Helix: Your Voice is Your New Digital ID

A startup named Helix, founded in 2025 by Alex Oberg, Anna Dorofiyenko, and Mike Hall, is developing voice technology to serve as a secure method for verifying user identities online. This innovative approach aims to replace or supplement traditional methods such as CAPTCHA, which have long been used to distinguish humans from bots. Helix has successfully raised $6 million in funding, led by Chicago Ventures, with participation from several other prominent investment groups.

Helix's core technology operates directly on a user's device, which enhances privacy as it does not necessitate the sharing of sensitive personal information. This on-device processing also allows the system to estimate a user's age. The company is also exploring voice as a biomarker to detect conditions like intoxication or distress.

This voice-based verification system has the potential to combat bot attacks and can be deployed as an alternative to privacy-invasive age verification processes mandated by evolving global regulations. For instance, Zeel, an in-home healthcare provider, is piloting Helix's technology to confirm the identities of its service providers. The startup's co-founder, Alex Oberg, highlighted that their solution provides a rapid, four-second voice challenge as an alternative to trading privacy for security.