Alcatraz, a Cupertino, CA-based provider of an AI-powered physical access control system, has raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by BlackPeak Capital, Cogito Capital, and Taiwania Capital.
The round also saw participation from Almaz Capital, EBRD, Ray Stata, and others. The funding increased the total to $100 million.
The company plans to use the funds to enter new industries, expand globally, and hire more people.
Alcatraz makes an AI-powered access system that lets employees enter securely without using personal data. Its customers include large AI data centres, U.S. airports, energy companies, NFL teams, universities, and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, the company saw over 300% growth in data centre use, 200% growth in new business customers, and five times more deployments in Fortune 500 companies.
The problem is that old security systems were designed for a different time. Badges can be lost, PINs can be shared, and traditional biometric systems often don’t work well in real-life situations. But the bigger issue is surveillance, which the industry doesn’t talk about much.
Most facial recognition systems today link a person’s identity to their face and store that data, making them high-risk targets for hackers. Many employees don’t even realise this is happening, and now regulators are starting to pay attention.
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Alcatraz’s solution is the Rock™, a system placed at building entrances that checks a person’s identity using facial authentication as they walk by. There’s no need to stop, swipe, or use a badge—it works smoothly in the background.
The key difference is that it focuses on authentication rather than surveillance. Unlike facial recognition systems that store and match photos from databases, this system confirms a person’s identity without storing images or personal data. It’s like a lock that recognises your key and then promptly forgets it.
No photos are saved, and no biometric data is stored in the cloud. Employees can enrol and delete their data at any time. The system is also built to comply with privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and BIPA from the start.
“We are like Face ID for physical security,” says Tina D’Agostin, CEO of Alcatraz. “Major airports, energy companies, and critical data centers trust us. Our technology uses AI and keeps data fully private. In today’s workplaces, badges and passcodes are too risky.”
“Passcodes and badges were made for the past,” says Ray Stata, a major investor. “Today, companies need security linked to the person, not a card. With Alcatraz, the AI keeps learning and adapting every time an employee enters, instead of using an old photo from day one.”
“We are the only system that secures spaces using facial authentication, not old-style surveillance,” says D’Agostin. “Like Face ID on your iPhone, it doesn’t take photos or store personal data.”
“I saw firsthand how powerful this technology could be when it was built with privacy at the center,” says Gaydarzhiev. “The idea was to bring that same approach to the physical spaces where people work. Now we protect the world’s top AI data centres. If AI is the engine powering the next era of innovation, security has to be the foundation beneath it. This funding accelerates our ability to build that foundation on a global scale.”
“We are the guardians of AI,” says Gaydarzhiev. “The data centers we protect aren’t just buildings. They are the infrastructure that the entire digital economy runs on.”
About Alcatraz
Founded in 2016 by Vince Gaydarzhiev, Alcatraz is an AI-powered access control company based in Cupertino, California. Its main product, the Rock™, replaces badges and old biometric systems with private facial authentication. Its customers include AI data centers, U.S. airports, energy companies, Fortune 100 companies, NFL teams, and top universities.
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