Bretton AI Lands $75M for Compliance

Bretton AI has secured $75 million in Series B financing to accelerate the deployment of artificial intelligence agents across financial crime operations. The round was led by Sapphire Ventures and is aimed at helping large banks modernize how they manage anti-money-laundering, sanctions screening and know-your-customer obligations.

Chief executive Will Lawrence said financial institutions remain burdened by labor-intensive investigations, fragmented data and increasing regulatory scrutiny. Bretton’s approach focuses on automating repetitive reviews while creating clearer decision trails that auditors and regulators can easily follow.

Instead of replacing compliance teams, the company positions its AI agents as force multipliers. Systems gather information, flag anomalies, prepare case summaries and recommend next actions, allowing analysts to concentrate on higher-risk judgments.

Demand is rising as global enforcement grows stricter and penalties become more severe. Banks are under pressure to detect illicit activity faster while controlling operational costs. Automation, Lawrence argues, is becoming essential rather than optional.

The new capital will be used to expand engineering, strengthen partnerships and support international growth. Bretton also plans to invest in governance capabilities to ensure transparency, model validation and responsible AI deployment.

As financial crime grows more sophisticated, Bretton is betting intelligent automation can help institutions stay one step ahead.