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2w ago

Unit 221B Secures $5 Million Seed to Scale Its Hacker‑Tracking Platform

The invite-only eWitness system concentrates HUMINT to help investigators convert high-signal intelligence into arrests.

Unit 221B's top team photo, featuring (left to right) Lance James, May Chen-Contino, and Allison Nixon
Unit 221B has announced new funding.
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Overview

  • J2 Ventures led the seed round, with participation from Pipeline Capital and other backers.
  • Funding will add tools that speed investigative collaboration, strengthen case-ready evidence capture and preservation, and advance go-to-market efforts.
  • eWitness operates as a vetted, invite-only network used by more than 50 Fortune 500 companies as well as international, federal, and local law enforcement agencies.
  • Unit 221B concentrates on English-speaking youth-driven crews such as The Com and Scattered Spider; the FBI has categorized these networks as a Tier One terrorist threat with 250 active investigations as of May 2025.
  • The firm cites contributions to takedowns, indictments, and arrests, including the recent case against RapperBot botnet administrator Ethan Foltz, as investors describe the company as a missing piece in disruption and attribution.