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§ Private Profile · Los Angeles, CA, USA
PopID is a technology company.
PopID has raised $15.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at PopID.
PopID has raised $15.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
PopID develops biometric authentication technology, primarily utilizing facial recognition, to serve as a universal gateway for identity verification. The company's core product enables seamless and secure identification for various applications, including payments, loyalty programs, and access control, leveraging an individual's unique biological data. Its technical approach centers on providing a reliable and efficient method for confirming identity through biometrics like face and palm.
The company was founded in 2016 by Kourosh Gohar, Sean Olson, Dimitar Dyankov, Virginia Dadey, and John Miller, establishing its headquarters in Los Angeles, California. Sean Olson serves as CFO and Dimitar Dyankov as CTO. The founders recognized the growing need for a streamlined and secure method of identity verification across multiple sectors, leading to the creation of a platform based on biometric data.
PopID's solutions are adopted by businesses and consumers seeking enhanced security and convenience in transactions and access. The company's vision is to establish a new global standard for secure, seamless, and privacy-centric digital interactions. It aims to achieve this by making biometric identification the ubiquitous method for verifying an individual's identity in everyday applications.
PopID has raised $15.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Series B in September 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 2021 | $10M Series B | — | Cali Group, Andrew Schwabecher, The Wasserstrom Company | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2019 | $5M Series A | — | Blockchain Capital, Pitbull Ventures | Announced |
PopID is a biometric technology company that provides facial and palm recognition solutions for seamless, contact-free identity verification in applications like loyalty programs, payments, and event entry.[1][2][3][4][5] It serves retail, hospitality, and quick-service restaurants by enabling users to sign up with a selfie or palm scan, creating an encrypted digital key for faster transactions that reduce checkout times by up to 90 seconds and boost ticket sizes by 4%.[1][3][5] Deployed at over 380 U.S. locations, including Whataburger pilots powered by J.P. Morgan Payments, PopID demonstrates strong growth momentum through partnerships with major financial institutions and retail chains.[3]
As a majority-owned subsidiary of Cali Group—a retail tech holding company—PopID focuses on consumer-initiated verification, prioritizing privacy by requiring explicit user permission before identification.[2][3][5]
PopID was founded in 2016 in Canoga Park, California, and incubated by Cali Group, which leverages technology to transform retail and restaurant industries.[1][2][3] Key leaders include CEO John Miller, CTO, President of PopPay SMB, CFO, Head of Operations, and VP and General Counsel, though specific founder backgrounds beyond this team are not detailed in available sources.[2] The idea emerged from the need for frictionless customer interactions in high-volume settings like retail and hospitality, evolving from early facial recognition pilots to a comprehensive platform adding palm biometrics and integrations for payments and loyalty.[1][4][5] Pivotal early traction came via merchant deployments and partnerships, such as the 2024 expansion with J.P. Morgan Payments for biometric checkouts at quick-serve restaurants.[3]
PopID rides the wave of frictionless commerce and biometric payments, accelerated by post-pandemic demand for contactless experiences and AI-driven personalization in retail.[3][5] Timing aligns with rising adoption of embedded finance—J.P. Morgan's $18.3B payments revenue in 2023 underscores market readiness—while regulatory focus on secure, consent-based biometrics favors PopID's opt-in model amid privacy concerns.[3] Favorable forces include exploding quick-service restaurant tech (e.g., Cali Group's AI restaurant pilots) and competition from global players like PayByFace, positioning PopID to capture U.S. market share.[1][3][4] It influences the ecosystem by enabling merchants to boost loyalty and throughput, paving the way for broader AI-biometric convergence in everyday transactions.[2][3]
PopID is poised to expand biometric payments nationwide, leveraging J.P. Morgan partnerships and Cali Group's retail innovations like AI-powered restaurants to hit thousands of locations.[3] Trends like agentic AI for autonomous commerce and global biometric standards will amplify its platform, potentially integrating voice or multi-factor auth for enterprise access.[1][2][5] Influence may evolve from retail niche to universal ID gateway, challenging incumbents if privacy tech advances outpace regulations—watch for international pilots and patent expansions to signal dominance in seamless verification.[1][3] This positions PopID as a linchpin in redefining customer interactions, starting from that simple selfie signup.[5]
PopID has raised $15.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
PopID's investors include Cali Group, Andrew Schwabecher, The Wasserstrom Company, Blockchain Capital, Pitbull Ventures.
Key people at PopID.
