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Strategies & Market Trends : Speculating in Takeover Targets -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: richardred who wrote (4688)	1/24/2018 12:22:32 PM
From: richardred	Respond to of 7239

Facebook acquires biometric ID verification startup Confirm.io Posted 19 hours ago by Josh Constine ( @joshconstine) Facebook has confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s acquired… Confirm.io. The startup offered an API that let other companies quickly verify someone’s government-issued identification card, like a driver’s license, was authentic. The Boston-based startup will shut down as both its team and technology are rolled into Facebook, where it could help users who are locked out of their accounts. Confirm.io had raised at least $4 million from investors, including Cava Capital, since launching three years ago. The 2015 seed round funded advanced forensics used to pull information from an ID card, as well as mobile biometrics and facial recognition to confirm a person’s identity before the startup deleted the personal data. Clients could quickly integrate the tech, which expedited on-demand startup staff onboarding. Food delivery service Doordash used Confirm.io to verify its drivers, while Notarize used it to authenticate the identity of customers looking to file documents. The startup writes, “When we launched Confirm, our mission was to become the market’s trusted identity origination platform for which other multifactor verification services can build upon. Now, we’re ready to take the next step on our journey with Facebook. However, in the meantime this means all of our current digital ID authentication software offerings will be wound down.” Confirm.io’s ID authentication feature Facebook tells TechCrunch, “We are excited to welcome the Confirm team to Facebook. Their technology and expertise will support our ongoing efforts to keep our community safe.” Facebook tests selfie-to-unlock feature Facebook could potentially use the technology to have people confirm their identities if they’re locked out of their accounts after being hacked or losing their password. Back in September we spotted Facebook testing a feature that let you unlock your account using a selfie. And since at least 2013, Facebook has let people mail in a copy of their photo ID or other identity verification materials in order to regain access to their account. Because this is a full acquisition, not just an acqui-hire, Confirm.io’s team and tech could help Facebook strengthen and streamline these options. And one day, perhaps Facebook could even serve as your ID card in some situations. Face ID on the iPhone X could eventually be opened to third parties to power more biometric security across apps. With our keys and payment cards becoming digitized and part of our phone, the ID card is really the last reason you have to carry an old-school wallet. techcrunch.com

To: richardred who wrote (4688)	5/18/2018 10:14:57 AM
From: richardred	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 7239

MITK-Speculation Paypal makes a big move today. Is Square ready for one? PayPal just made its biggest acquisition ever as it snaps up a Swedish credit card processing company for $2.2 billion. businessinsider.com RE-MITK speculation. This years TT SITT wild speculation pick . Maybe not so wild after all. IMO this based on the analyst's hypothetical prediction below. IMO MITK would be a bolt on size for PYPL. Perfect to grow and scale up. MITK sales are only 45 million, but MITK is profitable with gross margins at 91%. Square has scale, but is not profitable yet. PYPL sales are 1.7 Billion with a market cap. of 14. billion,and gross margins at 38%. MITK trades at a PE of 24. PayPal's next acquisition target could be Square, Stripe, or Adyen, analyst predicts PayPal is expected to soon make a major acquisition, Bernstein's Lisa Ellis wrote in a note Wednesday. She believes one of the largest payment companies, including Square, Stripe, and Adyen, to be among the potential acquisition targets. PayPal's biggest deal took place in 2015 when it spent $890 million on Xoom. bloomberg.com P.S. There's always others that might be hypothetically waiting in the wings like. ServiceNow-4SO

To: richardred who wrote (4688)	7/5/2018 12:58:37 PM
From: richardred	Respond to of 7239

MITK-Speculation Mitek to Provide ID Security to Crypto Exchange DXE Jocelyn Aspa - July 4th, 2018 The company announced onTuesday (July 3) that it has been selected to provides its automatic ID verification solution called Mobile Verify to crypto-exchange DXE. Mitek Systems (NASDAQ: MITK) is putting its mobile security platform to work with a brand new Dutch cryptocurrency exchange. The company announced on Tuesday (July 3), that it will provide its automatic ID verification solution called Mobile Verify to crypto-exchange DXE. Mobile Verify uses artificial intelligence (AI) together with machine learning, which will enable DXE to certify customers that sign up to its platform in real time. From there, users will be able to digitally take pictures of their ID documents with their smartphone’s camera. The collaboration between the two companies is part of DXE’s plans to provide “compliant customer onboarding” in advance of the updated Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5), which now includes cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges. “We wanted to partner with Mitek to demonstrate that we are a platform that could be trusted, by both regulators and the public, Ernstjan Overduin, CEO DXE said in the joint press release. “Mitek’s Mobile Verify offers a solution that helps us be both compliant with future regulations and is compatible with our vision for a simple customer experience.” Based in the Netherlands, DXE’s primary goal is to provide a platform easy and accessible for customers who are less savvy in the crypto space. The exchange hopes to makes the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies easy for its customers. With the help of the Mobile Verify platform, it will make it easy for DXE to provide know-your-customer (KYC) compliant ID verification from the date of launch. Further, Mitek’s platform will assist DXE in being completely transparent right from the exchange’s launch date, which has yet to be announced. “As cryptocurrency continues to become mainstream there is a greater responsibility for legitimate businesses to adopt the KYC processes used in other regulated markets,” René Hendrikse, managing director for EMEA at Mitek said in the release. “At Mitek we want to ensure that the introduction of secure identity verification is seamless for the customer to speed up the registration process.” DXE’s website is currently under construction ahead of the exchange’s launch with the home page stating “this website will soon be put to use.” Shares of Mitek opened Tuesday’s trading period at US$9.20 but dipped slightly back to close at US$9.15. Mitek currently has a “Buy” ranking on TradingView.com with 13 in favor of the stock, 3 as a “Sell” and 10 as “Neutral.” Meanwhile on TipRanks, the company has a “Moderate Buy” ranking with an average price target of US$14 over a 12-month period. investingnews.com