Notarize, Inc. (now doing business as Proof) is a digital trust company that built the leading remote online notarization (RON) and identity-proofing platform to enable legally valid notarizations and identity-verified transactions over web and mobile channels for consumers and enterprises.[5][3]
High-Level Overview
- Concise summary: Notarize/Proof provides an on-demand platform that combines live remote notaries with digital identity proofing and e-signature capabilities so organizations and individuals can notarize, verify, and close critical transactions online 24/7.[5][3]
- For a portfolio-company-style view:
- Mission: Put trust into digital transactions by making notarization and identity verification simpler, more secure, and verifiable online.[1][4]
- Product / who it serves: A cloud-native RON and identity platform (Notarize/Proof) serving consumers, real estate and mortgage businesses, title companies, lenders, and other regulated enterprises that require verifiable notarizations and identity proofing.[5][3]
- Problem solved: Eliminates the friction, fraud risk, and delay of in-person notarizations by delivering legally valid notarizations and stronger identity assurance online, improving convenience and auditability for high‑value transactions.[3][5]
- Growth momentum: Since founding in 2015, the company has been recognized in industry lists and expanded enterprise integrations and fraud-prevention tooling while rebranding to Proof to emphasize a broader digital trust stack.[6][3][7]
Origin Story
- Founders and background: The company was founded in 2015 by Pat Kinsel, who launched the venture after personal friction notarizing documents and previously served as a partner at Polaris Partners and co‑founder/CEO of Spindle (acquired by Twitter).[2][4]
- How the idea emerged: The product emerged from Kinsel’s attempt to modernize a paper-based notarization process and the legal/regulatory opportunity created by remote online notarization laws and rising demand for digital identity solutions.[4][5]
- Early traction / pivotal moments: Notarize grew as the market for RON expanded, earned industry recognition (e.g., Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups list) and later rebranded its technology to Proof while adding identity‑proofing and fraud-prevention capabilities to serve regulated sectors such as real estate and lending.[6][3][7]
Core Differentiators
- Product differentiators:
- Live notary + identity proofing: Combines live remote notaries with NIST/IAM-compliant identity proofing to create non-repudiable notarizations.[3][5]
- End-to-end transaction platform: Offers notarization, e-signature, and identity verification in integrated workflows for enterprises, especially real estate and mortgage use cases.[5][3]
- Developer / integration experience:
- Platform and APIs aimed at enterprise integrations (e.g., lenders, title companies) to embed notarization into closing and transaction flows.[5]
- Speed, pricing, ease of use:
- On-demand 24/7 access to notarial services via web and mobile, reducing scheduling and geographic friction inherent to in-person notarizations.[5]
- Network & compliance:
- Large notary network and emphasis on regulatory alignment and standards (Kantara/NIST alignment called out in testimony) to support interstate and industry acceptance.[3]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
- Trend alignment: Rides the broader shift to digitization of identity and legally sensitive transactions, and the regulatory acceptance of remote online notarization and electronic signatures.[3][5]
- Why timing matters: Accelerating digital commerce and high-value remote transactions (real estate closings, lending, legal documents) created strong demand for verifiable digital trust solutions that are both convenient and auditable.[5][3]
- Market forces helping them: Regulatory modernization of notarization and growing enterprise needs for fraud prevention and remote closings favor platforms that can pair identity proofing with legally valid notarization.[3][5]
- Influence: By standardizing RON workflows and expanding identity-proofing tools, Notarize/Proof influences how title, mortgage, and other regulated industries adopt remote closings and stronger anti‑fraud controls.[3][5]
Quick Take & Future Outlook
- What’s next: Expect continued expansion of the Proof brand beyond notarization into a broader digital trust stack (identity, fraud prevention, transaction auditability) and deeper enterprise embedment with lenders, title companies, and government partners.[7][3]
- Trends that will shape them: Continued regulatory harmonization for RON, heightened demand for identity verification amid rising digital fraud, and enterprise adoption of embedded signing and closing workflows will be key tailwinds.[3][5]
- How influence might evolve: If Proof scales its identity-proofing and anti-fraud capabilities alongside enterprise integrations, it could move from being primarily a RON provider to a foundational infrastructure vendor for legally sensitive digital transactions across multiple industries.[3][4]
Quick reiteration: Notarize (Proof) began as an on-demand remote notarization platform and has been evolving into a broader digital-trust company that bundles live notaries, identity proofing, and transaction infrastructure to make legally critical transactions faster, more secure, and auditable online.[5][3]
