YooniK
YooniK (Youverse) is a Portuguese developer-first biometric identity API provider offering decentralized face authentication, face matching, age estimation, and liveness detection for Banking, iGaming, Hospitality, and Mobility customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersCascais, Portugal
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What YooniK does
YooniK, doing business as Youverse, is a private Portuguese identity-verification company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Cascais, Portugal, with a US-incorporated entity (Youverse, Inc.). The company builds developer-first biometric identity APIs — YouID (identity verification), YouAuth (face authentication), YouFace (face matching), and the more recently launched Age Estimation and Liveness Detection APIs — targeted at Banking, iGaming, Hospitality, and Mobility customers that need KYC, age-gating, and fraud-prevention workflows.
The platform is differentiated by a decentralized authentication architecture using secure multi-party computation, under which biometric matching is performed such that only the user's device can verify a match and no central biometric honeypot is created. Computer-vision models process facial image and video inputs to power face matching, liveness detection, and age estimation. The company is small (1–10 employees) and engineering-led, with two co-founders covering CEO and Lead Software Engineer roles.
The go-to-market is API-first and freemium: developers can self-serve a free tier via the documentation portal and upgrade through subscription plans, while enterprise customers are routed to a custom-quote sales motion. The company has minimal disclosed external capital (~$54.7K from the European Commission in October 2019) and supplements this with non-dilutive participation in EU regional development programs (CRESC ALGARVE 2020, Centro 2020, Lisboa 2020, Portugal 2020, FEDER, PRR). No revenue, ARR, or paying-customer figures are disclosed, and the integration logo set (Okta, Auth0, Microsoft, Intel, Accor, EAB, Dock, Host, Pyramid) is presented as partner evidence rather than confirmed commercial relationships.
YooniK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YooniK
- Legal name
- Youverse, Inc.
- Website
- https://yoonik.me
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- YooniK (Youverse) is a Portuguese developer-first biometric identity API provider offering decentralized face authentication, face matching, age estimation, and liveness detection for Banking, iGaming, Hospitality, and Mobility customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YooniK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biometric Identity Verification
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Passwordless Authentication (HDAEAJAC)
Keywords
Where YooniK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cascais
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
YooniK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
Revenue model
- API Access Subscriptions: Identity verification and face authentication APIs offered through tiered subscription plans. Free tier available for developers to get started.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free plan for developers to build and test |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
YooniK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YooniK (operating as Youverse) develops and sells developer-first face authentication and identity verification APIs (YouID, YouAuth, YouFace, plus Age Estimation and Liveness Detection APIs). The platform uses decentralized authentication architecture based on secure multi-party computation, so biometric matching occurs on the user's device rather than against a central biometric database. The APIs are delivered through a self-serve platform with a free developer tier and tiered subscription plans, with custom enterprise deployment available.
Product overview
Youverse is a developer-first identity platform offering three core biometric identity products: YouID (identity verification), YouAuth (face authentication), and YouFace (face matching). The platform is built on a decentralized architecture using secure multi-party computation, enabling privacy-first identity verification and authentication without central biometric data storage. Youverse targets multiple industries including Banking, iGaming, Hospitality, and Mobility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- YouID: Identity Verification product
- YouAuth
- YouFace
Products and services
- YouID Identity verification product enabling businesses to verify user identities across any device with decentralized, privacy-first architecture. For enterprises requiring KYC and onboarding flows.
- YouAuth Developer-first face authentication API enabling secure, passwordless authentication using facial biometrics with decentralized privacy design. For product and engineering teams integrating login flows.
- YouFace Face matching API that compares facial features to verify if two images belong to the same person, used for identity verification workflows. For developers building biometric comparison flows.
- Age Estimation and Liveness Detection APIs Combined product launch of the Age Estimation API and the Liveness Detection API, extending the company's identity verification capabilities with age estimation (without full ID verification) and anti-spoofing liveness checks for developers and product teams.
Companies that use YooniK
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
YooniK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
YooniK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered unclear.
- PyramidunclearTechnology partner integrated with Youverse identity verification APIs. Appears in partner logos section.
- OktaunclearIdentity management platform integration partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- Auth0unclearAuthentication platform integration partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- MicrosoftunclearTechnology platform partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- IntelunclearTechnology platform partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- HostunclearTechnology platform partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- AccorunclearHospitality industry partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- EABunclearTechnology/education partner. Appears in partner logos section.
- DockunclearTechnology platform partner. Appears in partner logos section.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
YooniK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iProov: iProov provides face authentication and liveness detection APIs for identity verification. Most direct competitor to Youverse's YouAuth and liveness products, with overlapping target verticals including banking, government, and travel.
- Onfido: Onfido offers AI-powered identity verification and biometric authentication APIs targeting financial services, gaming, and other regulated industries. Directly comparable to Youverse's YouID, YouAuth, and YouFace products.
- Veriff: Veriff provides identity verification with face matching and liveness detection via API, serving banking, iGaming, mobility, and hospitality. Closely overlaps Youverse's product set and vertical segmentation.
- Persona: Persona offers configurable identity verification APIs including biometric face matching, serving fintech, gig economy, and online platforms. Comparable developer-first API approach and vertical breadth.
- Jumio: Jumio provides identity verification, face matching, and liveness detection for banking, financial services, and online platforms. Established incumbent in the same product category as Youverse.
- Facephi: Facephi is a Spain-based biometric identity verification vendor offering face authentication and onboarding for banking and public sector. EU peer with overlapping geography, regulated-vertical focus, and biometric product portfolio.
- Keyless: Keyless offers privacy-preserving biometric authentication using zero-knowledge cryptography and decentralized matching. The closest architectural analogue to Youverse's MPC-based decentralized approach.
- Ondato: Ondato provides KYC, AML, and biometric identity verification for European banks, fintechs, and gaming operators. Comparable in regulatory-vertical focus and EU market orientation.
Broad incumbents
- ID.me: ID.me provides identity verification with face matching and liveness at scale for US government, healthcare, and financial services. Larger incumbent covering overlapping biometric authentication capabilities.
- Okta (Auth0): Okta and Auth0 are major identity platforms that also offer authentication and increasingly biometric factors. Both are listed as Youverse partners but are also potential platform-level competitors as they expand their identity verification footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
YooniK social profiles
Digital presenceYooniK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YooniK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
YooniK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YooniK 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 YooniK
What does YooniK do?
YooniK (operating as Youverse) develops and sells developer-first face authentication and identity verification APIs (YouID, YouAuth, YouFace, plus Age Estimation and Liveness Detection APIs). The platform uses decentralized authentication architecture based on secure multi-party computation, so biometric matching occurs on the user's device rather than against a central biometric database. The APIs are delivered through a self-serve platform with a free developer tier and tiered subscription plans, with custom enterprise deployment available.
Is YooniK a public or private company?
YooniK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was YooniK founded?
YooniK was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is YooniK based?
YooniK is headquartered in Cascais, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does YooniK make money?
One revenue line is on record: API Access Subscriptions.
Who are YooniK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iProov, Onfido, Veriff, Persona, Jumio, Facephi, Keyless and Ondato. Broad incumbents are ID.me and Okta (Auth0).
Does YooniK have an API?
Yes. Developer-first face authentication and identity verification APIs enabling decentralized authentication and ID verification. The APIs support secure multi-party computation for privacy-first identity management. Developer documentation is at www.youverse.id/docs.
What industry is YooniK in?
YooniK's product category is Biometric Identity Verification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAEAE, Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAEAJAC, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) & Passwordless Authentication. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7371.