Alcatraz

Alcatraz is the market leader in facial biometric authentication for physical access control, trusted by Fortune 500 companies, including 7 of the top 10 U.S. AI hyperscalers. Founded in 2016 by Vince Gaydarzhiev, a former Apple engineer who led hardware prototyping during the development of Face ID, the company set out to replace outdated access credentials with a smarter, more secure alternative.

 

Alcatraz's AI-powered platform authenticates individuals in real time using anonymized, non-reversible facial templates, eliminating the need for badges, PINs, or mobile passes, without compromising on privacy. Designed for enterprise scale, the technology enables rapid deployment across tens of thousands of users and is fully compliant with global data protection standards, including GDPR, CCPA, and BIPA.

 

As the pioneer of Facial Authentication-as-a-Service (FAaaS), Alcatraz protects some of the most sensitive environments in the world - from data centers powering the AI economy to Fortune 100 campuses, financial institutions, airports, universities, and research facilities. The company currently safeguards more than four million employees worldwide, with over 300% year-on-year growth in data center deployments in 2025.

 

With the backing of BlackPeak Capital as part of its $35 million Series B, Alcatraz is accelerating product innovation, expanding into new global markets, and scaling its team to meet the rapidly growing demand for identity-based access control.

 

For more info, please visit: alcatraz.ai