With a global increase in identity theft cases, particularly in SIM swapping cases, Israeli startup Unibeam focuses on technology within a user’s SIM card to provide comprehensive protection against cyber fraud.

SIM swapping identity theft occurs when a fraudster tricks a mobile carrier into transferring someone’s phone number to a SIM card they control. Once the switch is made, the attacker can intercept calls and texts, including two-factor authentication codes, and use them to access sensitive accounts like email, banking or cryptocurrency wallets.

SIM-based identity verification methods can help combat this by detecting recent SIM swaps, verifying SIM ownership in real time with the mobile carrier and pairing the SIM with a specific device.

Unibeam works with both physical SIM cards and eSIMs and provides greater security and protection than passwords and one-time codes, which are particularly vulnerable to cyber fraud.

Instead of relying on guesswork or tracking user behavior, the company uses a more reliable method based on hardware: the secure chip already built into every SIM and eSIM card. By securely linking a person’s identity to elements such as their phone number, SIM card ID and device ID, Unibeam ensures that only the genuine user can log in.

The startup has just raised $6 million in seed funding, led by NFX and joined by AnD Ventures.

“With AI making it alarmingly easy to impersonate people online, we’re seeing a surge in digital fraud that traditional authentication methods can’t handle,” said Gigi Levy-Weiss, founding partner at NFX. “What excites us about Unibeam is that they’re not just improving authentication—they’re redefining it. By anchoring identity to the eSIM/SIM and device, they’ve created a deterministic approach that’s virtually impossible to spoof, offering a level of certainty that’s urgently needed. It’s a powerful new line of defense in the fight against AI-driven impersonation, especially in a world of deepfakes and digital deception.”

“The best security doesn’t just block threats; it gets out of the user’s way,” said Ran Ben-David, founder and CEO. “We’ve built Unibeam to be invisible to the user and invulnerable to attackers. There’s no app to download, no password to remember, no code to enter. Just instant, deterministic identity confirmation, even on the most basic phones or connected devices. That’s what the future of authentication should feel like: effortless and airtight.”

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