A 'selfie' to verify identity and easily access applications

Registering in a new app is usually a heavy process that often takes too long, especially if too much data is requested. The startup Silt has developed a technology that allows users to verify their identity with just a photograph of their ID and a selfie. Through machine learning algorithms, it detects if the person in front of the mobile camera is the same as the one in the identity document.

Once this step is completed, users do not have to re-validate their identity in applications that use Silt's technology. This solution is designed for companies dedicated to finance, shared mobility, hotel check-in, or home delivery, creating a secure verification gateway.

"Just as we don't give our credit card on any website or application, we believe that a repository is needed to store data in a secure place: we are like the PayPal of verifications," emphasizes one of Silt's founders, Marc Pérez.

The goal is to avoid losses of up to 50% of users who do not end up registering when photographs of their documentation are requested. "The idea of creating the startup arose because as users we found that we had to upload our personal documents to more than ten companies and we no longer knew who had our personal information or how it was stored," explains Pérez. "Our goal is for the user to trust a service because it uses our technology," he adds.

Acció's support to finance expenses

The Barcelona-based company has been a beneficiary of Acció's Startup Capital aid, receiving 75,000 euros that it can use to finance activities derived from the execution of the initial business plan. For example, it can dedicate them to covering personnel expenses, investing in materials and equipment, renting spaces, developing marketing and communication strategies, as well as receiving advice from a mentor.

Founded at the end of 2019, Silt finished the development of the technology in 2020 during the pandemic and is now in the commercialization phase. As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, the startup has adapted its technology to apply it to the hotel sector with the aim of streamlining check-in processes and avoiding queues. In addition, it has also created a solution to automatically verify freelancers and companies.