k-ID, a cross-platform global compliance platform that aims to simplify online safety and privacy management for game developers, parents, and young gamers, has secured a $45 million Series A funding round. With it, the company hopes to offer a “first-of-its-kind” solution for age-appropriate gaming.
k-ID, which stealthily emerged in March, was founded with a mission to empower young gamers, was created by Kieran Donovan, Timothy Ma, Julian Corbett, and Jeff Wu, who head a wider team whose experience includes roles at Meta, Google, EA, Tencent, and Take-Two.
The Series A was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Lightspeed Venture Partners, under head of gaming and interactive media Moritz Baier-Lentz. The round drew major support from VC funds Konvoy and TIRTA, identity management specialist Okta, and Z Venture Capital from the Japanese tech leader LY Corporation, bringing k-ID’s total funding to $51 million.
Following an official agreement, the ESRB Privacy Certified program will support game publishers that integrate k-ID into their gaming systems, as it configures parent/family and developer portals to reflect COPPA-based requirements; it will also help publishers use k-ID technology as a way of obtaining the ESRB Privacy Certified Kids Seal.
Kieran Donovan, co-founder and CEO of k-ID, believes the internet is “predicated on the idea that kids and teens are not online”–hence why pop-ups ask if you’re over a certain age–so k-ID aims to offer a “paradigm shift to this way of thinking.”
Donovan explained that, for example, popular games with ESRB Teen ratings (13+) still have millions of under-13s playing them, meaning the implementation of age-appropriate adjustments–such as ensuring under-13s can connect in a child-focused community–can’t take place. k-ID, in this situation, wants to deliver an “age-appropriate experience that empowers and respects that community.”
He said: “The time for change is now—today, the world demands safer, more empowered online experiences for youth.
“The groundswell of support from across the industry has been phenomenal. We are excited to accelerate our mission to bring privacy-preserving, youth-first technology that delivers on the societal imperative of empowering the next generation.”
“It’s rare to find this combination of unique founder-market fit, societal impact, and—most impressively—commercial traction,” said Baier-Lentz, who will join k-ID’s board of directors. “Clearly, k-ID is solving a massive challenge for publishers, parents, teens, and kids worldwide. Embarking on this partnership during my parental leave only made it more meaningful.”
This latest funding round–one of three in nine months–follows another major development for k-ID in 2024. It was selected as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, as part of its annual list of 100 companies, handpicked for their “transformative potential and entrepreneurial spirit essential for shaping a better future.”
