Following on from last week’s announcement of a $50 million Series B round, this Research Note examines Alcatraz, which has developed an AI-powered physical access control system that authenticates employees without collecting personal data.  We review the development of the US startup and its flagship facial authentication device, before assessing the likelihood of Johnson Controls acquiring the company. Alcatraz AI Profile Founded in 2016, by Vince Gaydarzhiev, Alcatraz AI, developed facial authentication as an alternative method of checking for tailgaters and as a less cumbersome method rather than badging, fingerprint or iris-based access control systems. In essence, Alcatraz AI replaces the need for badges and security guards as an identification method in commercial buildings and enterprises with high-security needs. The company now positions itself as “the Face ID of securing physical spaces” that aims to provide more secure access control that is completely anonymized. Facial authentication simply confirms that the person walking in is who […]