deepidv Raises $1M, Expands to San Francisco, and Launches AI Fraud Detection Suite

The Toronto-based identity verification startup secures funding to scale its AI-powered platform and combat deepfakes, synthetic identity fraud, and document forgery.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:44am by Ben Kaplan

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deepidv, an AI-native identity verification and anti-fraud platform, has announced the close of a $1 million seed round. The funding will accelerate the company's product development, expand its operations to San Francisco, and grow its engineering and sales teams across North America. Alongside the funding and expansion, deepidv is launching a comprehensive suite of AI-powered fraud detection tools to combat emerging threats like deepfakes, synthetic identities, and document manipulation.

Why it matters

The rapid proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic identities has driven global demand for advanced identity verification and fraud prevention technology. deepidv's expansion to San Francisco positions the company at the center of North America's AI and fintech ecosystems, allowing it to better serve enterprise customers in industries like financial services, proptech, hospitality, and iGaming where identity fraud is a growing concern.

The details

The seed round will fuel deepidv's product development, expand its go-to-market operations across the United States, and grow the company's engineering and sales teams in Toronto, San Francisco, and Dallas. The new fraud detection suite includes advanced capabilities like deepfake and synthetic media detection, AI-driven document intelligence, biometric liveness detection, real-time transaction risk scoring, and compliance monitoring for AML, KYC, and CFT requirements.

  • deepidv closed its $1 million seed round on March 11, 2026.
  • The company is launching its new AI fraud detection suite alongside the funding and expansion.

The players

deepidv

An AI-native identity verification, compliance, and anti-fraud platform headquartered in Toronto with offices in San Francisco and Dallas.

Shawn-Marc Melo

The founder and CEO of deepidv, a two-time-exited entrepreneur.

Joey Chan

The COO of deepidv.

Omar Tahir

The CTO of deepidv.

Luka Piplica

The Head of Development at deepidv.

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What they’re saying

“This round isn't just about capital — it's about conviction. We've built a platform that doesn't just verify identity — it actively detects and prevents fraud at every layer, from deepfake selfies to manipulated bank statements. The seed round gives us the runway to bring this technology to every business that needs it, from San Francisco to the rest of North America.”

— Shawn-Marc Melo, Founder and CEO of deepidv (Globe Newswire)

“The Bay Area is where the biggest identity and fraud challenges are being solved. Moving here puts us closer to the partners, customers, and talent that will help us scale. Toronto gave us our engineering DNA — San Francisco gives us the stage to compete globally.”

— Joey Chan, COO of deepidv (Globe Newswire)

“The fraud landscape has fundamentally shifted. Generative AI has made it trivially easy to produce fake IDs, synthetic faces, and manipulated financial documents. Our fraud suite is purpose-built to counter these threats with AI that's trained specifically to detect AI-generated content. We're not retrofitting old technology — we're building from the ground up for a post-deepfake world.”

— Omar Tahir, CTO of deepidv (Globe Newswire)

What’s next

With the seed round closed, the San Francisco office operational, and the new fraud suite live, deepidv is positioned to become a leading player in the AI-native identity verification and anti-fraud space. The company is actively onboarding customers in fintech, proptech, hospitality, HR, and iGaming verticals across North America.

The takeaway

deepidv's expansion to San Francisco and launch of its comprehensive AI fraud detection suite demonstrate the growing need for advanced identity verification and anti-fraud solutions to combat the rise of deepfakes, synthetic identities, and document forgery. As a Toronto-founded startup with a cross-border presence, deepidv is well-positioned to become a key player in protecting businesses and consumers from emerging identity-based threats.