Ideem Adds $1.2M to their Seed round and Earns a Spot Among Money20/20’s Rising Fintech Stars
Ideem provides an advanced, invisible two-factor authentication solution through its Zero-Trust Security Module (ZSM), eliminating the need for traditional one-time passwords.
Authentication is broken. One-time codes, SMS passcodes, and security questions were never built for the speed and scale of modern digital payments. Ideem is fixing that—quietly, securely, and now with even more momentum behind them.
Co-founded by Toby Rush, Maranda Manning, Tim Massey, and Greg Storm, Ideem, the Kansas City-based fintech just raised an additional $1.2 million, bringing its total funding to $3.6 million. The round includes follow-on capital from existing backers and a new check from Firebrand Ventures, specifically from The Hill Fund, which targets University of Kansas–connected startups. The investment marks a personal full-circle moment for Firebrand Managing Partner John Fein, who first met Toby in 2013, back when Toby was still building EyeVerify (later sold for $100M).
Invisible Security, Global Reach
Ideem’s technology allows users to authenticate a mobile device once—via code or app—and then silently secures every transaction after that. A cryptographic key is split between the user’s device and Ideem’s servers, enabling seamless, one-click approvals without sacrificing security.
The product is already finding traction in markets where real-time payments and account-to-account transfers are common. Customers include the largest bank in Saudi Arabia, a major digital wallet in Pakistan, and a top bank in the Philippines. Ideem is also working with a global bank operating in 100+ countries on a broader rollout.
The team, now 10 strong, includes alumni from EyeVerify and Techstars. Co-founder Maranda Manning previously served as a principal at Firebrand and was Fein’s first hire when he led Techstars Kansas City.
Recognition at Money20/20
The momentum isn’t just financial. This month, Ideem was named one of Money20/20’s Rising Fintech Stars, earning a spotlight for its mission to make authentication both secure and invisible. As Toby shared on LinkedIn, the growing threat of AI-powered fraud makes the need for frictionless, trustable security more urgent than ever. “We’ve always believed authentication should be easy and invisible for everyone, all the time,” the Ideem team posted. “With AI turbocharging fraud, that belief is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s essential.”
From Kansas City to Karachi, Ideem is quietly reshaping the way identity works in payments, showing that the best security doesn’t interrupt, it just works.
Read more on Kansas City Business Journal and LinkedIn
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