Secure identity company CLEAR has closed a $100 million funding round to expand beyond its core aviation business.
To that end, investors outside of aviation - including Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments, NFL investment arm 32 Equity and the Partnership Fund for New York City – led the round, which will allow CLEAR to develop safer solutions for its customers and partners in the wake of COVID-19.
Additional backers of the round include new investors Enlightened Hospitality Investments, Liberty Media, LionTree Partners and Michael Jordan’s family office, as well as existing investors BOND, Durable Capital Partners LP, General Atlantic and Revolution Growth.
Recently, CLEAR launched its Health Pass mobile app, which connects CLEAR members’ identities to COVID-related information - including vaccination results – to help reduce public health risk and keep the economy moving.
In addition to travel, Health Pass is being used in sports and workplace environments. The technology links and validates an individual’s vaccination credentials and will have access to the majority of healthcare facilities, pharmacies and state-authorized vaccination centers.
More than 35 organizations are currently using Health Pass, including MGM Resorts, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the National Hockey League and nine NBA teams.
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"I've seen firsthand how powerful CLEAR's technology can be with Health Pass creating safer working environments for our team members at Union Square Hospitality Group," says Danny Meyer, co-founder and managing partner of enlightened hospitality investments.
"And for many years I've experienced the exceptional hospitality CLEAR extends at every touch point. We are proud to call CLEAR a partner and thrilled to be a part of their future with our investment."
CLEAR, which counts more than five million users and more than 55 locations in the United States, links identity with information sets such as passports, frequent flyer numbers, reservations and credit cards. In addition to expanding outside of aviation, it will use the new funds to focus on customer adoption, hiring and technology development.
CLEAR’s Health Pass joins a slew of other digital solutions in the works designed to verify an individual’s health status.
In January, a broad coalition of health and technology companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, The Commons Project Foundation and Mayo Clinic, introduced the Vaccination Credential Initiative, which will give consumers the ability to store their immunization credential in a digital wallet.
On the aviation front, IATA has launched Travel Pass, a mobile app that helps travelers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines; the solution will be rolled out to major airlines in March.
Elsewhere, the “CommonPass” digital health passport - a collaborative effort of the World Economic Forum, the aforementioned Commons Project Foundation and public and private partners from 37 countries - stores and verifies a traveler’s COVID-19 test and vaccination status. Airline partners include United Airlines, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific Airways and Virgin Atlantic.