Top tech startup news for today, Monday, October 28, 2019 – IDnow, Zamna, Linux Foundation, DemoDesk and others

Hola! Below are some of the top tech startup news for today, Monday, October 28, 2019.

Blockchain startup Zamna raises $5M to automate airport security checks between agencies. Formerly known as VChain Technology, Zamna, a London, UK-based blockchain startup, has raised a $5m seed funding to enhance its solutions, which are already being deployed by major airlines, and expand operations and its business reach. The round was led by VC firms LocalGlobe and Oxford Capital, alongside Seedcamp, the London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF), Telefonica, and a number of angel investors. Founded by Irra Ariella Khi, co-founder and CEO, Zamna provides a blockchain-powered data verification platform that verifies and connects passenger data sets between airlines, governments and security agencies, to streamline the airport check-in process.

Uber pushes deeper into financial services with the announcement of Uber Money. In an attempt to turn the ride sharing company to profitability, today Uber announced a new division called Uber Money, which includes a digital wallet and upgraded debit and credit cards. According to the company, the service will provide its 4 million-plus drivers and couriers around the world, access to a mobile bank account so they can get paid after each ride. Uber plans to offer a bank account to consumers on its platform, according to Uber Money head Peter Hazlehurst.

IDnow secures $40M in funding to accelerate growth of its Identity Verification-as-a-Service (IVaaS) platform. IDnow, a tech startup that provides Identity Verification-as-a-Service (“IVAAS”) solutions, has secured $40 million growth equity investment to accelerate growth of its IVAAS Platform in Europe. The funding, which came from Corsair Capital LLC, brings the startup total investment to over $53 million. In conjunction with the funding, IDnow also announced that Raja Hadji-Touma and Edward Wertheim, Principal at Corsair, will join its board of directors. Founded in 2014 by Armin Bauer, Dennis von Ferenczy, Felix Haas, and Sebastian Baerhold, Dnow provides advanced machine-learning technology for its Identity-as-a-Service platform that can verify in real time.

German tech startup Demodesk secures $2.3M in seed funding. Demodesk, a tech startup building an online meeting tool for inside sales and customer service teams, raised $2.3m in seed funding to further build the product in close collaboration with customers and expand the team in both Munich and San Francisco. The funding came from tech heavyweights including GFC, FundersClub, Y Combinator, Kleiner Perkins, Immad Akhund, Jude Gomila, Brad Flora, Hanno Renner (CEO of Personio) and Philipp Rösch-Schlanderer (CEO of eGym). Founded late 2017 by Alex Popp and Veronika Riederle, Demodesk is a YC-backed startup that provides an intelligent online meeting tool for inside sales and customer service teams.

KernelCI testing platform becomes part of Linux Foundation project, now supported with funding from Microsoft, Google, Red Hat, Foundries.io, and others. The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced that KernelCI testing platform is becoming a Linux Foundation project. The project by Civil Infrastructure Platform, Foundries.io, Google, Microsoft, and Red Hat, which now join early collaborators BayLibre and Collabora to support Linux testing on the largest variety of hardware platforms. With the new level of support from tech heavyweights, KernelCI will now be able to accelerate its work to test Linux on the largest variety of hardware platforms. Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware.

Sensely bags $15MM in venture funding. Sensely, a digital health and InsureTech platform that modernizes member experience while lowering costs, has closed $15 million in fresh funding for continued platform development and market expansion. The funding includes participation from strategic investors that represent the range of current Sensely target markets in insurance, hospital systems, and pharmaceuticals. Founded in 2013 by Adam Odessky and Ivana Schnur, the San Francisco, California-based Sensely’s platform leverages natural user interfaces to intelligently connect insurance plan members with advice and services. With offices in London and San Francisco, Sensely’s global teams provide virtual assistant solutions to insurance companies, pharmaceutical clients, and hospital systems worldwide.