The Company

Founded in 2019, by two white hat hackers, Andy Lee (李紀廣) and Dalton Hsu (許迺赫), Authme’s goal is to solve the rising issues regarding digital identity. Back in 2016, while setting up a crypto exchange, the two co-founders encountered significant problems with verification, including a complicated onboarding process and a low level of security. This led them to develop Authme, a user-friendly and secure digital identity platform.

Authme provides users with a unified identity system that allows them to easily manage their digital identities and securely share their data with trusted parties.

Why did we choose Authme?

“Authme perfectly represents our Go Global approach and our firm’s commitment to backing disruptive ventures with international transformative potential.

Authme stands out for its pioneering approach to identity verification and eKYC solutions tailored for regulated industries. By leveraging its FIME & ISO-certified advanced technologies, they are not only addressing critical challenges faced by businesses in today’s evolving regulatory landscape but are also uniquely positioned to implement financial fraud prevention on a global scale.

We’re excited to work with Andy and Kuochan on their journey to redefine industry standards and drive positive change” - Akio Tanaka, our founding partner. 

The Genius behind the company

Driven by his strong values and pursuit of helping people, the COO of Authme, Kuo Chan Tseng (曾國展), joined Authme in 2019 to promote financial inclusion for all. Transitioning from a career in the aquaculture business (based in Jakarta, Indonesia) to the digital identity sector, his vision is centered on providing more secure access to digital identities. 

Now, on to the Interview:

1. Can you share a little bit about your personal journey and how you came to be where you are today?

My journey began with a political science major in college. After I served my military service, my professional career started in Indonesia with an expansion plan for an aquaculture business. With the headquarters in Jakarta, I spent about three to four years setting up the farm from the foundation up. 

Then, I decided to go for my MBA in Spain. After two fantastic years, I returned to my company to have the second farm (around 200 hectares of land) to have a mass scale of production. 

During the founding and expansion of my business, I noticed the financial exclusion faced by rural communities. I had the drive to make a positive impact and help communities faced by this issue and following my values, this led me to meet Andy (co-founder) and join Authme, aiming to bridge the gap through digital identity verification.

2. What was the origin of Authme? What was the inspiration and motivation behind Authme?

In 2016, co-founders Andy and Dalton (who were white hat hackers* at the time) initially delved into cybersecurity through a crypto exchange project. On the day of launching the crypto exchange, they received an unprecedented amount of cyber attacks. 

Looking into it, they found two big issues: 

(1) How do users protect their assets, crypto assets? 

(2) How do these exchanges manage to do the KYC process?

Back then, it took too much time to look into each of every case, the accuracy and conversion rate were not ideal. So they decided to bring a solution to those big issues and founded Authme in 2019. 

3. Can you share with us your story about being a member of FIDO Alliance and what it means to Authme?

FIDO Alliance ran into issues such as digital identity verification and recognized Authmes' expertise when dealing with such issues. So they invited us to give a keynote speech, which allowed us to showcase how we do identity verification and how it can be enhanced. 

Afterward, they invited us to join as a working group member. This allowed us to contribute to setting industry standards, fostering interoperability, and enhancing cybersecurity protocols, aligning with Authmes' commitment to excellence.

Since 2022, we've been constantly joining meetings on the topic of cybersecurity; to be in one room and status with giants like Microsoft or Google and to have our opinion adopted by the industry is an achievement for us. 

4. How does Authme’s technology combat against the rising issues facing “face recognition and ID Verification”?

OpenAI has released Sora [an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions]. Nowadays, you can easily create videos that look real with simple prompts using tools like Sora. 

Authmes employs a multi-layered approach to combat digital impersonation, utilizing facial recognition, liveness detection, and advanced AI algorithms. Our focus is on not just verifying identity but also ensuring a seamless user experience while safeguarding against emerging threats like deepfakes. 

5. What makes Authme different from its competitors? 

One of the differentiators of ours is that 99% of our technology is built by us, a proud achievement of ours. This means we have full control at hand, can adapt to the latest threats, and know how to deter these threats. 

Another one is that at least in Taiwan, nobody knows better about the regulation of identity verification than us. 

Our first customer was LINE bank, due to them being a virtual bank (no physical bank location), they solely interacted with their customers digitally. As F.S.I (Banking & Financial Services Industry) sectors are the most strictly regulated industry, our experience led us to have the highest standard of identity verification. Such as going through legal compliance issues with them and the regulators. We also focus heavily on streamlining the entire process to save time and cost for our users.

Last but not least, we continuously work to enhance our user experience and strike a balance between focusing on the technology and UI/UX. Always keeping our users in mind. 

6. Can you share a little bit about how you met Headline and your experience?

I've known Headline for a while. We've connected over shared visions and aspirations. Headline has been instrumental throughout our journey, whether it's joining the IVP events or introducing/networking portfolios, etc. To help startups like us, a B2B software company, be able to be known by corporates, being introduced by someone who has a great reputation in the industry is critical. 

7. Beyond work, what are your hobbies and interests?

I've recently taken up golf, finding parallels between the sport and entrepreneurship. I think playing golf is a similar process to running a business, where you need to make preparations before swinging, making sure of your position, and in the process of swinging, making sure your body parts move and turn in the correct position. Taking every detail into account and learning as you go. 

It teaches me about preparation, adaptability, and resilience, essential qualities in both golf and business.

8. If you could choose anyone to sit next to on an airplane, who would it be and why?

Ah, that's a tough one… I would choose Sam Altman for his visionary approach to AI and his inspiring project, Worldcoin. His ambition resonates with mine, as his project helps more people to be included in the world's financial system. If I had the chance, I would choose him as he would make an intriguing conversation partner.

9. What's something you're trying to learn personally?

As an entrepreneur, I strive to continually improve myself, whether in collaborating with colleagues or enhancing my interpersonal skills. It's a journey of constant growth and development.

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*This article was edited for clarity.

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