1Kosmos named Gartner leader in identity verification

1Kosmos has been named a Leader in Gartner's 2026 Magic Quadrant for Identity Verification and received the highest product score for workforce use cases in Gartner's companion Critical Capabilities report.

The recognition places 1Kosmos among vendors assessed on tools that verify a user's identity, an area drawing greater attention as companies face more fraud linked to stolen credentials, synthetic identities and impersonation.

Identity verification has traditionally been concentrated at employee onboarding, with organisations then relying on passwords, multi-factor authentication prompts and service desk checks for later access decisions. Security teams are now under pressure to revisit that model as attackers target account recovery, device enrolment, privileged access requests and help desk workflows.

According to 1Kosmos, its platform extends identity verification beyond the initial sign-up or onboarding step to later moments when trust must be checked again. The system combines document verification, biometric matching, liveness detection and credential binding, then links that process to passwordless authentication and repeat verification when risk rises.

Workforce focus

The workforce score in Gartner's Critical Capabilities report is likely to be particularly significant for 1Kosmos because employee identity checks have become a bigger security issue for large organisations. Businesses are dealing with more remote hiring, distributed access, contractor networks and a growing need to verify who is approving sensitive actions in digital systems.

That challenge is expanding further as companies begin deploying AI agents in workflows that can trigger transactions, access data or act on behalf of staff. In that setting, identity systems are no longer only checking whether a login is valid, but whether the person authorising an action is genuine and whether any automated agent is tied to a verified human.

1Kosmos groups those use cases under customer, workforce and AI agent identity. It describes them as Know Your Customer, Know Your Employee and Know Your Agent, reflecting a market shift from one-time proofing to continuous trust checks across different types of users and digital actors.

Organisations can use the same verified identity across passwordless sign-ins, account recovery, service desk validation, device enrolment and sensitive workflow changes, according to 1Kosmos. The aim is to avoid sending users through full re-enrolment each time a higher-risk event occurs.

Broader market

The identity verification sector has expanded as companies seek alternatives to fragmented systems that separate onboarding, authentication and fraud controls. Buyers in regulated industries, public sector bodies and large enterprises have been trying to reduce the gaps that emerge when these functions sit across different products and teams.

That has created demand for platforms that tie together proof of identity, access controls and repeat verification. It has also increased the focus on resisting social engineering and deepfake attacks, particularly when realistic voice or video can be used to deceive service desks or managers during high-risk requests.

Recent milestones for 1Kosmos include FedRAMP High authorisation, wider availability through major cloud and enterprise marketplaces, and more integrations with systems including Microsoft Entra Verified ID, ServiceNow and Epic environments. The company also said it is seeing adoption among global enterprises, public sector agencies and organisations in regulated industries.

Founded in the US, 1Kosmos says it conducts millions of authentications each day for clients including banks, telecommunications providers, healthcare organisations, retailers and technology companies. The business has raised more than USD $72 million in venture capital funding.

Hemen Vimadalal, Chief Executive Officer of 1Kosmos, linked the ranking to the company's effort to centre identity security on the individual behind a digital action rather than the credential alone.

"Being named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Identity Verification is a major milestone for 1Kosmos and, we believe, validates our focus on securing the person or an AI agent behind every digital interaction," said Hemen Vimadalal, Chief Executive Officer of 1Kosmos.

He also pointed to the broader shift in corporate security priorities as AI-related threats and identity fraud techniques evolve.

"Workforce identity has become one of the most important control points in enterprise security, as organizations need to defend against deepfakes, North Korean (DPRK) actors and AI-enabled impersonation, while governing which verified humans are authorizing AI agents to act. 1Kosmos brings certainty into the moments where trust is established and challenged, without introducing user friction," said Vimadalal.