Seamfix Expands: Digital ID Revolution Coming to 5 More African Countries

Nigerian digital identity startup Seamfix is set to expand its operations to Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda following a successful investment round.

Founded by Chimezie Emewulu and Chibuzor Onwurah, Seamfix specializes in identity management, data capture, and process automation solutions for large businesses and government agencies worldwide.

“Seamfix leverages technology to simplify digital identity, helping thousands of businesses globally offer enhanced services to millions of customers,” Emewulu.

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Digital ID and verification systems are crucial for economic growth in Africa, impacting areas like financial participation, government efficiency, public health, and job creation. Seamfix has been instrumental in providing advanced digital ID and credential solutions that connect businesses and individuals to various identity databases in Africa and beyond.

The company has developed solutions for organizations such as Veremark, Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), MTN, Glo, Airtel 9 Mobile, United Bank for Africa, Interswitch, and Union Bank. These solutions enable seamless creation, verification, and access to trusted digital identities and services for customers globally.

Seamfix initially focused on creating custom products to digitize organizational workflows when it launched in 2007. However, a project in 2010 to build a university ID impersonation solution highlighted the continent’s identity issues, prompting a pivot to identity management solutions.

Digital identity remains a significant challenge in Africa, with over 542 million people lacking identity cards. Effective digital ID systems can unlock substantial economic value across Africa’s increasingly digital societies. A recent report suggests that African countries implementing effective digital ID systems could boost their GDP by up to 13%.

“Our goal is to create a central hub for identity management in Africa, facilitating trade within the region and with other countries. This hub will enable governments, corporations, and individuals to verify the identities of entities they transact with,” Emewulu explained.

One of Seamfix’s key achievements is the development of a digital solution that provides access to National Identification Numbers (NINs) for over 100 million Nigerians. Additionally, the company has assisted Nigerian telecommunications providers in registering and verifying a database of over 200 million SIM cards to comply with Nigerian Communications Commission regulations.

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Seamfix collaborates with major telcos across Africa on SIM registration, verification, and linkage to national identities. Many fintechs and SMEs depend on Seamfix’s verification APIs for KYC checks during customer onboarding and employee background checks.

The company is poised for further growth after securing $4.5 million in funding from Alitheia IDF, a gender lens investing fund. Emewulu stated that the investment would be used to enhance Seamfix’s technology infrastructure, improve data flow critical for continental trade and integration, and initiate the expansion of its digital ID and credential services into Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

“This funding marks our first institutional investment and will enable us to extend our services to five new African countries,” he said.

Seamfix generates revenue through various channels, primarily by offering identity solutions to organizations. This includes charging for identity verification services, selling annual licenses to organizations accessing their extensive identity database, and monetizing API calls. To date, Seamfix has processed over 500 million identities.