DigiPalm

DigiPalm is a pre-seed Glasgow fintech building a privacy-first palm-vein authentication platform for payments, loyalty and venue access. It offers customers a fast, secure and optional way to pay and identify themselves in high-frequency venues such as cafés, gyms, hospitality, retail and events, while keeping card, cash and mobile alternatives available. The business is privacy-led, with explicit consent, data minimisation, deletion controls and security-by-design built in.

DigiPalm is validating demand in Glasgow, building an MVP and preparing a controlled pilot with a small number of partner venues. The initial go-to-market targets locations where repeat customer journeys are frequent and faster authentication could improve service flow. The technology roadmap includes integration with biometric-hardware suppliers and regulated payment partners; DigiPalm will not hold customer funds directly.

Growth and ecosystem engagement are central. DigiPalm cleared round one of the First Minister’s StARTUP Challenge but could not attend the second round on 22 July as the founder was in India. The company has engaged with Business Gateway and discussed support with Christine Barlow, Business Growth Adviser at Glasgow City Council.

In September 2026, DigiPalm joined Techscaler as a Discovery member (from 02/09/2026) and applied for the Techscaler Catalyst Programme, entering Round One of its support track. Applications have been submitted to the Scottish Women in Entrepreneurship Fund (SWEF) and the Scottish EDGE competition (up to £100,000 grant/loan for early-stage Scottish companies). Over the next 12–18 months, DigiPalm aims to complete its MVP, run a Glasgow pilot, secure early merchant partners and prepare for a seed raise. The longer-term vision is to scale across Scotland and the UK, creating skilled roles in technology, product, compliance and operations while maintaining a strong focus on responsible innovation and data protection.

DigiPalm was created to address a simple problem: in high-frequency venues such as cafés, gyms, hospitality, retail and events, repeat payments and access can still be slow and fragmented. We are developing an optional, privacy-first palm-vein authentication layer that can make payments, loyalty and venue access faster and more convenient without requiring a phone, card or PIN.

From the outset, responsible innovation has been central to DigiPalm. Our approach considers UK GDPR requirements for biometric data, with consent, data minimisation, purpose limitation, deletion controls and security-by-design built into the product. We plan to work with established biometric hardware suppliers and regulated payment partners rather than holding customer funds directly.

To date, I have completed extensive market research, business and financial planning, and early customer discovery in Glasgow. DigiPalm has also engaged with Business Gateway, Glasgow City Council, FinTech Scotland and Techscaler, and has progressed through the First Minister’s StARTUP Challenge. We have also submitted funding applications including Scottish EDGE and SWEF.

DigiPalm is currently pre-seed and preparing its MVP and first controlled Glasgow pilot. The immediate focus is validating merchant and customer demand, refining the technology and consent journey, and securing early pilot partners before moving towards a seed raise.

Our long-term ambition is to build a responsible, scalable Scottish fintech that creates skilled jobs in technology, product, compliance and operations while expanding across the UK and international markets.

Founder, CEO & Chief Everything Officer, DigiPalm
Dipanshu is the founder of DigiPalm, a Glasgow-based fintech building a privacy-first palm-vein authentication platform for payments, loyalty and venue access. He brings three years of experience working in fintech startups, where he focused on product, partnerships and early customer discovery. He studied across the University of Glasgow, the University of Victoria (Canada) and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), and holds a Master’s in Global Business with Merit. As CEO and “Chief Everything Officer,” he leads product, pilot deployments and ecosystem engagement as DigiPalm prepares its first controlled trials with Glasgow venues.