Under Denis Petrov’s leadership, IDScan.net has become firmly rooted in the New Orleans technology ecosystem while becoming an international developer of authentication and information gathering technologies.
Petrov
When the COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for contactless technology, Petrov helped IDScan.net become the leading provider of technology resources to help businesses reopen safely.
Throughout the pandemic, businesses have relied on IDScan.net’s technology to screen people, measure their temperature, log their access, and automatically grant or deny access — all without human intervention.
“In the worst public health and security crisis of our time, IDScan.net remains steadfast in our mission to create a safer, smarter world,” said CEO Petrov.
Petrov co-founded the company in 2008 with Andrey Stanovnov, who now serves as CTO.
IDScan.net’s core technology allows organizations to swipe an individual’s ID and collect information, then verify that information with a high degree of accuracy in seconds.
Petrov, who is Russian, developed a strong interest in the United States as a child, when he and his father would listen to the Voice of America and the BBC on the radio — even though it was illegal in the Soviet Union.
“Somehow we were able to bypass the government’s jamming waves and listen through obscure connections,” he said.
Petrov continued to listen to these types of shows even after his father died when Petrov was 12.
Petrov is also passionate about entrepreneurship. “Growing up in Russia, I would buy novelty items and resell them in small towns with limited access,” he said.
In 1993, Petrov started working at the Krebble Institute to promote democracy and a free market economy in the Soviet Union. It turned out that his boss, John Exnicios, was a New Orleans native.
“When I told John I wanted to go to graduate school in the U.S., he recommended UNO. That’s how I arrived in New Orleans,” he said.
It was in New Orleans that Petrov met fellow Russian Stanovnov and discovered that they had a common interest.
“We’re all fascinated by the fact that American driver’s licenses have magnetic strips on them,” he said. “It made us think about the information contained on this strip and how to capture and use it.”
In 2003, the pair started working on ID scanning, and five years later founded IDScan.net. They started their business in a garage, eventually through The Idea Village and Launch Pad, and then established the company’s global headquarters in UNO’s Research and Technology Park. The company now has 6,000 clients including IBM, Shell, AMC Theatres and Dave & Busters.
One of the biggest opportunities the company is exploring is marijuana legalization and how dispensaries can meet regulatory requirements, which vary by jurisdiction.
As more and more business happens remotely, Petrov believes that identity assurance and verification are becoming more important.
“IDScan.net will continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of our customers,” Petrov said.