Civic offers a free identity-protection service that notifies consumers via push notification, text, or email when their Social Security number is used at the time of a transaction. It builds an Identity Protection Network of businesses that collect personal data — banks, financial-services firms, healthcare organizations and background-check companies — and alerts users when partners use their SSN. At launch Civic has background-check partners Onfido and GoodHire and is partnered with TransUnion for real-time credit-report alerts, though TransUnion alerts cannot be pre-empted due to limitations on TransUnion’s side. The consumer product includes credit monitoring alerts from outside its network, $1 million in identity fraud protection, and a 24/7 fraud support hotline; the service is free to consumers while partners pay to join the network and fees are expected to fall as the network scales. Civic plans mobile apps (web live now, iOS imminent, Android next month) and intends to use blockchain technology to decentralize the network to reduce hack risk. The company was co-founded in January by Vinny Lingham and Jonathan Smith, operates a 14-person team in Palo Alto, and is positioned to target a broader market than paid credit-monitoring services.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Jul 2016