Tech5 and Visa to integrate biometrics, digital wallets and payments for DPI

Visa and Tech5 will work together to integrate digital payment capabilities with biometrics, identity management and trust infrastructure technologies under a strategic collaboration agreement.

The seven-year agreement is intended to support the development and deployment of digital public infrastructure around the world, according to a joint announcement.

The partners plan to look into the distribution of digital identity wallets with embedded payment functionalities to secure interoperable and scalable digital ecosystems.

Tech5 gets strategic support for its business development initiatives from Visa, advice on its engagements with financial institutions and funding for joint projects. The partners will also develop a joint framework for sales, business development and marketing for their DPI initiative.

The two companies have an extensive relationship, with an agreement signed in late-2023 to work together on aligning digital identity and payments through collaboration on digital wallets and contactless biometrics. They have also been working together on a DPI program for bank credential issuance in Ethiopia through the country’s FaydaPass digital wallet.

“At Visa, we believe that secure, inclusive, and scalable digital identity is foundational to the future of payments,” says Dr. Svyatoslav Senyuta, VP and head of Visa Government Solutions in CEMEA region. “Our partnership with Tech5 reflects our commitment to advancing Digital Public Infrastructure globally. By combining Tech5’s biometric and identity innovations with Visa’s trusted payment technologies, we aim to empower governments and institutions to drive financial inclusion and digital trust at scale.”

The relationship between payments and digital identity in DPI systems was explored in a paper written for the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) by Nextrade CEO Kati Suominen and Visa last year.

Tech5 Co-founder and CEO Machiel van der Harst says the deal is “a significant step” in applying and broadening the market reach of the company’s technologies for DPI. “By combining our identity and biometric expertise with Visa’s global payment network and resources, we are positioned to address the evolving needs of governments and institutions seeking secure and inclusive digital infrastructure.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital payments  |  digital public infrastructure  |  digital wallets  |  TECH5  |  Visa