TechCrunch Startup News Harvard Law to AI: MarqVision lands $48M to combat brand abuse ... and OpenAI's board chair says we’re in an AI bubble (but that’s okay)
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Sep 15, 2025 A Harvard law student's encounter with counterfeiting unveils the immense $3 trillion industry and sparks his entrepreneurial journey. The conversation delves into how AI and computer vision are being harnessed to combat this issue. Meanwhile, Bret Taylor weighs in on the current AI landscape, acknowledging the risk of financial loss while emphasizing the potential for innovation. The discussion highlights the intersection of law and technology, revealing the promising paths ahead for startups in this evolving arena.
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Harvard Class Sparked A Startup
- Mark Lee discovered the $3 trillion counterfeit market in a Harvard trademark class and chose computer vision to fight it.
- He founded MarkVision in 2021 to apply AI for detecting and removing fake products online.
Funding Fuels AI-Led Services Push
- MarkVision plans to use its $48M Series B to expand AI, engineering, enterprise readiness, and global reach.
- The company aims to move upmarket and become an AI-led services platform for brand protection and revenue recovery.
AI Expanded The Addressable Market
- MarkVision grew quickly to $20M ARR by doubling annually and prioritizing customer experience and scalable AI foundations.
- AI expanded its market from efficiency tools to executing work, enabling new managed-service revenue streams.