Handwave

Handwave is a Latvian biometric fintech company founded in 2021 by Jānis Stirna and Sandis Osmanis-Usmanis, both former executives at the payments company Worldline. The startup provides a platform for payments, identity verification, and loyalty program activation using a simple palm scan.

The company's proprietary technology creates a unique, encrypted biometric ID by scanning both the surface geometry (palm print) and subdermal vein patterns of a user's hand. This dual-authentication method, combined with liveness detection that verifies vein flow, is designed to offer enhanced security compared to fingerprint or facial recognition. Users enroll through a one-time scan via their smartphone camera, linking their payment cards and credentials to a secure digital wallet. At checkout, they hold their hand over a scanner to complete a transaction, verify their age for restricted purchases, or activate loyalty benefits without needing a phone, card, or app.

Handwave operates on a B2B model, targeting retailers and merchants as its primary clients. The business generates revenue by charging merchants a transaction fee that it claims is comparable to or lower than standard card processing rates. The system is designed for easy integration with existing Point-of-Sale (POS) and Electronic Cash Register (ECR) systems, minimizing hardware upgrade costs for businesses. The company serves consumers seeking frictionless checkout, retailers aiming to improve customer experience, and financial institutions like acquiring banks through partnerships.

As of August 2025, Handwave has raised a total of $5 million. This includes an initial $780,000 angel investment and a subsequent $4.2 million seed round led by Practica Capital, with participation from FIRSTPICK, Outlast Fund, and Inovo.vc. The funding is allocated for product development, obtaining regulatory approvals in Europe and the US, and conducting live retail pilots. The company has also partnered with Visa to integrate its technology into the global payment network, aiming to scale its adoption.

Keywords: palm vein authentication, biometric payments, identity verification, fintech, contactless payment, point-of-sale, age verification, retail technology, secure authentication, loyalty integration, liveness detection, POS integration, encrypted ID, digital wallet, merchant services, payment processing, Jānis Stirna, Sandis Osmanis-Usmanis