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We are making it easier for millions of Africans to prove their identity

Our story so far

Since 2017, we have been driven by a desire to ensure that any African, anywhere in the world, can easily verify their identity. Our cofounder, Mark Straub, observed how difficult it was to prove one's identity during a trip to India. He later noticed the same problem while travelling across Africa. Recognising that India was still in the early stages of implementing Aadhar, he saw an opportunity to help Africans anywhere in the world easily prove their identities. This is how the idea of building a Smile Identity came about.

Today, we are developing tools and software that will revolutionise the way millions of Africans prove and authenticate their identities online. Our artificial intelligence and identity verification tools have been specially designed for African faces and have a 99.8 percent accuracy rate. Our technology is used by fast growing companies in a wide range of industries across Africa including Chipper Cash, Paga, Paystack, YellowCard and many more. In addition, we have completed over 60M+ verifications so far, raised over $30M, and have diverse team across 5 offices, 10 countries and 8 time zones.

Our mission and values

How we work at 
Smile Identity

Our mission is to make it easy for people to prove their identity online, 
regardless of the origin of their IP Address or ID Card.

Icon of We are Owners USP

We are Owners

We proactively take ownership of our actions and responsibilities, and empower our teammates to do the same

Icon of We Show Up & Speak Up For Each Other USP

We Show Up & Speak Up For Each Other

We bring out the best in each other, across borders and without bias

Icon of We are Builders USP

We are Builders

Together we build innovative, future-proof products that our partners love

Icon of We Protect People USP

We Protect People

We develop secure systems to empower people, protect their privacy and their data

Our team of experts

Our team of dedicated Smilers is diverse, spanning across 10 countries and 8 time zones. While we work remotely, we seize regular opportunities to connect both professionally and personally.

Driven by our collective passion, we are determined to transform the landscape of identity verification in Africa. We bring a combination of varied experiences, skills, and cultural perspectives that strengthen our ability to serve clients and partners across the continent.

Our diversity fuels our creativity. Our passion accelerates our progress. And our bond empowers our impact. Interested in becoming a Smiler? Visit our careers page.

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We are backed by formidable investors.

Ready to get started?

We are equipped to help you level up your KYC/AML compliance stack. Our team is ready to understand your needs, answer questions, and set up your account.