Alcatraz raises $50 million to expand facial-authentication access systems

Alcatraz closed a $50 million Series B led by BlackPeak Capital, Cogito Capital and Taiwania Capital. The April 2 announcement puts total funding above $100 million, with existing investors also participating.

The company’s Rock device is installed at entry points to authenticate people accessing buildings. Alcatraz markets the system to data centres, airports, energy companies and other organisations replacing or supplementing badges and PINs. It says enrolment is voluntary and biometric images are not stored in the cloud; those are the vendor’s design and privacy claims. The round will fund entry into additional sectors, international markets and hiring. For prospective customers, the product’s appeal rests on how access control fits into existing operations and employee enrolment, as well as the hardware itself.