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Digital ID Firm CLEAR Buys Queuing Tech Provider Whyline

The move comes as CLEAR, a familiar presence in airports, seeks more business from public agencies. Whyline, founded in 2015, helps governments, banks and other organizations set up virtual appointments.

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Digital ID provider CLEAR has bought Whyline*, which sells technology that enables virtual queuing and appointments for governments and businesses.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The deal comes as digital ID becomes a bigger part of mainstream life, including via government services and airplane travel, among other areas.

Recent evidence of that trend comes from another digital ID firm, Socure. In late 2021, it announced it had raised a whopping $450 million as it seeks to gain more clients in government and help them prevent fraud.

Meanwhile, Whyline, which launched in 2015, has recently been expanding in the U.S. and Latin America. Its software enables customers to use the Whyline website or mobile app to not only secure their places in virtual lines but also see their live wait times.

The acquisition comes at a time of significant growth for Whyline.

According to the statement announcing this new deal, the company has a presence in such markets as Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, the U.S. and Canada. Partners include the Port of Seattle, Newark Liberty International Airport, Los Angeles World Airports, Charleston International Airport, Western Union, Banco Santander, Banco Macro, Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital and the city of Buenos Aires.

"Whyline and CLEAR share a common mission: to create a better, frictionless future,” said Caryn Seidman-Becker, CLEAR CEO, in the statement. “Over the past five years, the Whyline team has built impressive technology that is helping change our day-to-day lives and routines for the better. With this acquisition, we're helping people and partners spend less time waiting and more time doing what matters most to them.”

The acquisition, according to CLEAR, will enable the digital ID provider to expand into government, banking and retail while also offering virtual queuing inside airports; help CLEAR find its way into more international markets; and leverage Whyline’s technology to boost CLEAR’s own products and platform.

CLEAR said it has recently added virtual queuing at the Orlando International Airport. The company has more than 8 million members and CLEAR Plus lanes at some 40 airports, among other services.

Note: The parent company of Government Technology is an investor in Whyline through e.Republic Ventures.