Startup ZipID modernizes secure Form I-9 compliance with automated ID verification

ZipID, Inc. is a new digital identity verification and compliance company whose goal is to transform how employers and HR technology providers manage the federally mandated Form I-9, which is required of all 11.4 million U.S. employers with one or more employees, with selfie biometrics.

Form I-9 verifies both identity and legal authorization to work for every new hire. The ZipID platform is designed to streamline and automate this process, reducing the risk of identity fraud, minimizing human error, and safeguarding sensitive personal information through built-in security features.

“Gartner reported recently that by 2028, one in four job applicants will be fake. Then there is the increasing sophistication and ease of access to AI-based biometrics by nearly anyone. Add to that a substantial increase in worksite enforcement activity alongside the increase in fines for Form I-9 violations — whether intentional or not — and you have a brew of increased complications in hiring for companies,” ZipID founder Janice Kephart explained to Biometric Update.

Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Biometric Interagency Working Group and former counsel to the 9/11 Commission, Kephart said “now Human Resource personnel aren’t just figuring out good fit for a position, but they have to play detective too to determine if a new hire is who they say they are AND get the I-9 compliance right. All while be potentially fined by the government if they get it wrong. That is not fair.”

ZipID stands apart as the only I-9 solution to integrate facial recognition, optical character recognition, and compliance automation into a remote, end-to-end digital workflow that completes in just eight minutes. The system is engineered to operate seamlessly across different systems, locations, and hiring structures, making it scalable for enterprise users and accessible for smaller businesses.

“Employers need to feel confident about who they’re hiring while also meeting their legal obligations under federal law,” Kephart says. “ZipID solves both problems. We help companies stay compliant, reduce the risk of fraud, and maintain a reliable audit trail, all while making the onboarding process intuitive and trustworthy for new hires.”

“ZipID is on a mission to help level the playing field by helping employers be both compliant and confidant in their new hires with its identity authentication platform, while assuring new hires true identities are protected,” Kephart told Biometric Update, adding that “ZipID is on a public service mission to support the 11.4 million American employers.”

The launch comes at a pivotal moment, as federal worksite enforcement activities intensify and remote hiring becomes increasingly common. The technology sector alone reports 68 percent of professionals are working remotely, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2025, 32.6 million Americans — roughly 22 percent of the workforce — will be remote.

Kephart says ZipID responds directly to these trends by offering a fully digital and legally compliant alternative to the traditional in-person Form I-9 verification process.

This demand has only grown since the Department of Homeland Security’s 2023 implementation of new rules for remote I-9 inspection, which have pushed employers to adopt more secure and efficient tools.

With an estimated 70 million new hires processed each year, businesses face significant pressure to confirm identity and employment authorization quickly and securely. Kephart says ZipID’s tiered pricing accommodates small businesses as well as high-volume enterprise users.

For platforms with advanced compliance needs, ZipID’s Colony Pro tier offers white-labeled, co-branded user experiences and custom API integrations, enabling bulk I-9 processing and seamless incorporation into existing HRIS, ATS, and background check systems.

Privacy, compliance, and data security are foundational to ZipID’s design. The platform encrypts personally identifiable information and retains it only as long as legally required, giving employers confidence in their compliance while respecting the privacy of their workforce.

Kephart says the startup has already drawn institutional interest, including early investment from Fairfax County’s Founders Fund which cited ZipID’s unique blend of regulatory knowledge and market relevance as key differentiators.

“ZipID isn’t just about form compliance,” Kephart says. “It’s about reestablishing trust at the very beginning of the employment relationship. Identity has become the new security perimeter, and we make verifying it simple, secure, and legally sound.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Form I-9  |  identity verification  |  Janice Kephart  |  OCR  |  onboarding  |  remote identity proofing  |  selfie biometrics  |  United States  |  ZipID