RUV Labs Verified
Know who you're talking to
Everyone who posts, sends messages or lists a startup on RUV Labs has verified their identity. Members can add badges for their company, job, education, investor status, revenue and funding, each checked by a person on our team.
Free for every member. Badges are valid for one year.
Identity verification (KYC)
A real person behind every post and message
Identity checks are done by our partner Didit. It takes a few minutes and needs a government ID and your phone or webcam.
Step 1: Start from your account
Choose Verify identity and give your consent to biometric processing. You must be 18 or older.Step 2: Scan your ID and take a selfie
Didit checks the document, confirms you are a live person, matches your face to the ID and analyses the connection.Step 3: Get your ID Verified mark
A check mark next to the member's name and the flag of the country that issued the ID.Example
We never see your ID
ID images and face data stay with Didit. RUV Labs stores the result, the issuing country, the date and your legal name.Up to 3 attempts a day
If a check fails we tell you why, for example a blurry photo or an expired document, so you can try again.Valid for one year
We remind you before it expires. Verification unlocks posting, messaging, Deal Room listings and badge requests.
Badges
Every badge shows exactly what was checked
ID Verified comes from identity verification. Every other badge is optional and free. Feed cards show up to three badges in a fixed order; profiles show all of them.
ID Verified
ID VerifiedGovernment ID, liveness and face match checked by our verification partner.
- How it's earned
- Identity verification (KYC) with our partner Didit: a government ID, a liveness check, a face match and an IP check.
- What others see
- A check mark next to the member's name and the flag of the country that issued the ID.
Business
BusinessCompany registration verified with incorporation documents.
- How it's earned
- Company registration documents, such as a certificate of incorporation, a business registration or an EIN letter.
- What others see
- The company name.
Employment
EmploymentCurrent employer verified by document, work email or LinkedIn.
- How it's earned
- An employment letter, a payslip with amounts hidden or a business card; a code sent to a work email; or LinkedIn workplace verification.
- What others see
- Company and job title.
Education
EducationDegree verified by document, school email or LinkedIn.
- How it's earned
- A diploma, transcript or enrollment letter; a code sent to a school email; or LinkedIn education verification.
- What others see
- The school.
Investor
InvestorRole at a fund or financial institution, or angel investments, verified with documents.
- How it's earned
- Proof of a role at a fund or financial institution, fund documents, or for angel investors, proof of investments such as signed SAFEs.
- What others see
- The investor type: VC, CVC, angel, family office, financial institution, accelerator, PE or other.
Revenue
RevenueAnnual revenue band verified with tax, financial or payment-processor documents.
- How it's earned
- Tax returns, financial statements, a payment-processor report or bank statements.
- What others see
- An annual revenue band only (under $100K, $100K–$1M, $1M–$10M or $10M+), never the exact amount.
Funded
FundedA financing round verified with signed documents or proof of funds.
- How it's earned
- A signed SAFE, term sheet or share purchase agreement, proof that the funds arrived, or a public announcement.
- What others see
- The latest verified round: pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B or Series C+.
Expert Reviewer
Expert ReviewerVerified venture-investing experience; can deliver Expert Reviews.
- How it's earned
- Proof of venture-investing experience and an interview with our team.
- What others see
- Eligibility to deliver paid RUV Labs Expert Reviews.
Document review
Reviewed by a person, then deleted
Badge documents are stored in a private, encrypted bucket that only our review team can open, with links that expire after five minutes.
Step 1: Request a badge
Upload up to 5 files (PDF, JPG, PNG or HEIC, 10 MB each). Hide amounts you don't want to share, such as salary.Step 2: A reviewer checks it
We confirm the document shows the claimed fact and that the name matches your verified identity. Our target is 48 to 72 hours.Step 3: Documents are deleted
Right after the decision, and always within 14 days. We keep only the badge type, the reviewer, the dates and the kind of document.
LinkedIn import
Already verified on LinkedIn? Bring it over
If LinkedIn shows a verified workplace or school on your profile, you can use it for an Employment or Education badge without uploading documents.
Add your LinkedIn profile URL
We give you a short code, like RUV-7KQ2X9.
Put the code on LinkedIn for a moment
Add it to your headline or About section.
A reviewer checks your LinkedIn profile
We look for the code, LinkedIn's verification and a name that matches your verified identity. We don't accept screenshots.
Get your badge, remove the code
Workplace verification earns Employment; education verification earns Education.
LinkedIn's own identity verification does not replace ID verification on RUV Labs.
Read badges correctly
What a badge means, and what it doesn't
Badges are a starting point for trust, not a guarantee. Do your own due diligence before you start a company, hire or invest.
A badge means
- The documents we reviewed showed the stated fact on the review date.
- The name on the documents matched the member's verified identity.
- A person on our team made the decision, not an automated system alone.
- It is current: badges expire after one year unless renewed.
A badge does not mean
- An endorsement or recommendation by RUV Labs.
- That someone is a good co-founder, hire, investment or partner.
- That the facts are still true today; people change jobs and companies change.
- That we checked anything else, such as skills, portfolio items or posts.
FAQ
Verification questions
Is RUV Labs verification free?
Yes. Identity verification and every badge are free on both the free plan and RUV Labs Pro.
Does RUV Labs store my ID or selfie?
No. Your ID photos and face scan go to our verification partner Didit. RUV Labs receives the result: whether you passed, the country that issued your ID, the date and your legal name. Your legal name is visible only to our review team, so we can match it against badge documents. Your profile shows your display name.
How long does a badge review take?
Our target is 48 to 72 hours. Some Employment and Education badges can be confirmed right away with a code sent to your work or school email.
What happens when a badge expires?
Badges and ID verification are valid for one year. We email you 30 days and 7 days before they expire. When a badge expires it is removed from your profile, and you can submit current documents to renew it.
What if the name on my documents is different from my ID?
Names on documents must match your verified identity. If they differ for a legitimate reason, such as a name change, we will ask you to explain and may request supporting documents.
Why does verification affect search engines?
Only members with a valid ID verification and a complete profile are shown to search engines. Profiles without verification stay visible on RUV Labs but are marked noindex.
What happens if someone uses fake documents?
Forged documents, impersonation and fraud lead to an immediate permanent ban and removal of all badges. If you see something that looks wrong, use the Report button on the profile. Details are in our Community Guidelines.
Verify once. Be trusted everywhere on RUV Labs.
It takes a few minutes, it's free, and it unlocks posting, messaging and the Deal Room.