Rebranded cybersecurity firm secures $5m funding and new international client

A newly-rebranded cybersecurity firm has closed a multi-million pound investment round as well as securing a new international client.

Zamna - formerly VChain Technology - has raised $5m in a seed funding round, as well as securing original investor IAG (International Airlines Group) as its first commercial client.

The round saw participation from venture capital firms LocalGlobe and Oxford Capital, alongside Seedcamp, the London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF) and Telefonica.

Specialising in blockchain-powered data verification, London-based Zamna’s platform verifies and connects passenger data between airlines, governments and security agencies.

The new funding will be used to support the wider roll-out of the firm’s proprietary Advance Passenger Information (API) validation platform for biographic and biometric data, which is already being deployed by airlines as well as immigration authorities.

Irra Ariella Khi, co-founder and CEO of Zamna, commented: “For airport security to successfully become frictionless through biometric capabilities, the first step is to have access to 100 per cent accurate and trustworthy passenger data.

“Zamna is delivering on this – built on a ‘privacy by design’ framework, it ensures that airlines and governments get accurate, trustworthy data in advance of a passenger travelling, enabling the traveller can get through the airport without multiple identity checks.”

Remus Brett, partner at investor LocalGlobe, added: “The team at Zamna has built a platform that will play a major part in the future of travel and aviation security.

“With passenger numbers expected to double in the next 20 years, new technology-driven solutions are the only way airlines, airports and governments will be able to cope.

“We’re delighted to be working with the Zamna team and believe they can play a key role in addressing these challenges.”