World deploying iris biometric Orbs to more stores in Japan, US

A new deal between Tools for Humanity and Japan-based Medirom Healthcare Technologies could lead to deployments of World’s Orb iris biometrics scanners in up to 3,000 locations across the country.

There are currently Orbs installed to collect biometrics at more than 150 Re.Ra.Ku relaxation studio locations, which have authenticated 20,000 individuals so far. If the deployment reaches 3,000 locations at that pace, the deal could be worth as much as $39 million (approximately JPY 6.10 billion) over the next two years, according to a company announcement.

In San Francisco, Orbs at a Gap clothing store are scanning iris biometrics, The Wall Street Journal reports.

World launched its Partner Markets program during the second half of last year as part of a strategy to boost its enrollment numbers by placing Orbs in popular retail outlets.

The strategy extends to adoption more broadly. Match Group’s Tinder is trialing World ID as a method of age verification and for users to prove they are not bots.

The company was reported last March to be in talks with Visa on a partnership to support stablecoin payments. The Worldcoin payments card has been delayed, but the work towards a launch continues, according to the Journal.

As of March 2, World is up to 939 Orbs actively deployed around the world, and just under 17.9 million biometrically registered users.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  iris biometrics  |  partner program  |  Tools for Humanity  |  World  |  World ID Orb