Web Desk
German fintech firm Hawk has secured $56 million in Series C funding to boost its fight against financial crime with AI-driven technology.
Based in Bavaria, Hawk specializes in anti-money laundering (AML), fraud detection, and compliance tools powered by artificial intelligence.
The new funding round, led by One Peak, brings Hawk’s total raised capital to over $134 million. Other contributors included Macquarie Capital, Rabobank, BlackFin Capital Partners, Sands Capital, DN Capital, Picus, and Coalition.
Hawk, founded in 2018, debuted at FinovateSpring 2022 in San Francisco with its AI Surveillance Suite.
This platform blends machine learning with rule-based systems to detect suspicious financial behavior in real time.
The company now serves over 80 financial institutions globally, including Tier 1 banks, mid-sized firms, and fintech startups.
CEO Tobias Schweiger emphasized the effectiveness of Hawk’s technology, stating that it has helped banks reduce false positives and improve detection accuracy, even identifying twice as many undetected fraud cases as before.
“Our goal is to help banks transform compliance through AI,” Schweiger said. “We’ve raised alert accuracy to nearly 90% in some instances while drastically reducing the number of false flags.”
Hawk’s tools address one of the biggest challenges in financial compliance—outdated rules-based systems.
These legacy solutions often result in high operational costs and missed criminal activity.
Hawk’s AI-based models adapt to evolving tactics used by fraudsters, offering stronger and more efficient detection capabilities.
Earlier this year, the company launched its Anti-Money Laundering AI Overlay, designed to enhance existing AML systems without requiring a full replacement.
The overlay has reportedly achieved over 85% accuracy in predictions and reduced false positives to below 15%, according to Chief Product Officer Wolfgang Berner.
Hawk also expanded its leadership team in February with the appointment of Ben Pannier as Chief Technology Officer. Pannier brings experience from companies like Zalando, Tide, and PayU.
That same month, Hawk was featured on the Chartis 2025 Financial Crime and Compliance 50 list for its innovation in real-time transaction monitoring.
With this fresh funding, Hawk plans to accelerate product development and expand its reach in the global financial sector, providing banks with AI tools that can stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated financial crimes.
