EarnOS Secures $18.5 Million to Pay Humans for Brand Engagement, Combat AI Bots
EarnOS, a New York-based startup led by founder and CEO Phil George, has raised $18.5 million in funding. The company launched its Ero app, designed to pay users for interacting with brands, ensuring that advertising content reaches verified humans instead of AI bots. This initiative aims to address the growing issue of bot traffic surpassing human activity online, offering brands a platform for authentic engagement and an alternative to traditional digital advertising models.
EarnOS, a New York-based startup, has successfully secured $18.5 million in funding to combat the increasing presence of AI bots in online advertising. The company, founded and led by CEO Phil George, recently launched its app, Ero, which incentivizes verified human users to engage with brand content.
The Ero app's primary function is to provide brands with authentic human interaction, differentiating it from engagement generated by AI bots. Phil George highlighted that the existing online advertising framework was developed under the assumption that all users were human, a dynamic that has since shifted with the advent of AI. This month, network service firm Cloudflare reported that website traffic from bots had exceeded human activity for the first time.
EarnOS positions itself as an "anti-bot" company committed to building a "verified internet." The platform allows users to browse a feed, participate in challenges—such as physical activities tracked by fitness apps—share data, and click on brand content. Brands only pay when a user genuinely engages, and up to 75% of the brand's ad spend on the app is distributed to users for completing tasks.
Rewards for engagement are provided in USD stablecoin cryptocurrency, which users can then spend using an EarnOS Visa card. The Ero app is currently available in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, supported by a $30 million annualized rewards pool funded by participating brands across various sectors, including ride-hailing, retail, streaming, and consumer finance.
During a beta test conducted from March 2025 through the end of that year, EarnOS partnered with 152 brands, attracted 3 million signups, and paid out $50,000 in rewards. The company is already collaborating with brands such as Nike, with John Shiel, senior content and engagement manager at Nike Innovation Labs, noting that EarnOS fosters fun, participatory, and transparent brand interactions.
The $18.5 million in funding includes a $6 million round led by investment firm 1kx, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures. The remaining $12.5 million in financing will be provided by Verona over four years. EarnOS plans to utilize these funds to expand into new markets later this year, anticipating further increases in bot activity. (Source: Business Insider)
