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 ID came about.
Smile ID offers the most comprehensive verification solution for Africa, with regional optimized infrastructure ensuring fast, reliable KYC checks even in low-bandwidth regions. We provide seamless access to over 500 million ID records via 20+ ID authorities across 8 African countries, supporting 8,500+ document types globally. Our artificial intelligence and identity verification tools are specially designed for African faces, delivering 99.8% accuracy across all African skin tones with de-biased facial recognition and advanced liveness checks via SmartSelfie™.
Our robust anti-fraud tools, including real-time face deduplication and global AML screening across 1,100+ watchlists, ensure full compliance with local and international standards like GDPR and POPIA. Built for flexibility and scale, Smile ID supports 11 integration options and holds enterprise-grade security certifications including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type I & II.
We are proud to have completed over 300 million identity checks since our inception, helping fast-growing companies across Africa onboard good users rapidly and significantly reduce fraud. Our technology is trusted by leading businesses such as Moniepoint, Payflex, Ecobank, Luno, and Binance, among many others. With a diverse team across 5 offices, 10 countries, and 8 time zones, and having raised over $30M, Smile ID is the all-in-one compliance platform enabling secure and efficient digital growth across Africa.
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.
We are Owners
We proactively take ownership of our actions and responsibilities, and empower our teammates to do the same
We Show Up & Speak Up For Each Other
We bring out the best in each other, across borders and without bias
We are Builders
Together we build innovative, future-proof products that our partners love
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.
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.
