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description: The Persona Startup Program is designed to help startups and small businesses grow utilizing Persona‘s identity verification, orchestration, and platform tools to manage Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and stay compliant. Get started with a free trial.
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Identity Verification Tools for Startups and Small Business | Persona
Products
Solutions
Customers
Pricing
Research
Resources
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Products
Solutions
Customers
Pricing
Research
Resources
Verify me
Get a demo
Login
Itaú-Cubo AML Offer: Persona has partnered with Itaú-Cubo to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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TechStars AML Offer: Persona has partnered with TechStars to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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AngelList AML Offer: Persona has partnered with AngelList to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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Next Play AML Offer: Persona has partnered with Next Play to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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Lenny's AML Offer: Persona has partnered with Lenny's to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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Product School AML Offer: Persona has partnered with Product School to accelerate your application process for our Startup Program.
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The best way to grow your startup. Move fast. Build trust faster.
Build your identity program using one of Persona's world-class product offerings and join a cohort of leading startups — all starting at $0.
Apply now
Up to 12 months free
No-cost access to enterprise-grade identity tools with 500 free monthly verifications and $1 pricing thereafter.
Events and founder mixers
Exclusive access to founder events in SF, NYC, and London. Network with industry leaders and startup peers.
Resources to scale
Expert Q&As, live workshops, compliance guides, and one-click KYC solutions to scale your identity program.
Trusted by organizations ranging from YC, a16z, and Sequoia-backed startups to the world's largest companies
How it works
Persona offers a variety of building blocks to solve any identity challenge. We recommend creating an account and applying from the dashboard once familiar with the platform.
Step 1
Create a sandbox account
Explore Persona's full suite of building blocks and guide yourself through the integration process using Sandbox credentials.
Step 2
Choose a cohort and apply
When you're ready, head over to the billing page to select the plan or program that best fits your needs.
Step 3
Set up production
Once accepted, switch to production credentials to begin using Persona. We'll also invite key team members to the Personally Slack community.
Learn about our program cohorts
OPEN APPLICATION
General cohort*
Get off the ground with Persona's most popular products and services.
Highlights
Access to Government ID verification (with optional selfie verification) services
Support via online resources (Help Center, Technical Docs, Persona Academy) and email
Introductions to founders and operators around the world
Persona Academy courses on identity best practices
Eligibility requirements
Operating an incorporated small business or early-stage company with a product or service that's launched or ready to launch
Get started
OPEN APPLICATION
Fintech cohort
Scale your identity operations with Persona's fully configurable platform.
Everything in General, plus
Access to watchlists and politically exposed persons (PEP) reports
Compliance-focused webinars with fintech compliance leaders
Building blocks to support KYC/AML compliance
Exclusive Persona Academy courses on global compliance concepts
Eligibility requirements
For incorporated startups and small businesses in banking, payments, personal finance, lending, or wealth, or partnering with a sponsor bank or carrier
Get started
*The General cohort includes access to the 500 free Government ID (with optional Selfie) verification services each month, with $1 for each additional service. Fintech cohorts have additional access to Watchlist and Politically Exposed Persons reports, with all additional services beyond the free allotment priced at $1.50. For more details on the use of our free products and services offered through the Persona Startup program, refer to
the Startup Program Terms and Conditions
. Falsely misrepresenting your eligibility may constitute a material breach of the terms and may result in termination of your agreement.
Come for the platform. Stay for the people.
We host events where industry leaders meet, share, and grow both online and in person.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is this really free?
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Yes! You get up to 12 months of free access to Persona's core tools, including 500 free verifications per month.
What happens after 12 months?
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After 12 months, your account will be automatically deactivated. To avoid this, you can transition to a paid plan. We'll work with you to ensure a smooth transition and continue supporting you as you scale.
Do I need a credit card to apply?
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A credit card is required to apply or get started, but you'll only be charged if you exceed your monthly quota.
What if I'm already using Persona?
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Current Persona customers aren't eligible for the Startup Program, but we want to make sure we support you in whatever way we can. Contact our team at
[email protected]
to discuss your options.
Can international startups apply?
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Yes! We welcome applications from startups worldwide. Some program benefits like in-person events may be limited to certain geographic regions.
Can I refer another startup?
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Absolutely! We love referrals from our community. Referred startups get priority review, and successful referrers get exclusive perks and recognition.
What type of product support do I get in the Startup Program?
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The Startup Program offers you self-serve digital resources for implementation and ongoing support. Unfortunately, Persona is not able to offer guaranteed support from our Customer Support team for businesses on the Persona Startup Program.
As part of the Startup Program, you'll have complete access to a wealth of digital resources including the
Help Center
,
Developer Docs
,
Persona Academy
, and
Copilot
.
Looking for more functionality, or verification types?
Try out the Essential plan
Our Essential plan includes everything from the Startup Program plus:
API access and real-data testing
Government ID, document, and database verification
Business verification (US only)
Watchlists screening, Crypto wallet and sanctions reports
Starting at $250/month (minimum contract term of 12 months)
Ready to build trust from day one?
Join hundreds of early-stage startups using Persona to grow with confidence.
Apply to the Startup Program
Unsure? Talk to our team
Platform
Dynamic Flow
Flow Editor
Passive signals
Case management
Graph
Workflows
Copilot
Persona Marketplace
Verifications
Government ID
Document AI
Selfie liveness
Selfie recognition
Database checks
Phone & email
Mobile driver’s license
NFC
Risk & screening reports
Watchlists
Adverse media
Profile report
Phone & email risk
Address lookup
Social media lookup
Use cases
AML/KYC compliance
Shareable KYC
Know Your Business (KYB)
Business fraud prevention
Age assurance
Workforce IDV
Background checks
Manual review
Reverification
Industries
Fintech
Marketplaces
Digital health
Payments
Cryptocurrency
Public sector
Financial institutions
E-learning
Higher education
Business goals
Compliance
Trust & safety
Fraud prevention
Global expansion
Resources
Blog
E-books & reports
Webinars & videos
Identity glossary
Help center
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Persona Academy
Verify me
Company
About us
Industry recognition
Events
Early careers
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Partner with us
Security
Awards
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Documentation
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Service status
Featured blog posts
What is Know Your Customer (KYC)?
What is KYB, and why does it matter?
5 pillars of AML compliance
AML compliance checklist
How to incorporate age verification
4.7 via Gartner Peer Insights™
as of August 28, 2025 out of 39 ratings
Read our reviews on G2
Gartner and Peer Insights™ are trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner Peer Insights content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences, and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
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