A Cupertino-based startup, Alcatraz, founded by a former Apple engineer involved in developing Face ID, has announced the successful acquisition of $50 million in Series B funding.
This investment, led by BlackPeak Capital, Cogito Capital, and Taiwania Capital with contributions from existing backers such as Almaz Capital, EBRD, and Ray Stata, increases the total raised by the company to over $100 million. Alcatraz specializes in AI-powered physical access control systems that authenticate individuals while ensuring no personal biometric data is stored.
Major Clients and Growth
Alcatraz's technology has already been embraced by key sectors, including the world's leading AI data centers, major U.S. airports, energy companies, NFL teams, prestigious universities, and Fortune 100 enterprises. Reporting significant growth in 2025, the company saw more than a 300% year-on-year increase in data center adoption, coupled with 200% growth in new enterprise clients and a dramatic expansion across Fortune 500 installations.
"We are the Face ID of securing physical spaces," Tina D'Agostin, CEO of Alcatraz, claims. "Our solution is trusted by some of the world's largest airports and data centers. It's AI-driven and anonymized, reducing the risk that traditional badges and codes present."
The Challenges of Legacy Security
Moreover, traditional biometric solutions often fall short in real-world conditions
Legacy security systems, typically reliant on physical badges and PINs, are facing scrutiny due to their vulnerabilities such as loss and unauthorized sharing. Moreover, traditional biometric solutions often fall short in real-world conditions and inadvertently focus on surveillance.
"Four-digit passcodes and badges were designed for a different era," said Ray Stata, a major investor. "Enterprises need security that identifies the individual, not just a card. Alcatraz's AI technology continuously learns and adapts."
Alcatraz's Innovative Solution
The company’s product, the Rock™, offers a seamless facial authentication process that verifies identities without halting employees or requiring physical interactions. Unlike facial surveillance technologies, which store and match images, Alcatraz does not record or maintain biometric images, aligning with regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, and BIPA.
D'Agostin emphasizes, "We are unique in using facial authentication for securing physical spaces. Similar to Face ID, no photographs or personal data are retained."
Origins and Vision
Established by Vince Gaydarzhiev in 2016, Alcatraz brings privacy-focused innovation from Apple into physical security. Gaydarzhiev, drawing from his Apple experience, aimed to apply data privacy principles to safeguarding workplaces.
"Witnessing firsthand the privacy potential of technology at Apple inspired us to extend this protection to workplaces," Gaydarzhiev notes. "Given the pace of AI development, robust security underpins continued innovation."
Addressing Security Needs Amid AI Expansion
Amid rapid development in AI technology, there’s an escalating demand for enhanced security at data centers, facilities critical to the digital economy. Alcatraz’s Rock™ was recently certified by Safe Skies for deployment in high-security airport environments, opening new sectors for application.
Gaydarzhiev asserts, "We consider ourselves the guardians of AI infrastructure, crucial for the digital economy. The capital will further our product development, global expansion, and team growth. We anticipate 2026 being another landmark year for us."
A Cupertino startup founded by a former Apple engineer who helped develop Face ID has spent a decade building the alternative — and today announced it has raised $50 million to bring it to the world.
Alcatraz, which makes an AI-powered physical access control system that authenticates employees without retaining any personal biometric data, has closed a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing total capital raised to more than $100 million. The round was led by BlackPeak Capital, Cogito Capital, and Taiwania Capital, with participation from existing investors Almaz Capital, EBRD, Ray Stata, and others.
AI data centres
The company's customers already include the world's largest AI data centres, major U.S. airports, energy companies, NFL teams, major universities, and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, Alcatraz reported more than 300% year-over-year growth in data center adoption, 200% growth in new enterprise customers, and a fivefold expansion across Fortune 500 deployments.
"We are the Face ID of securing physical spaces," says Tina D'Agostin, CEO of Alcatraz. "The world's largest airports, energy companies, and the world's most critical data centers all trust Alcatraz. Our technology is AI-powered and completely anonymized. For the workplace of today, badges and passcodes inherently invite too much risk."
Major biometric security system
The Problem: Legacy Security Was Built for a Different Era - Badges get lost. PINs get shared. Legacy biometric systems often fail under real-world conditions. But the deeper problem, the one the physical security industry rarely talks about, is surveillance.
Every other major biometric security system currently on the market is built on facial biometric technology rooted in surveillance that ties an employee's personal identity to their face, stores that data, and creates exactly the kind of high-value target that attracts breaches. Employees often don't know it's happening. Regulators are beginning to take notice.
"Four-digit passcodes and badges were designed for a different era," says Ray Stata, one of the company's largest investors. "Companies are realizing they need security that is tied to the person, not to a piece of plastic. With Alcatraz, every time an employee walks through the door, our AI-powered technology is learning and adapting — not relying on a photograph taken years ago on their first day."
Stored database of photographs
The Solution: Authentication, Not Surveillance - Alcatraz's answer is the Rock™ — a solution installed at building entry points that verifies identity through facial authentication as a person walks past at normal speed. No stopping. No swiping. No badge to fumble for.
The distinction is fundamental. Facial surveillance identifies people by matching images against a stored database of photographs — the same technology that has drawn scrutiny from regulators, civil liberties groups, and lawmakers. Facial authentication, the approach Alcatraz uses, simply confirms that the person walking in is who they say they are - without storing any photos or accessing any other personal data. Think of the difference this way: facial recognition is a surveillance camera with a long memory. Facial authentication is a lock that recognizes your key — and forgets it the moment the door opens.
Protecting physical spaces
No photographs are taken. No biometric images are stored in the cloud. Employees enroll voluntarily and can delete their data at any time. The platform is designed to meet GDPR, CCPA, BIPA, and other compliance requirements out of the box.
"We are the only biometric system protecting physical spaces using facial authentication instead of the legacy facial surveillance use case," says D'Agostin. "Like Face ID on your iPhone, no photographs are being taken. No personal data is being stored."
Physical security industry
The Founder: From Apple to the Buildings That Run the World - Alcatraz was founded in 2016 by Vince Gaydarzhiev, who led hardware prototyping for iPad and iPhone at Apple during the development of Face ID. He saw firsthand what the technology could do when privacy was built in from the start — and saw an obvious question nobody in the physical security industry was asking: why couldn't the buildings where people work be protected the same way their phones already were?
"I saw firsthand how powerful this technology could be when it was built with privacy at the centre," says Gaydarzhiev. "The idea was to bring that same approach to the physical spaces where people work. Now we protect the top AI data centers in the world. If AI is the engine powering the next era of innovation, security has to be the foundation beneath it. This funding accelerates our ability to build that foundation at global scale."
Mounting regulatory expectations
Why Now: The AI Data Center Boom Has Created a Physical Security Challenge - The timing of the raise is not coincidental. The largest technology companies in the world are spending hundreds of billions of dollars building data centers to power the artificial intelligence boom — and the facilities housing that infrastructure have become some of the most sensitive real estate on the planet. Physical security spending at data centers is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by the value of equipment inside and mounting regulatory expectations around access.
Earlier this year, Safe Skies — funded by the FAA — certified the Rock™ as reliable, secure, and effective for use in high-security airport environments, a milestone that opens a significant new sector for the company.
High-security airport environments
"We are the guardians of AI," says Gaydarzhiev. "The data centers we protect aren't just buildings. They are the infrastructure that the entire digital economy runs on." Alcatraz plans to use the new capital to accelerate product development, expand into international markets, and grow its team. The company expects 2026 to be its strongest year to date.
