Estonia, Technology, Transport

The service is to be launched in collaboration with the virtual identification service provider Veriff.

The manager of Uber Eesti, Enn Metsar, said cooperation with Veriff serves a twofold goal.

"First, it's keeping the platform safe. Conducting background checks on drivers is a time-consuming job. Veriff enables to partially automatize this process without losing in quality," Metsar said. The second goal is to make registration as a driver easier.

"We are testing a solution right now that enables us to achieve these goals. In collaboration with Veriff, we hope to arrive at a viable solution already this year. If the cooperation is successful we see a possibility of continued cooperation also outside Estonia," Metsar added.

Another company that Veriff has concluded an agreement with is Hansapost. Veriff will provide the e-commerce retailer with a service enabling it to better identify customers and conduct background checks.

In addition Veriff is working closely with the Interior Ministry and different electronic registers. Its new service enables users to verify the identity of a person using an online camera, making it possible both for residents and e-residents to open a abank account in Estonia, place a deposit or start a business relationship without being physically present in Estonia.

The investors of Veriff are Mobi Solutions, led by Rain Rannu and Linnar Viik, and the Inbank subsidiary Inbank Technologies.