Wink has announced its merger with Phoenix Managed Networks, a global payment technology and services provider. The strategic combination aims to accelerate the adoption of AI and biometrics in omnichannel commerce, bringing together Wink’s AI and biometric solutions with Phoenix’s established payment infrastructure.
The merger comes at a time when biometric payment solutions are gaining widespread adoption across various sectors, from retail to transportation. Wink, which earned recognition for its innovative biometric checkout solutions with a Netty Award last year, brings to the table a suite of AI-driven innovations including pay-by-face, palm recognition, and AI-powered fraud prevention systems.
Phoenix Managed Networks contributes its extensive payment processing infrastructure, which currently handles over 10 million monthly transactions and maintains connections with 220,000 merchants. The company’s fifteen-year presence in the payments industry includes partnerships with major payment processors across the United States and United Kingdom.
As part of the merger, John McDonnell, formerly Chairman of Phoenix, will assume the role of chief strategy officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the newly merged Wink. The leadership transition underscores the strategic nature of the combination, which aims to create an open payments platform that prioritizes both innovation and security.
The merger’s timing aligns with increasing market demand for biometric payment solutions. The combined entity will leverage Phoenix’s 24/7 Network Operations and PCI level 1 certified communications networks to deploy Wink’s services globally.
“This combination is a scale-up designed to bring the best of biometrics and AI with new user experiences delivered together with a suite of technologies that have served as critical infrastructure to the payment industry for the past fifteen years,” said Deepak Jain, CEO of Wink.
The merged company will focus on delivering secure, AI-enabled payment solutions while maintaining compliance with industry standards. Phoenix’s established infrastructure will serve as the foundation for implementing Wink’s innovative payment and identity verification technologies across a broader market.
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April 1, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team
