Here's a peek into the top face and image recognition funding and investments this year.

The face and image recognition industry has seen a huge amount of venture capital investment this year, with start-ups in the facial recognition space attracting particularly strong interest through early-stage funding rounds. Selfie onboarding specialist Jumio, for example, announced a $150 million funding round in March; and AnyVision recently raked in $235 million in a funding round led by SoftBank, one of the most prestigious funds in the world focused on hi-tech growth opportunities. Let's take a look into the top face and image recognition funding and investment in 2021.

SenseTime

Amount Raised: US$2.82 B

Transaction Type: Series D

Investors: China Merchants Securities, Wanda Plaza

SenseTime is a leading AI software company focused on creating a better AI-empowered future through innovation. Upholding a vision of advancing the interconnection of the physical and digital worlds with AI, driving sustainable productivity growth and seamless interactive experiences, SenseTime is committed to advancing the state of the art in AI research, developing scalable and affordable AI software platforms that benefit businesses, people and society, and attracting and nurturing top talents, shaping the future together.

Intellifusion

Amount Raised: US$287 M

Transaction Type: Series D

Investors: Green Pine Capital Partners, Zhen Fund

Intellifusion has launched the world's first non-cooperative facial recognition system "DeepEye"​ in the field of public security; the scenario management and business analysis system – "VesionBook"​ in the smart retail field; for urban intelligent computing, data analysis, and industrial testing, it has released the world's leading one-stop AI enabling platform – AI OS. At the same time, based on Intellifusion's state-of-the-art algorithm, chip, and big data multidimensional capabilities, it creates leading algorithms, modules, devices, cloud products, and data analysis services, and a full range of products to empower the AIoT platform.

Standard Cognition

Amount Raised: US$231 M

Transaction Type: Series C

Investors: Draper Associates, Palm Drive Capital

Standard Cognition provides an autonomous checkout tool that can be installed into retailers' existing stores. Standard's technology is a giant leap forward for retailers who want autonomous checkout, but don't want to build new stores to get it.

Viz.ai

Amount Raised: US$52 M

Transaction Type: Series C

Investors: Susa Ventures, GV

Viz.ai uses artificial intelligence to synchronize stroke care, reducing systemic delays that stand between patients and life-saving treatments. It's an innovative way of using technology to transform stroke workflow and patient care. Its suite of AI-powered products detects and alerts stroke teams to suspected large vessel occlusion strokes, as well as completed CT perfusion studies, in their network within minutes.

OJO

Amount Raised: US$134 M

Transaction Type: Series D

Investors: Breyer Capital, Wafra

OJO fuses machine intelligence and human expertise to provide you with personalized guidance as individual as you are. Through a deep understanding of your needs and preferences, OJO delivers tailored support and insights. It has a network of top-rated real estate professionals, and we'll match you with the expert who can best support your journey.

AnyVision

Amount Raised: US$117M

Transaction Type: Series B

Investors: Eldridge, M12

AnyVision is the world's leading visual AI platform company. Tier-1 brands across the globe are using AnyVision's cutting-edge technology to create trusted, seamless experiences for their customers and employees. Its solutions are built to function on any sensor, with any resolution, and are proven to operate with the highest accuracy in real-time and real-world scenarios. The company brings together the best and brightest minds in AI, deep learning, and computer vision to make the world a safer, more intuitive, and more connected place.

Black Sesame Technologies

Amount Raised: US$115 M

Transaction Type: Series B

Investors: Legend Capital, FengHe Group

Black Sesame is experiencing rapid development in the technologies for imaging sensors, machine vision, and vision-based deep learning. It develops image/video processing algorithms and related applications for imaging systems for the market. For instance, the flagship products of Black Sesame are its mobile device imaging solution, AI perception solution for ADAS, and autonomous driving; cost-effective, robust, high-performance face anti-spoofing system; driver verification and monitoring system; automotive vision system.

Microblink

Amount Raised: US$60 M

Transaction Type: Series C

Investors: Silversmith, FinTech Innovation Lab

Microblink is an AI company developing proprietary computer vision technology that creates a better UX and kick-starts any onboarding process. Its solutions eliminate manual data entry in mobile and web apps, so entering personal or payment data in online forms no longer requires having a keyboard, just a device with a camera. Businesses worldwide use its technology to empower their solutions and make them easier and more fun to use. Microblink products have a global reach spreading across identity, banking, government, telco, retail, insurance, and other industries.