startup passport
UX/UI Design/Web + Mobile App • Marketing Tech/Investment Tech
Simplifying Data-Rich Navigation with a User-First Approach. Read the case study →
THE OBJECTIVE
To create a user-friendly, mobile-first navigation system for GoPidge Startup Passport, making it easier for users to access secure, data-rich features while maintaining trust and transparency.
The objective
40%
SPEED THAT BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Enabled 40% faster due diligence processes — investors noted the centralised, verified Data Room dramatically reduced document review time.
80%
TRUST YOU CAN FEEL
80% of users said the Passport appeared more trustworthy and transparent than traditional social profiles.
95%
SECURE BY DESIGN
95% of beta users felt more secure sharing business-critical data via the Data Room than any alternative they’d used.
THE challenge
Inauthentic "networking" goes nowhere
Connection requests, business cards, and unsolicited emails often lead to frustration and end up in the trash. In today’s noisy world, it’s harder than ever to distinguish what’s genuine from what’s not. Studies show that professional networking can leave people feeling inauthentic and even “dirty,” making it an uncomfortable experience rather than a valuable one.
Organisational
Disorganisation
Startups aren’t just fighting for attention—they’re drowning in data. Between pitch decks, financials, and stakeholder communication, poor information management slows down decision-making and costs valuable opportunities. A survey found that 69.23% of professionals experience stress and anxiety from information overload, making it harder to focus on high-impact work.
Cutting through the crowd noise
Stakeholders across all functions are constantly overwhelmed by an influx of messages, data, and irrelevant information. The problem isn’t just too much content—it’s poor signal-to-noise ratio. With data overload impacting decision-making, startups struggle to stand out and connect with the right investors or partners, making visibility and trust harder to establish.
THE SOLUTION
approach & design principles
Overall Approach
The Startup Passport platform was developed to streamline networking and due diligence processes for startup founders, investors, and partners. In the startup ecosystem, investors spend a median of 20 hours per deal on due diligence, with thorough diligence directly correlating to lower failure rates and higher returns. Additionally, digital platforms have been shown to improve startup performance by broadening market reach and leveraging network effects.
A key challenge was reducing friction in trust-building and decision-making — investors needed quick yet reliable access to startup credentials, while founders sought a structured way to showcase their business information without unnecessary back-and-forth. To solve this, I implemented automated verification flows, built-in biometric security, a secure Data Room, and a structured Passport system, allowing users to share key business details with minimal effort. Blockchain would be utilised to track creation and validity of everything on the platform. I also tackled navigation complexity by using a global persistent navigation for core sections and contextual sub-navigation for seamless movement between workflows.
Key Design Principles
Trust & Transparency – Clear verification flows and structured information hierarchy to build credibility. The Startup Passport reduces time spent on manual verification by 30%
Efficiency & Usability – Streamlined workflows so users could access core features quickly and intuitively.
Scalability & Adaptability – A modular design that allows for future growth without compromising clarity or visual delight.
Consistency & Visual Hierarchy – A refined UI system that maintains professional polish and usability across all interactions.
By automating verification, simplifying navigation, and reducing due diligence time, we created a system that enhances trust, accelerates investment decisions, and facilitates meaningful professional connections, ultimately improving success rates for both startups and investors.
Verified passport
Challenge
Traditional networking is inefficient and inauthentic —connection requests, cold outreach, and business cards often lead to low-value interactions or are ignored entirely. Professionals struggle to filter genuine opportunities from noise.
Solution
The Verified Passport ensures that every connection is intentional and trusted. Users can only connect by scanning each other’s passports, eliminating unsolicited requests. Each connection is backed by verified business, financial, and personal data, fostering transparency and building meaningful, high-value relationships.
Beta-user insights
✅ 70% of beta users said their connections were more intentional and relevant compared to traditional networks
✅ 9/10 users said connections felt more meaningful due to the amount of key information included
✅ 80% of users said that Passports appeared more trustworthy and transparent than social profiles
Data room
Challenge
Startups and investors struggle with disorganised and insecure data management. Critical documents are often spread across emails, shared drives, and outdated systems, leading to slow decision-making and trust issues in high-stakes transactions.
Solution
The Data Room centralises and verifies key business information, ensuring that documents are always secure, accessible, and backed by blockchain verification. With full control over access permissions, users can confidently share data with investors, partners, and stakeholders, fostering trust and enabling seamless collaboration.
Beta-user insights
✅ 40% faster due diligence processes — investors noted that a centralised, verified Data Room significantly reduced time spent on document review.
✅ 95% of beta users said they felt more secure sharing business-critical data via the Data room vs other alternatives.
✅ 80% of investor users reported greater confidence in a startup when viewing their Data Room.
Contact book
Challenge
Professionals often struggle to manage their connections, leading to overloaded contact lists, lost opportunities, and irrelevant follow-ups. Generic CRM tools lack focus and context for networking-driven industries.
Solution
The Contact Book is a personalised mini-CRM, designed for clean, intentional communication. Instead of bloating with irrelevant contacts, it only saves face-to-face scanned connections and maintains privacy through hidden contact details. Users can organise contacts by objectives, categorise them into five key areas (Talent, Finance, Intelligence, Partnerships, Sales Opportunities), and add contextual notes to keep conversations goal-driven.
Beta-user insights
✅ 60% of beta users said focusing on face-to-face scanned connections reduced network clutter.
✅ 72% reported feeling more organised, with better categorisation and clear objectives helping them manage professional relationships better.
✅ 50% of users said they spent less time searching for contacts, allowing them to focus on high-value opportunities faster.
My process
Discovery and Research
We began by exploring the core challenges faced by both startups and stakeholders like investors. Startups struggle with managing and verifying crucial data, while investors often face inefficiencies and trust issues when vetting potential opportunities. Our research highlighted frustrations on both sides, from oversaturated communication channels to unreliable information that complicates decision-making and slows down progress.
Concept Development
We recognized that not only startups but also investors and other stakeholders struggle with trust and inefficiency. Investors face difficulties when vetting startups, often relying on incomplete or unreliable data. This leads to time-consuming, error-prone processes that slow down decision-making. To solve this, we developed the Startup Passport: a tool that provides secure, verified identification for startups and stakeholders and makes authentic connections, benefiting all parties involved.
User Flow and Wireframing
I mapped the seamless journey from data verification to connecting via secure “passport code” scans, and designed wireframes for intuitive features, like a personal CRM and integrated Data Room.
To map out these journeys, I developed user personas and visualised their paths using FigJam.
Design and Prototyping
High-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes were developed to enhance user experience. Features like the Data Room, endorsement verification, and efficient scanning were refined through iterative feedback and usability testing. We used the prototypes to get feedback from potential users to save time and resources.
Development Collaboration
I worked closely with developers to ensure the design translated seamlessly into functionality, prioritizing security and ease of use. Continuous feedback loops kept the experience user-focused.
Testing and Iteration
We conducted rigorous testing to optimize features and resolve challenges, refining elements like data accuracy, scanning efficiency, and user interface based on real-world feedback.We used exit surveys, live testing, workshops and recurring questionnaires.
Launch
The Startup Passport is currently in a closed-access launch with public availability coming in late 2025.