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Tools for Humanity Cuts Staff as World ID Project Shifts Strategy

The iris‑scanning startup said it is changing roles to prioritize revenue, regulatory compliance, new operating priorities.

Overview

  • Employees were told in an internal HR email Monday that the company would change roles and teams and that a town hall would be held to explain the new strategy.
  • Tools for Humanity has struggled to show how its Orb iris scanner and World ID will make steady revenue while also facing regulatory limits and privacy scrutiny in multiple countries.
  • The company has raised hundreds of millions and is valued at roughly $2.5 billion, yet it has verified far fewer people than its 1 billion goal, reporting about 18 million verifications as of April.
  • Several senior security and privacy officers have left in recent months, and the company employs more than 500 people but has not disclosed how many jobs will be cut.
  • The timing of the cuts comes as OpenAI moves toward an IPO and could signal a near‑term operational retrenchment while Tools for Humanity works to resolve compliance, adoption and monetization challenges.