PopID has secured new equity financing with backing from major financial and technology players, including Verifone, PayPal, Commerce Ventures, Visa Ventures, and Chipotle’s Cultivate Next venture fund. The funding will support PopID’s effort to expand its biometric authentication network globally, offering a privacy-focused alternative to conventional payment methods.
Strategic Expansion of Biometric Infrastructure
This latest financing builds on PopID’s ongoing strategic partnership with Verifone, announced earlier this year. That partnership focused on integrating biometric authentication into Verifone’s vast point-of-sale (POS) network. Verifone’s investment in the new round further deepens the relationship between the two companies and supports the scaling of their shared vision for contactless, identity-based payments.
PopID’s technology allows consumers to authenticate payments at retail terminals using face or palm recognition. The company reports that it has already processed millions of successful biometric authentications for both loyalty and payment purposes. These services offer an alternative to cards, mobile wallets, and PINs, simplifying the checkout experience while aiming to reduce fraud and increase user convenience.
“The additional capital will allow us to work with our partners to build critical infrastructure to support an open loop, global biometric network that can connect point of sale solutions to any loyalty program, card payment method, fintech wallet, buy now/pay later platform, stable coin product, or pay-by-bank scheme,” said PopID CEO John Miller.
Industry Support and Global Network Reach
The investment signals growing interest among fintech leaders and consumer brands in biometric authentication as a scalable, mainstream solution. PopID’s ongoing collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments, announced in 2024, helped demonstrate the viability of biometric payments in commercial banking and retail environments. That pilot, alongside earlier deployments in food service and ticketing, shows broad cross-sector applicability for PopID’s offerings.
Through its work with Verifone, PopID will be able to leverage a global payment infrastructure that includes 45 million Verifone-connected devices worldwide. Of these, 15 million run on Verifone’s proprietary payment applications delivered via a centralized cloud platform. The network also features integrations with 2,500 electronic cash registers and POS systems, more than 150 payment processors, and over 40 global and alternative payment methods.
PopID has also deployed its biometric solutions in entertainment and hospitality settings. A recent initiative enables face-based payments and ticketing at international venues, further expanding its commercial footprint. The company’s progress has been enabled in part by investor confidence and a favorable shift in consumer attitudes toward contactless and biometric-enabled transactions.
While no dollar amount for the investment have been disclosed, the diversity and caliber of the investor group suggests strong support for PopID’s long-term goal of establishing a global, open-loop biometric payment ecosystem.
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June 4, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy
