Cognito
Cognito is an API-first identity verification and AML compliance platform (subsidiary of Plaid since 2021) serving fintechs, challenger banks, crypto platforms, and adjacent verticals with phone-based identity linking, document/liveness checks, and watchlist screening across 209 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWalnut, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cognito does
Cognito (legal entity BlockScore, Inc.) is an identity verification and compliance platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, operating as a subsidiary of Plaid following Plaid's 2021 acquisition. The company offers four core products: Flow (an all-in-one orchestration platform combining document, selfie/liveness, SMS, phone-based identity, and watchlist screening into a single configurable funnel), Identity (phone-first verification linking phone numbers to names, DOBs, addresses, and SSNs across 209 countries), Screening (AML/PEP watchlist screening with cross-lingual matching, daily re-scans, and a compliance CRM with audit trails), and Business Verification (entity onboarding against sanctions and PEP lists). Underlying technology is built on deep learning computer vision for document and liveness verification, advanced name-matching algorithms, and a developer-first API architecture with SDKs in seven languages, webhook events, and envelope encryption (AES-256, per-record RSA-wrapped keys).
Cognito serves primarily high-growth fintechs, challenger banks, crypto platforms, and adjacent verticals (healthcare, marketplaces, age-restricted commerce) with a horizontal segmentation approach. The go-to-market is API-first and PLG-oriented: developers can obtain API keys and integrate in as little as one day without sales calls, while larger deployments are supported by an enterprise sales motion now co-distributed through the Plaid Dashboard. Revenue is generated via usage-based API consumption across Identity, Screening, Flow, and Business Verification products; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The platform is SOC 2 Type II compliant and operates at scale with 300+ active clients, 76 million verified users, and 700 million unique IDs in its identity graph. Leadership includes co-founder and CEO Alain Meier, co-founder and CTO John Backus, President and COO Chris Morton, and VP of Engineering Daniel Gollahon.
Cognito firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cognito
- Legal name
- BlockScore, Inc.
- Website
- https://cognitohq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cognito is an API-first identity verification and AML compliance platform (subsidiary of Plaid since 2021) serving fintechs, challenger banks, crypto platforms, and adjacent verticals with phone-based identity linking, document/liveness checks, and watchlist screening across 209 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cognito industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Identity Verification and KYC/AML Compliance
- NAICS
- Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Services, Nec (8900), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fraud Prevention & Identity Verification (IDV/KYC) (BPAMAEAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customer Identity (KYC/CDD/EDD) & Onboarding (FSAMAMAA), AML/KYC, KYB & Identity Verification (VASP/Travel Rule) (FSAPAJAC), Identity Verification, KYC/KYB & AML Screening (MPAEAKAD)
Keywords
Where Cognito is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walnut
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cognito business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- API-based Identity Verification: Usage-based API access for identity verification services including Identity, Screening, and Flow products. Pricing is consumption-based based on verification volume.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based API pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cognito product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cognito provides an API-first identity verification and compliance platform that enables businesses to verify customer identities, screen against global watchlists and PEP lists, and meet KYC/AML regulatory requirements. Its core products include Flow (an all-in-one orchestrated ID verification system), Identity (phone-based verification), Screening (AML/watchlist monitoring), and Business Verification (entity onboarding). The platform supports 200+ countries, 13,000+ ID documents, and integrates in as little as one day via SDKs and REST APIs.
Product overview
Cognito is an identity verification and compliance platform consisting of multiple integrated products. The core offering includes Flow (the all-in-one orchestration platform), Identity (phone-based verification), Screening (AML/watchlist), and Business Verification (entity onboarding). Flow serves as the primary product combining all verification methods into a single system, while Identity provides phone-first verification, Screening handles ongoing AML/PEP monitoring, and Cognito Core adds real-time brand measurement analytics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Flow
- Identity
- Screening
- Business Verification
- Cognito Core
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% US pass rate and 93% Rest of World pass rate
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Cognito
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cognito technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature7 records
Cognito partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PlaidcoreCognito was acquired by Plaid in 2021, joining the Plaid platform to continue building identity verification and compliance solutions for the fintech ecosystem. The acquisition combined Cognito's ID verification capabilities with Plaid's financial data infrastructure.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cognito competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Alloy: Alloy provides an identity decisioning platform for banks, fintechs, and crypto firms, orchestrating KYC, AML, and fraud checks across many data sources. Directly comparable to Cognito Flow's orchestration and fintech customer base.
- Veriff: Veriff offers identity verification with global document coverage, liveness checks, and AML screening. Competes with Cognito Flow in onboarding for fintechs, marketplaces, and age-restricted verticals.
- Prove (formerly Payfone): Prove specializes in phone-based identity verification and authentication, similar to Cognito's Phone ID Link. Both monetize linking phone numbers to real-world identity data for onboarding and fraud prevention.
- Persona: Persona is an API-first identity verification platform serving fintechs, crypto, and high-growth startups with KYC, KYB, and AML tooling. Highly comparable to Cognito in target customer, product surface, and developer-first go-to-market.
- Stripe Identity: Stripe's identity verification product offers API-based IDV, document, and selfie checks, embedded directly into Stripe's payments platform. Competes head-on with Cognito for fintech and internet business onboarding.
- Socure: Socure delivers identity verification and fraud prevention with a heavy fintech, crypto, and digital bank focus, using ML-based KYC and AML screening. Overlaps directly with Cognito's Identity and Screening products and customer segments.
- Jumio: Jumio is an established identity verification provider offering document, biometric, and AML screening to financial services and online businesses globally. A direct competitor across the full KYC stack Cognito offers.
- Onfido: Onfido provides AI-based document and biometric identity verification, serving fintechs, crypto, and regulated industries. Closely comparable to Cognito's ID document and selfie verification capabilities.
- Trulioo: Trulioo provides global digital identity verification and business verification (KYB) across 195+ countries, with deep KYC/AML coverage. Comparable to Cognito on international scale and KYB extension.
Broad incumbents
- Plaid Identity Verification: Plaid's own identity verification product, built atop Cognito after the 2021 acquisition, now competes in the same category from a parent company position. Represents both a distribution channel and a competitive threat for standalone Cognito.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cognito social profiles
Digital presenceCognito compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Cognito financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cognito leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Cognito funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cognito 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 Cognito
What does Cognito do?
Cognito provides an API-first identity verification and compliance platform that enables businesses to verify customer identities, screen against global watchlists and PEP lists, and meet KYC/AML regulatory requirements. Its core products include Flow (an all-in-one orchestrated ID verification system), Identity (phone-based verification), Screening (AML/watchlist monitoring), and Business Verification (entity onboarding). The platform supports 200+ countries, 13,000+ ID documents, and integrates in as little as one day via SDKs and REST APIs.
Is Cognito a public or private company?
Cognito is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cognito founded?
Cognito was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cognito based?
Cognito is headquartered in Walnut, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cognito make money?
One revenue line is on record: API-based Identity Verification.
Who are Cognito's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Alloy, Veriff, Prove (formerly Payfone), Persona, Stripe Identity, Socure, Jumio, Onfido and Trulioo. Plaid Identity Verification is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cognito have an API?
Yes. Cognito offers a comprehensive API for identity verification, watchlist screening, AML compliance, and anti-fraud. The API includes endpoints for Identity verification, Screenings (individual and entity watchlist screening with PEP/AML checks), Programs management, Users management, and Flow (all-in-one ID verification sessions). Authentication uses HTTP request signatures per Section 3 of 'Signing HTTP Messages'. Base URL is api.cognitohq.com with sandbox available at sandbox.cognitohq.com. Client SDKs available for Ruby, Java, Go, .NET, Python, PHP, and Node.js. Developer documentation is at cognitohq.com/docs.
What industry is Cognito in?
Cognito's product category is Identity Verification and KYC/AML Compliance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAEAI, Fraud Prevention & Identity Verification (IDV/KYC), with a secondary code of FSAMAMAA, Customer Identity (KYC/CDD/EDD) & Onboarding. Its NAICS code is 561611 and its SIC code is 8734.