Developer privacy proof facial recognition 20Face raises 1.3 million euros for further growth

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20Face, the Dutch scale-up focused on privacy proof facial recognition, has successfully completed a €1.3 million funding round. The investment comes both from existing shareholders, including Value Creation Capital and Oost NL, and from Twinning Participaties, which joins as a new shareholder.

20Face, started as a spin-off from the University of Twente, has positioned itself in recent years as a forerunner in facial recognition technology that safeguards users' privacy. 20Face's technology is already being deployed in various sectors, such as in business centers, secure environments, healthcare facilities and recreational locations. Recently, 20Face completed a project where 23 FairPlay Casino locations were equipped with facial recognition for access.

“Our technology is ideally suited for locations where many people need controlled and fast entry. Safe seamless access we call that.” said Frank ter Kuile, CCO of 20Face. “With facial recognition, the risk of privacy violation lurks, while security should not come at the expense of the privacy of the individual. Our solution gives the user control over their own data. Ensuring the privacy of our users and complying with European privacy legislation is of great importance to us.”

Investment for further development

20Face is using the investment to accelerate the company's growth and further development of their innovative technology. In doing so, the Enschede-based company intends to enter new markets and establish strategic partnerships. This will enable 20Face to better serve their customers and pave the way for wider adoption of their privacy-first approach to facial recognition.

“We are excited to announce this investment. It reflects the confidence of both existing shareholders and our new partner Twinning in our mission and technology,” said Dick Fens, CEO of 20Face. “This funding will allow us to further develop our technology, expand our team and strengthen our market position.”

Twinning, an investment company with a focus on technological innovations, sees great potential in 20Face. “We are impressed by what 20Face has achieved so far and are convinced that their privacy proof facial recognition can make a big difference.” Physical surveillance is getting more expensive and good (security) personnel are scarce. In this world you no longer want to rely solely on an access card, this is where 20Face's solution responds perfectly.” said Jan Voskamp, director at Twinning Participations. “We look forward to supporting them in their next phase of growth.”

Matthijs Berkelaar, investment manager Tech at Oost NL: “Facial recognition is a technology that requires strict privacy protection regulations. Within the legislation, 20Face's technology can offer a solution for the security of business premises, among other things. In recent years, 20Face has become a frontrunner in privacy-proof facial recognition, with several customers now. The fact that new investors are joining in addition to existing shareholders is good news for the company. This will allow them to further contribute to secure access to physical locations.”