technology. The global trade in counterfeit goods already exceeds $467 billion and could reach $1.79 trillion by 2030. Every fake listing erodes consumer trust, siphons revenue, and adds reputational risk. Yet enforcement often remains a manual, reactive process requiring businesses to scour marketplaces, file takedown requests, and chase sellers across fragmented platforms.
Podqi is taking on the explosion in counterfeits with an AI-powered platform that continuously scans marketplaces, social platforms, rogue domains, and emerging sales channels for signs of infringement. Founded by Trevor West, Ivan Esmeral, and Jesse Xu, Podqi uses advanced image recognition and AI-powered analysis to identify counterfeit listings, impersonations, unauthorized sales, or brand-damaging associations. Then it automates the documentation and enforcement workflows that legal teams once handled manually.
Podqi doesn’t just help brands move faster. It helps them approach enforcement more strategically. The platform learns each brand’s unique IP library, enforcement preferences, and risk tolerance, enabling truly proactive protection. For example, through Podqi, studios launching a new movie, apparel companies dropping a limited-edition line, or supplement brands releasing a new formula could start enforcement immediately. Podqi detects the moment counterfeits start to appear and initiates the takedown process immediately.
From Side Project to AI Enforcement Powerhouse
After college, the three cofounders reunited in New York and spent their evenings diving into the chaotic world of online counterfeits. Hours spent speaking with corporations and trademark attorneys turned into weeknights prototyping detection tools. Eventually, the side project became their full-time obsession.
“It was truly three very, very good friends coming together to solve a problem,” said West.
The timing mattered. As generative AI models became available for the masses, the trio realized that infringements would likely skyrocket. They raised a $3.2 million seed round in 2025 and now support clients in entertainment, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, fashion, and gaming.
Podqi has already helped many companies, including streetwear brand Hellstar. In just three months, they removed more than 10,000 counterfeit listings, took down over 100 fake websites, and eliminated $5.7 million in infringer revenue. For gaming company Avia, Podqi protected 10 popular game titles by identifying and removing more than 1,000 fraudulent ads across major platforms, and reducing enforcement time by 90%.
Measuring the Counterfeit Economy Brands Can’t See
One of Podqi’s most powerful capabilities is estimating the revenue that counterfeiters siphon from legitimate brands. By analyzing public marketplace signals, web traffic, and behavioral patterns, Podqi’s ranking algorithms map the underground economy surrounding a company’s IP. That helps brands and legal teams zero in on the most valuable enforcement targets and measure the financial impact of removing counterfeits.
Podqi also identifies and mitigates unwanted brand associations, flagging these before they can damage a brand’s reputation. Think any harmful associations – from scam domains, to any explicit, inappropriate, or misleading content incorrectly linked to a brand’s name or imagery. Podqi flags and surfaces these risks early, helping brands maintain a clean, trusted digital footprint.
Staying agile is critical to enforcement now and in the future.
Inside Podqi’s First Steps Into the Comcast NBCUniversal Ecosystem
Podqi joined the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator in Fall 2025, and immediately saw value in exploring potential partnership opportunities with leaders across entertainment, telecommunications, and consumer products. The accelerator gave Podqi a window into how a large, multi-vertical enterprise navigates IP challenges and where automated enforcement fits into that ecosystem.
“It felt like a partnership from Day One,” West said. “LIFT Labs streamlined what would normally be a six- or 12-month process to engage with an enterprise like Comcast.”
