The internet was built to connect machines, not people. Its basic architecture maps servers to domain names and uses cryptographic certificates to prove websites are authentic. Yet it lacks a built-in way to bridge the gap between our offline identities - citizen, taxpayer, patient, employee, student - and the digital systems on which we increasingly rely to conduct our economic, civic, and personal lives.
The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report takes us on a trip across various ecosystems in the US, highlighting some of the notable funding activity in the various markets that we track. The notable startup funding rounds for the week ending 9/5/25 featuring funding details for Lead, Lendistry, and Baseten, and seventeen other deals representing $14.4B (not a typo) in new funding that you need to know about.
While large enterprises and small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) operate in fundamentally different ways-from workflows to budgeting-they are united by the common need for a strong, strategic digital identity. Whether you're a founder building your first website, or a multinational corporation managing multiple sub-brands, the business need to establish a solid, secure, and memorable digital identity doesn't fade. A digital identity rooted in a strategic domain name is essential to growth, customer engagement, and long-term brand value, regardless of company size.
Now, new users will be able to use a U.S. passport instead of a driver's license or state ID card in the digital identity proofing process, which requires users to take a selfie for Login.gov to match against their ID photo. Login.gov offers in-person identity checks at certain post offices for some agencies if people can't or don't want to go through the online process.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are redefining content authority previously dominated by traditional search engines. They focus on providing comprehensive explanations and solutions, changing how users interact with information.
Mobile driver licenses (mDLs) are being pursued by the General Services Administration as a significant advancement in digital identity verification, aiming to enhance security and user experience.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs enable a method of proving claims without revealing sensitive information, addressing the limitations of current digital identity systems focused on privacy.
"The Kenyan High Court ordered the project to delete biometric data collected from over 300,000 citizens, ruling that it violated the country's Data Protection Act."
The launch in January of the government's digital wallet "sent shockwaves through the sector," raising concerns among suppliers about its impact on competition and innovation.
The emerging trend of using generative AI tools to create doll-like representations of ourselves carries not only a sense of playful creativity but also raises significant questions around authenticity and identity in the digital age.
