iiDENTIFii Appoints Co-Founder as CEO to Drive Growth in Digital Identity Market

iiDENTIFii Appoints Co-Founder as CEO to Drive Growth in Digital Identity Market. South African identity verification company iiDENTIFii has appointed co-founder Marco Wagener as its new chief executive officer as the business looks to expand its operations amid growing concerns about AI-driven identity fraud.

Wagener, who previously served as the company’s chief technology officer, succeeds to the role after leading iiDENTIFii’s technology and product strategy since its launch. According to the company’s board, the appointment formalises leadership responsibilities he has already been carrying out in recent months.

Founded in South Africa, iiDENTIFii provides identity verification services to banks, payment providers, mobile network operators and public sector institutions in South Africa, other African markets and the United Kingdom.

The leadership announcement comes as organisations increasingly face sophisticated forms of identity fraud linked to advances in artificial intelligence. According to iiDENTIFii’s 2024 Identity Index, 59.2% of surveyed organisations identified AI-powered fraud as the most significant emerging identity threat. The company also cited industry data indicating a sharp increase in automated identity attacks.

Wagener said identity verification is moving beyond one-time onboarding checks as organisations seek continuous methods of verifying users throughout digital transactions.

He said the company’s platform has evolved from remote biometric identity verification into broader identity infrastructure designed to support ongoing trust in digital interactions.

iiDENTIFii said it is expanding its platform to include reusable digital identities, verifiable credentials and identity-linked payment credentials in response to growing demand for more secure digital identity solutions.

The company also highlighted wider industry growth, citing projections from Mordor Intelligence that the global digital identity market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.54% over the next five years. It noted that government-led digital identity initiatives are expected to contribute to growth across Africa.

iiDENTIFii chairperson Larry McCarthy said Wagener’s appointment provides leadership continuity as the company enters its next phase of development.