Zinc raises £5M to expand global, reusable background checks

London-based background check startup Zinc has raised £5 million (roughly US$6.4 million) in a series A funding round with plans to expand its global reach and invest in product innovation.

Zinc offers a right-to-work check product with face biometric checks that it says in the announcement is used by hundreds of employers.

The funding round was led by Axa Venture Partners (AVP), with participation from existing investor Seedcamp. AVP Managing Partner François Robinet says that the global background check market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent or better over the next five years.

“We think the Continental Europe market is still largely untapped and that background checking will also become the norm in recruitment processes all over Europe,” says Robinet. “Zinc is perfectly positioned to take a leading position in this market, by focusing on the most regulated industries but also by using technology as a key differentiator, in a market largely occupied by low-tech incumbents. Zinc has developed unique product features to offer the best-in-class user experience and the shortest time to check to both candidates and recruiters.”

Zinc performs automated checks under the UK’s DBS laws to various confidence levels, with Onfido as its approved identity verification provider under the DIATF. Onfido provides Zinc with selfie biometric checks and liveness detection.

The company says in a blog post that its right-to-work check feature is the first reusable global product of its kind. What differentiates it, according to Zinc, is the ability for businesses to conduct right-to-work checks regardless of the candidate’s location. Zinc’s technology sorts out the applicable requirements based on local laws.

Article Topics

background checks  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF)  |  identity verification  |  Onfido  |  reusable digital ID  |  UK  |  Zinc