zkPassport
zkPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs and NFC chip reading from government-issued passports and IDs to let users prove age, nationality, and personhood without exposing personal data, serving Web3 applications, compliance use cases, and age-restricted platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What zkPassport does
zkPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that enables users to prove specific attributes — such as age, nationality, sanctions status, and personhood — from government-issued ePassports, national IDs, and residence permits without revealing the underlying personal data. The protocol reads NFC chips from documents issued by 130+ countries following the ICAO 9303 standard, verifies the issuing country's cryptographic signature on-device, and generates zero-knowledge proofs natively on the user's mobile phone using the UltraHonk proving system via the Barretenberg backend and Noir circuits (sourced from the Aztec ecosystem). A TypeScript SDK (@zkpassport/sdk), a drop-in React/vanilla JS QR component (@zkpassport/ui), a self-serve dashboard for policy management and auditable proof storage, and onchain Solidity verifiers deployed across Ethereum Mainnet, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Celo, Gnosis, Scroll, Linea, World Chain, and Sepolia comprise the integration surface. Optional Private FaceMatch provides on-device biometric verification with liveness checks.
The business model is structurally freemium: core verification is free because ZKPassport is never in the data loop (no OCR, no selfie review, no data-provider lookups), leaving no marginal cost to bill per verification. Monetization is positioned around enterprise add-ons — white-label mobile apps, hosted analytics, and premium support — sold as recurring subscriptions. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led: open-source Apache 2.0 repositories on GitHub, self-serve dashboard signup with Google authentication, conference presence at Devcon SEA and NoirCon 2, and a small (1–10 employee) team. Primary customer segments are Web3/blockchain projects needing KYC and age verification for token sales and governance, age-restricted platforms requiring regulatory compliance, and compliance-focused businesses seeking AML/KYC without centralized data custody.
The company was founded in 2023 as Obsidion Labs Limited (incorporated in the British Virgin Islands), raised a $200,000 seed round from BlueYard Capital in March 2024, and was acquired by Aztec Labs on May 27, 2026 to become default identity infrastructure for the Aztec network. Adoption milestones cited include 17,000+ verified users from the Aztec token sale and hundreds of participants across 11 Latin American countries verified for Devconnect ticket discounts.
zkPassport firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- zkPassport
- Legal name
- Obsidion Labs Limited
- Website
- https://zkpassport.id
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- zkPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs and NFC chip reading from government-issued passports and IDs to let users prove age, nationality, and personhood without exposing personal data, serving Web3 applications, compliance use cases, and age-restricted platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
zkPassport industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Identity Verification Software
- NAICS
- Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Decentralized Identity (DID) & Identity Wallets (DID methods, DIDComm, identity agents) (FSAPACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Decentralized Identity (DID) & Verifiable Credentials (BPAMAEAJ), Privacy, Data Protection & Compliance (zk compliance, GDPR/PII handling) (FSAPAJAM)
Keywords
Where zkPassport is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
zkPassport business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Core Verification (Free): The fundamental identity verification using ZK proofs is free because ZKPassport is never in the data loop. The verification is a pure cryptographic check between the chip in the user's ID and the verifier's backend - no OCR, no selfie review, no data provider lookups.
- Enterprise Add-on Services: Potential revenue from white-label apps, hosted analytics, and premium support services. These paid add-ons provide additional functionality beyond the free core verification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free core verification |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise white-label and support |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
zkPassport product offering
Product offeringCore offering
zkPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs generated from NFC chips on government-issued passports and IDs in 130+ countries, enabling users to prove age, nationality, personhood, and sanctions status without revealing underlying personal data. The offering centers on a TypeScript SDK, iOS/Android mobile apps, a self-serve dashboard, and EVM smart contract verifiers, allowing developers and enterprises to integrate cryptographic identity checks in roughly six lines of code while never taking custody of user data.
Product overview
ZKPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that enables users to prove age, nationality, and humanity without storing personal data on centralized servers. The product ecosystem consists of: (1) the ZKPassport Mobile App (iOS/Android) that reads NFC chips from passports and government IDs to generate zero-knowledge proofs locally, (2) @zkpassport/sdk TypeScript SDK for web application integration with query building and verification methods, (3) @zkpassport/ui drop-in QR card component for React and vanilla JS, (4) ZKPassport Dashboard for policy management and auditable proof storage, (5) ZKPassport Registry Explorer showing supported countries and certificates, and (6) ZKPassportVerifier Solidity smart contract for onchain verification on EVM chains. The protocol leverages ICAO 9303 standards and UltraHonk proofs via Barretenberg/Noir for cryptographic verification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ZKPassport Mobile App
Quantifiable outcome
- 17,000+ users verified through the platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use zkPassport
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
zkPassport technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
zkPassport partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Aztec LabsflagshipAztec Labs acquired Obsidion, the team behind ZKPassport, to integrate privacy-preserving identity verification into Aztec's ecosystem. ZKPassport will scale into default infrastructure for online identity verification on the Aztec network, addressing data breach concerns with cryptographic identity proofs that never expose underlying personal data.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
zkPassport competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Civic: Decentralized identity and access management platform offering identity verification and KYC for Web3 and enterprise. Comparable onchain identity-verification product and target developer/integrator customer base.
- Trinsic: Verifiable credentials platform with a developer-focused SDK and marketplace for issuing/holding/verifying credentials. Comparable on developer-led GTM and privacy-preserving identity verification.
- Sismo: ZK-based identity and reputation protocol issuing privacy-preserving badges (e.g., ZK Badges) for Web3. Overlaps with ZKPassport on selective-disclosure credentials and sybil-resistant identity primitives.
- Privado ID (formerly Polygon ID): Privacy-preserving decentralized identity protocol originally built on Polygon, using zero-knowledge proofs for verifiable credentials and KYC. Closest direct competitor — same ZK-based selective-disclosure model targeting Web3 developers.
- BrightID: Social-graph-based proof-of-personhood protocol for Web3, enabling one-person-one-account guarantees for airdrops and governance. Overlaps with ZKPassport on sybil resistance for Web3 applications.
- Spruce ID: Decentralized identity and verifiable credentials infrastructure, including DIDKit and the Spruce OAuth-style sign-in experience. Directly comparable on the verifiable-credentials and selective-disclosure axis.
- Worldcoin: Proof-of-personhood protocol using iris biometrics to issue a privacy-preserving World ID for sybil resistance. Comparable mission (prove you're human without exposing identity) for Web3 and AI-era use cases.
- Rarimo: ZK-based privacy-preserving identity and governance infrastructure for Web3, including anonymous voting and identity verification. Comparable in its use of ZK proofs for sybil resistance and identity attestations.
Broad incumbents
- Persona: Identity verification and KYC platform serving fintech, crypto, and consumer apps with configurable verification flows. Represents the traditional data-custodying incumbent model that ZKPassport is structurally differentiating against.
- Sumsub: Full-stack KYC/AML and identity verification platform with broad compliance tooling (document verification, liveness, sanctions screening). A broader incumbent competitor if ZKPassport expands from Web3 into regulated enterprise verticals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
zkPassport social profiles
Digital presencezkPassport compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
zkPassport financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
zkPassport leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
zkPassport funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
zkPassport M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about zkPassport
What does zkPassport do?
zkPassport is a privacy-preserving identity verification protocol that uses zero-knowledge proofs generated from NFC chips on government-issued passports and IDs in 130+ countries, enabling users to prove age, nationality, personhood, and sanctions status without revealing underlying personal data. The offering centers on a TypeScript SDK, iOS/Android mobile apps, a self-serve dashboard, and EVM smart contract verifiers, allowing developers and enterprises to integrate cryptographic identity checks in roughly six lines of code while never taking custody of user data.
Is zkPassport a public or private company?
zkPassport is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was zkPassport founded?
zkPassport was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is zkPassport based?
zkPassport is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does zkPassport make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Core Verification (Free) is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Add-on Services.
Who are zkPassport's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Civic, Trinsic, Sismo, Privado ID (formerly Polygon ID), BrightID, Spruce ID, Worldcoin and Rarimo. Broad incumbents are Persona and Sumsub.
Does zkPassport have an API?
Yes. ZKPassport provides a TypeScript/JavaScript SDK for integrating privacy-preserving identity verification into applications. The SDK supports two integration layers: @zkpassport/sdk (underlying SDK with request(), query builder, and lifecycle callbacks) and @zkpassport/ui (drop-in QR verification card for React and vanilla JS). Developers can build queries in code (.gte(), .disclose(), .in(), .out(), .sanctions(), .facematch() methods), define policies via dashboard, and verify proofs off-chain or on-chain. The SDK exposes methods including request(), verify(), getSolidityVerifierDetails(), getSolidityVerifierParameters(), getUrl(), cancelRequest(), and clearAllRequests(). Developer documentation is at docs.zkpassport.id.
What industry is zkPassport in?
zkPassport's product category is Identity Verification Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPACAG, Decentralized Identity (DID) & Identity Wallets (DID methods, DIDComm, identity agents), with a secondary code of BPAMAEAJ, Decentralized Identity (DID) & Verifiable Credentials. Its NAICS code is 561611.