Persona, a San Francisco-based provider of a verified identity platform, has announced a significant milestone by raising $200 million in Series D funding, elevating the company's valuation to $2 billion. The funding round, revealed on April 30, 2025, was co-led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investors including BOND, Coatue, First Round Capital, and Index Ventures.
With this fresh capital, Persona aims to expand its operations and enhance its development efforts. The company, led by CEO Rick Song, offers a unified identity platform designed to provide businesses with automation and orchestration tools that securely collect, verify, manage, and make decisions about both individual and business identities.
Persona's platform is now available in over 200 countries and territories and supports 20 different languages, making it a truly global solution for identity verification. The company serves various sectors, including AI platforms, retail, fintech, delivery services, real estate, hospitality, and legal services, among others.
In a rapidly changing digital landscape, the need for identity verification has become more pressing. "We're facing an identity authenticity crisis, where the line between real and synthetic has become increasingly blurred," said Rick Song. He emphasized that in an AI-driven world, understanding identity is crucial. "Identity in an AI-driven world isn't about ticking a box, and the question is no longer 'is this a bot or not?' but rather 'who is the bot acting on behalf of, and what is their intent?'" This shift in perspective highlights the importance of knowing who is behind each action in a digital context.
As of 2024, automated traffic on the internet surpassed human traffic for the first time, with projections suggesting that it will account for over 90 percent of all internet traffic by 2030. This rapid increase in AI-driven interactions underscores the necessity for robust identity verification solutions.
Moreover, the rise of sophisticated fraud tactics, including the creation of synthetic identities and deepfakes, has intensified the challenges organizations face. Fraudsters are leveraging AI to execute large-scale automated attacks, making it imperative for businesses to adopt dynamic identity verification technologies.
Persona's platform is designed to meet these challenges head-on. Unlike rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions, it offers a configurable, privacy-first foundation that adapts to the evolving needs of businesses as regulations shift and fraud tactics become more sophisticated. Thomas Laffont, co-founder of Coatue, noted, "Identity is a foundational mega-trend driving digital transformation, and we've believed from day one that Persona would power this shift through its software-native solution."
In the past year, Persona has marked several key achievements, including being ranked #1 across all evaluated use cases in the 2024 Gartner® Critical Capabilities report. The company has also enhanced its age assurance solutions, gaining global recognition with certifications from Germany's KJM and the UK's Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS).
Additionally, Persona has expanded its international Know Your Business (KYB) capabilities, enabling organizations to verify and onboard entities globally while detecting sophisticated impersonation and synthetic fraud. Notably, the platform has detected over 75 million AI-driven face spoof attempts through its advanced liveness detection technology.
As Persona continues to grow, it is also venturing into workforce identity security, forming partnerships with platforms like Okta's Workforce Identity Cloud. This strategic move aims to bolster security measures for organizations as they adapt to the complexities of the modern digital landscape.
Persona's mission is to build a verified identity layer that supports organizations in navigating the rapidly changing identity landscape. This secure infrastructure allows businesses to verify individuals and entities across various contexts while giving users control over their personal information. For companies, this means a flexible foundation that can adapt to evolving regulations, risk models, and user journeys.
For individuals, this innovative approach means a reusable identity that can be carried across services, eliminating the need to repeatedly enter sensitive information while maintaining privacy and consent at the forefront.
Nick Shalek, a partner at Ribbit Capital, expressed confidence in Persona's vision, stating, "Identity has become the foundation of every digital interaction, and in the age of AI, we believe solving identity will be more pivotal than ever." He highlighted the diverse range of industries and use cases that Persona serves, noting that their rapid growth and adoption by leaders such as OpenAI, LinkedIn, Etsy, Twilio, and Block validate that they are addressing real problems at scale.
Founded in 2018, Persona has quickly established itself as a leader in the identity verification space. With a commitment to innovation and a keen understanding of the challenges posed by AI and digital interactions, Persona is well-positioned to shape the future of identity verification and build trust in an increasingly automated world.
As the demand for identity verification continues to rise, Persona's recent funding round marks a significant step forward in its mission to provide businesses with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of identity in an AI-driven era.
