South Africa’s online identity verification solution, ThisIsMe, has raised $2.5 million from private investors to launch in Australia and New Zealand as well as Nigeria when talks with a partner mature, according to ThisIsMe CEO, Mark Chirnside.
ThisIsMe proves the individual to other individuals, businesses, accountable institution’s and regulators. The firm checks the data, prompts users to update information for accurate evaluation. With over 170 million people and an eccommerce giant in sub-Saharan Africa with leading online stores such as Jumia, Konga, Yudala and marketplaces such as OLX , Cheki, Efritin, and Carmudi, ThisIsMe see’s Nigeria as a potential market for verification.
“On the African front, we are in talks with a potential partner in Nigeria. Nigeria represents a particularly demanding market, and confidence among ThisIsMe staff is high that their processes would aid Nigeria’s specific challenges.”
The firm also aims to expand to the US and Europe later in a move to introduce innovative products to avoid the hassle of paperwork and duplicated effort.
Launched in 2013 and formally established in 2014, ThisIsMe verifies an individual’s identity to other individuals, businesses, financial institutions and regulators. It does so using links to Home Affairs and the major banks.
With a focus on compliance related to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) in the financial space, the business has is working with a number of over 20 South African corporate businesses and the customers they serve including two banks, one being from the ‘top five’ in South Africa; three insurance companies; fund managers; and HR businesses
Mark is himself not a novice in identification. He has over 30 years in the payment arena, ranging from Payments in the UK, Russian stock trades across the Euroclear and Swift networks.
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