Smile API Weblog

We're honored to have been included at the annual G20 TechSprint as a finalist in the prestigious global competition hosted this year by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub. This recognition places Smile among the top 15 teams selected from over 165 submissions across 30 countries worldwide. - About the G20 TechSprint 2025 The G20 TechSprint is an international hackathon that seeks out best-in-class technological innovations aimed at common challenges and priorities of the global regulatory and central bank community. This year's competition—the sixth edition—focused on developing solutions to foster trust and integrity in scalable and open finance. As Governor Lesetja Kganyago of SARB stated: "Innovation must drive inclusion, build trust and deliver a lasting impact on our continent and across the world. We are looking forward to solutions that will bring more people into the digital economy and enable cross-border trade." Our Challenge: Consumer-Consented Credit Data Portability Smile API competed in Problem Statement #2, which focused on improving the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access finance through secure, consumer-consented data exchange solutions that facilitate seamless cross-border sharing of credit information. This challenge addresses a critical pain point in emerging markets: the lack of accessible, verified financial data that prevents millions of individuals and SMEs from accessing credit and financial services they need to grow. Our approach aligns with our mission of making credit accessible through innovative financial solutions across Southeast Asia. The Smile Solution: Real-Time, Verified Employment Data Our solution leverages Smile API's comprehensive suite of products to transform credit risk assessment through instant access to verified identity, employment, and income data: Smile Wink: Employment and Income Verification Our flagship product provides detailed, verified employment data—including identity, employment history, income, and liabilities—aggregated from authoritative sources such as government databases, payroll systems, and gig platforms. All data is accessed with explicit user consent captured through our SDK. Smile Snap: Intelligent Document Processing This AI-powered service uses machine learning and natural language processing to extract, comprehend, and contextualize information from employment documents like payslips, then validates this data against authoritative third-party sources. This represents a significant advancement in alternative credit data solutions. Smile Signals: Fraud Detection and Prevention Our friction-free, API-only solution enables swift identity, employment, and income verification without requiring SDK integration or user logins. Key features include: Verification: Matching user-provided identity details against reliable sources with confidence scoring Record Lookup: Detecting fraud signals from third-party databases and public records Multiple Application Warning (MAW): Real-time notifications to lenders about potential borrowers applying for multiple loans Learn more about our complete suite of digital trust solutions. What Makes Our Approach Unique - Unlike traditional credit assessment methods that rely on limited financial history, Smile API taps into the most reliable source of

We're proud to announce that Smile API has been recognized as a finalist in the prestigious Global vLEI Hackathon organized by the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF). This achievement marks a defining moment in our journey to revolutionize digital trust infrastructure across Southeast Asia. On November 7, 2025, our team took the stage at the Hong Kong forum to present our solution alongside the world's leading innovators in digital identity and organizational verification. Competing against international participants, we showcased how Smile API is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in Trade, Supply Chain, and SME Finance. A Global Stage for Smile API's Vision - Being selected as a finalist in a GLEIF-organized competition isn't just another milestone—it's validation from the global authority on organizational identity that our approach to solving real-world business challenges is world-class. What makes this achievement significant: Global recognition from GLEIF, the organization that manages the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) system used by financial regulators worldwide International competition against leading technology companies and research institutions from across the globe Strategic focus validation on our mission to democratize access to digital trust infrastructure in emerging markets Technical excellence confirmation in implementing cutting-edge standards like vLEI and KERI (Key Event Receipt Infrastructure) From Regional Innovator to Global Contender Our journey to the Hong Kong forum began with a simple question: How can we eliminate the friction that prevents Philippine and Southeast Asian businesses from accessing the financial services and trade opportunities they deserve? The answer led us to explore verifiable Legal Entity Identifiers (vLEI)—cryptographically secured credentials that provide undeniable, machine-readable proof of an organization's identity and the authority of its representatives. The Smile API Solution: Bridging Global Standards and Local Needs While many hackathon participants focused on theoretical applications, we built our solution around the pressing challenges we see every day in the markets we serve: Problem #1: Week-long loan approval processes Philippine MSMEs submit stacks of physical documents for basic business verification, waiting weeks for loan approvals while competitors with faster access to capital move ahead. Our Solution: Cryptographically verified organizational credentials that enable instant KYB (Know Your Business) verification, reducing approval times from weeks to minutes. Problem #2: Limited cross-border trade participation Local businesses lack the internationally recognized digital credentials needed to establish trust with global trading partners and financial institutions. Our Solution: vLEI-powered digital identities that are recognized worldwide, giving Philippine businesses a trusted digital passport for international commerce. This practical, market-driven approach resonated with the judging panel and distinguished Smile API from more theoretical submissions. Insights from Hong Kong: The Future of Digital TrustThe Hong Kong forum, hosted by the Hong Kong PKI Forum and Certizen, reinforced our conviction that the lack of simple, standardized, and machine-readable digital identity is a massive bottleneck for local businesses.In the Philippines, MSMEs often strug

We're excited to share that Smile API has been selected to participate in Pitch to Connect, an exclusive invite-only event organized by GCash for Business in partnership with StartUp Village, Bayan Family of Foundations, Bayan Innovation Group, and Manuel L. Quezon Academy. This two-day event brings together forward-thinking startups transforming how Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operate across the Philippines—and we're proud to be among the innovators selected to showcase our solutions. - Why This Event Matters: Empowering MSMEs to Enter Their Easy Era MSMEs form the backbone of the Philippine economy, accounting for over 99% of all businesses and employing more than 60% of the workforce. Yet these businesses continue to face significant challenges in accessing financial services, streamlining operations, and scaling digitally. The Pitch to Connect event addresses this critical gap by bringing together solution providers who can help MSMEs overcome these barriers. Whether through smarter business processes, enhanced digital payments, or elevated financial services, this event is about creating real impact for Filipino businesses. For Smile API, this represents a perfect alignment with our mission: making verified employment and income data accessible to businesses that need it most. Our Solution: Employment Data as Infrastructure for MSME Growth At Smile API, we've built the employment data infrastructure that enables businesses—including MSMEs—to make faster, more accurate decisions about their customers and employees. How Our Employer API Empowers MSMEs: For MSME Lenders: Faster Loan Approvals: Verify borrower employment and income in real-time instead of waiting days for manual verification Better Risk Assessment: Access actual payroll data to make more accurate lending decisions Lower Default Rates: Verified employment data reduces fraud and improves repayment predictions Expanded Customer Base: Serve gig workers and freelancers who traditional credit scoring overlooks For MSME Employers: Streamlined Hiring: Verify candidate employment history instantly during recruitment Simplified Payroll Integration: Connect HR systems seamlessly for better workforce management Employee Financial Wellness: Enable employees to access earned wage advances and financial products using verified income data For Fintech Serving MSMEs: Build Better Products: Integrate employment verification APIs to power lending, insurance, and HR solutions Reduce Operational Costs: Automate manual verification processes that drain resources Scale Faster: API-first infrastructure means you can grow without proportionally increasing headcount This is exactly the kind of digital infrastructure MSMEs need to compete in today's fast-moving business environment. What Makes Pitch to Connect Special Unlike typical startup events, Pitch to Connect is an invite-only gathering of vetted startups with proven solutions. This ensures meaningful connections and high-quality discussions focused on actual implementation rather than just ideas. For Smile API, this event represents an opportunity to demonstrate how employment data connectivity can unlock financial inclusion for millions of Filipino workers and businesses. GCash for Business: A Strategic Partner Ecosystem GCash for Business has become the digital payments backbone for countless Filipino MSMEs. From s

In a milestone achievement for Smile API, our Employer API solution secured first place at the inaugural API Build Lab competition during Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) 2025 held in Mactan, Cebu last October 3. 2025. This victory marks a significant validation of our mission to revolutionize how businesses access verified employment and income data across Asia. - API Innovators The API Build Lab, organized by Concati—a portfolio company of 917Ventures—in partnership with GOAB, brought together the region's most innovative developers and startups. The competition challenged participants to create commercially viable API solutions that solve real-world business problems. Our Employer API stood out among the competition, demonstrating how verified employment data can transform financial services delivery. The solution enables businesses to access authenticated employment and income information, supporting faster loan approvals, more accurate credit assessments, and streamlined HR processes. What Makes the Employer API a Game-Changer - As businesses across Southeast Asia accelerate their digital transformation, access to verified employment data has become critical. Traditional verification methods are slow, manual, and prone to errors. Our Employer API changes this paradigm by: Accelerating Decision-Making: Real-time access to employment data reduces verification time from days to seconds Enhancing Accuracy: Direct connections to payroll and HR systems eliminate manual data entry errors Improving Financial Inclusion: Faster, more reliable verification helps underserved populations access financial services Reducing Operational Costs: Automated verification processes significantly lower administrative overhead This recognition validates our approach to employment data infrastructure and reinforces our position as leaders in the employment data connectivity space. The Journey to Victory: A Two-Week Sprint The competition was no walk in the beach (pun intended). Five finalists underwent an intensive two-week virtual sprint from September 19 to October 2, receiving mentorship from industry experts before pitching their projects live at the Cebu event. Competition Highlights: 🥇 First Place (₱50,000): Employer API by Jan Alvin Pabellon (Smile API) 🥈 First Runner-Up (₱30,000): KIVOE Identity API by Elmer Joaquin 🥉 Second Runner-Up (₱20,000): FRED API by Franczeska Lou Badong - Other impressive finalists included: Lendr API by Gabriel Catimbang (CSGUILD) Student Inference Engine by Christiansen Hermosilla (Chek Technologies) Why This Win Matters for the API Economy APIs are the backbone of modern digital infrastructure. They enable software systems to communicate seamlessly, allowing companies to integrate services like payments, mapping, or—in our case—employment verification without building everything from scratch. This dramatically cuts costs and accelerates innovation. The API Build Lab competition highlighted how Southeast Asia's developer ecosystem is maturing. With platforms like Concati's open-exchange marketplace, winning APIs will be published and monetized, creating sustainable business models for API providers while giving enterprises access to best-in-class solutions. This is exactly the kind of ecosystem needed to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation across the region. At Smile API, we've been building toward this vision for years

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website, a move that marks a major evolution for Smile API. We've been diligently working behind the scenes to expand our capabilities, and our new online home at GetSmileAPI.com is a testament to our new, broader strategy: to provide a comprehensive, unified suite of solutions for end-to-end verification, risk assessment, and onboarding. This is more than just a website refresh; it’s a reflection of our commitment to building the foundational layer of trust for the digital economy. In a world where digital interactions are the norm, we are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to empower you to make faster, safer, and more accurate decisions, no matter your industry. Beyond a Single API: A Full Suite of AI-Powered Verification Products We have repositioned our offerings into a broad suite of powerful, interconnected solutions. We invite you to explore our core product pillars, each engineered with sophisticated AI to solve a critical piece of the digital trust and safety puzzle: Smile Wink: Instant Employment and Income Verification Say goodbye to manual checks and lengthy delays. Smile Wink offers effortless and secure employment and income verification through direct, user-permissioned account linking. It's a frictionless solution that delivers real-time data to speed up credit and background checks. - Smile Snap: AI-Powered Document Verification At the heart of modern verification is our AI-powered solution for OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and data extraction. Smile Snap’s AI intelligently transforms physical and digital documents—like IDs, payslips, and bank statements—into verified, structured, and usable data. This technology ensures high accuracy, significantly reducing fraud and eliminating manual data entry errors. Smile Signals: Real-Time Fraud Detection and Prevention Fortify your business against sophisticated fraud. Smile Signals is our premier solution for real-time risk and fraud detection. By analyzing a unique blend of telecom data, behavioral signals, and email intelligence, our AI algorithms provide a dynamic risk score, helping you identify and block fraudulent users before they can act. Smile Flip: Automated Digital Onboarding and KYC Solutions Accelerate customer acquisition with our all-in-one solution for seamless digital onboarding and KYC (Know Your Customer) automation. Smile Flip streamlines the entire sign-up process, ensuring a smooth user experience while helping you meet strict regulatory and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance standards. Powering Growth Across New Industries with Intelligent Automation Our expanded, AI-driven capabilities are engineered to solve key challenges and drive efficiency across a growing number of sectors. Our new website details how Smile API’s identity verification platform is powering growth: Smarter Lending & Fintech In the competitive lending space, speed and accuracy are everything. We empower fintechs and lenders to automate underwriting and

The 8th Philippine HR Assembly, held in Clark on March 21, 2025, marked a pivotal moment for HR professionals across the nation. This dynamic platform facilitated the exchange of groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions, particularly concerning the future of workforce management. As proud sponsors, Smile Checks was honored to connect with industry leaders and demonstrate our AI-powered pre-employment screening solutions, designed to streamline and enhance the talent acquisition process. A Recap of Key Insights and Discussions The assembly’s comprehensive agenda addressed the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the HR landscape in 2025. The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Mr. Mikel Leroi Balansag, setting a collaborative tone for the day. Following this, Mr. Gil Dela Cruz provided attendees with essential updates on DOLE Compliance and Guidelines 2025, ensuring everyone was well-informed about the latest regulatory standards. Plenary sessions explored critical topics, including Dr. Markrinello Sarical’s insightful discussion on “The Silent Resignation” and strategies to combat employee disengagement. Herrie Rivera delved into the transformative impact of “AI and the HR Revolution,” examining its role in shaping the future workforce. Vonn David addressed the complexities of “Competing for Talent” in a borderless workplace, providing valuable strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. The event also featured engaging networking sessions during luncheon, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. Don Edward Quito’s afternoon keynote presentation on “The Future of Workforce North of Manila” provided valuable insights into regional workforce trends. Fireside chats, featuring Jeff Garcia and Archie Sunga discussing “When Burnout Becomes the Norm,” and Mikel Balansag, Nedy Estrella, and Maria Sumadchat exploring “The Rise of Gig Work,” offered in-depth discussions on pressing HR issues. Brand talks from Talentprobe, Circa Logica Group, Smile API, and the International HR Institute showcased cutting-edge HR solutions, highlighting the latest advancements in technology and best practices. The Executive Roundtable Panel, featuring Jocelyn Manansala, Kathleen Maniti, Jakeson Quiatchon, and Riza Caladico, discussed “The Great Workforce Shift,” providing valuable perspectives on balancing stability and flexibility in the modern workplace. The event concluded with closing remarks, a raffle draw, and further networking opportunities. Smile Checks: Transforming Pre-Employment Screening A significant highlight for Smile Checks was the opportunity to demonstrate our AI-powered pre-employment screening solutions. We showcased how our platform streamlines critical processes, including automated NBI Clearance Checks, digital reference surveys, and automated employment history verification. Our presentation emphasized the efficiency and accuracy of our AI-driven virtual agents, which significantly reduce turnaround times from days or weeks to mere minutes. Attendees were particularly enthusiastic about the potential to eliminate tedious manual tasks and improve overall hiring efficiency. The Smile Checks Advantage For HR teams managing background checks in-house, Smile Checks offers a transformative solution. Automating key screening processes increases efficiency, reduces workload, and accelerates hiring cycles. AI-powered veri