As businesses work to troubleshoot their artificial intelligence systems, governance has become a major hurdle. Some organizations are tackling this with a two-model strategy: one handles incoming user queries, while a second monitors the first to prevent problematic outputs. This is the concept behind ZeroDrift, a recently launched AI compliance service that revealed a $10 million seed funding round on Tuesday. Investors include a16z Speedrun, Reign Ventures, PitchDrive Ventures, and U&I Ventures, among others.

The company focuses entirely on the second component, positioning itself between AI models and end users to detect and replace any messages that could pose compliance risks. While it may seem unusual to deploy one AI system to correct the errors of another, ZeroDrift’s correction mechanism offers several structural advantages over the models it oversees. The system is activated by conventional programs that deterministically enforce established compliance standards such as SOC 2 or GDPR. The large language model (LLM) only steps in after a message has been flagged, rewriting it into a compliant version.

“We’re able to identify deterministically, what are all the regulated areas, what’s the violation that’s being broken, and then we have LLMs that can do the rewrites,” says CEO Kumesh Aroomoogan. Crucially, the entire system operates with lower latency and greater reliability than a typical LLM. This is the company’s key advantage over major labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, which are often already integrated into the underlying system.

The most obvious application is for AI chatbots, which are already deployed in consumer-facing roles where rogue responses can have serious consequences. However, Aroomoogan sees the total addressable market as far broader, potentially encompassing AI-generated messages that humans never see, produced solely within automated systems. At present, this is a relatively niche market—but one that is poised to expand as AI adoption grows.

If the fundraising effort is any indication, there is significant pent-up demand for this product. “It was probably the fastest fundraising I’ve done in my life,” Aroomoogan says, crediting Andreessen Horowitz’s assistance in structuring the seed round. “We closed within three weeks, and we will be oversubscribed by 3x on the amount.”