VerifyAI vs Fantasmo
Comparing VerifyAI's on-device photo verification against Fantasmo's visual positioning system (VPS) for micromobility parking compliance.
Try VerifyAIChoosing Between VerifyAI and Fantasmo
Fantasmo is a Venice, California-based company founded in 2014 by Jameson Detweiler (ex-LaunchRock CEO) and Ryan Measel (electrical engineering PhD). The pair originally built AR games through the Techstars accelerator in 2015 before pivoting to camera-based positioning for micromobility. They raised $2.36M across 3 rounds from investors including TenOneTen Ventures, Freestyle Capital, LDV Capital, and Locke Mountain Ventures. Fantasmo was acquired by TIER Mobility in March 2022, bringing all 15 staff in-house. TIER later merged with Dott in early 2024, and by October 2024 rebranded entirely under the Dott name, operating 250,000 vehicles across 427 cities.
VerifyAI is a modern, self-service photo verification platform with transparent per-verification pricing, no annual contracts, and on-device processing. While Fantasmo requires pre-mapping entire cities with LIDAR backpacks before deployment, VerifyAI works anywhere from day one with no city mapping required.
In this comparison, we examine both platforms across pricing, technology approach, integration complexity, and practical deployment considerations to help you choose the right verification solution.
Quick Verdict
Fantasmo's VPS technology achieves impressive 20cm positioning accuracy, but it requires extensive city mapping infrastructure, is only available as part of the Dott (formerly TIER) ecosystem, and is not sold as a standalone product. VerifyAI offers self-service, on-device verification that works anywhere without pre-mapping.
Choose VerifyAI for a standalone verification API you can integrate immediately in any city. Fantasmo is only available as internal technology within the Dott/TIER platform and cannot be licensed independently.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Switch Labs | Fantasmo |
|---|---|---|
| Per-Verification Cost We Win | $0.008 | Not available (internal to Dott) |
| Annual Platform Fee We Win | $0 | Not sold separately |
| Self-Service Signup We Win | ||
| Available to Third Parties We Win | ||
| On-Device Processing We Win | ||
| City Pre-Mapping Required We Win | Yes (LIDAR backpack) | |
| Parking Verification | ||
| Damage Detection We Win | ||
| Proof of Delivery We Win | ||
| Positioning Accuracy | 99.2% verification accuracy | 20cm positional accuracy |
| Offline Support We Win | ||
| iOS & Android SDK | ||
| React Native & Flutter We Win | ||
| Fraud Detection We Win | ||
| Integration Time We Win | Hours | Weeks-months (requires city mapping) |
| Works in Any City We Win | Only pre-mapped cities |
Detailed Comparison
Pricing & Availability
Fantasmo is not available as a standalone product. After being acquired by TIER Mobility in 2022, the technology became an internal capability used exclusively within TIER's (now Dott's) own scooter operations. There is no public pricing, no API access for third parties, and no way to license the technology independently.
VerifyAI charges $0.008 per verification with no platform fees, no monthly minimums, and no annual commitment. Volume pricing drops to $0.005 at 100K/month and $0.003 at 1M+/month. You can sign up and start integrating immediately without a sales conversation.
If you're not operating within the Dott/TIER ecosystem, Fantasmo simply isn't an option. VerifyAI is available to any operator, fleet manager, or logistics company regardless of their vehicle platform.
Technology Approach
Fantasmo uses a Visual Positioning System (VPS) approach. They physically map cities using the 22-pound Fantasmo Explorer backpack equipped with a six-camera array and two LIDAR pucks. This creates 3D point cloud models of city streets, with distinct visual features packaged into a Camera Position Standard (CPS) format. When a rider ends a ride, they point their phone camera at nearby buildings and signage, and Fantasmo matches this visual fingerprint against its 3D map to determine position within 20cm accuracy — ten times more precise than GPS.
VerifyAI uses on-device AI that analyzes photos directly on the user's phone. The AI model recognizes parking compliance, vehicle damage, and delivery proof without needing pre-built 3D maps of the environment. This means VerifyAI works in any location from day one without city mapping infrastructure.
The fundamental trade-off is accuracy vs. scalability. Fantasmo's VPS achieves centimeter-level positioning but requires mapping every city block before deployment. VerifyAI achieves 99.2% verification accuracy and can deploy globally without any mapping prerequisites.
Deployment & Scalability
Deploying Fantasmo in a new city requires sending mapping teams with LIDAR backpacks to walk every street in the coverage area. For Paris alone, Fantasmo deployed six Explorer backpacks shared by teams working in shifts for weeks, mapping over 1,800 kilometers of streets on foot. Each new city requires this same mapping investment before the system can function.
VerifyAI deploys to new cities by pushing an app update. No physical mapping, no LIDAR equipment, no mapping teams. An operator can launch verification in a new market the same day they decide to expand.
This scalability difference becomes critical for operators expanding into multiple cities. TIER/Dott deployed Fantasmo's AVPS in London, Tel Aviv, Utrecht, Paris, York, Dusseldorf, and Leipzig, but mapping every new city remains a significant operational cost and timeline constraint.
Use Case Coverage
Fantasmo is focused exclusively on positional parking verification for micromobility. It answers one question: is this scooter parked in a designated zone? It does not detect vehicle damage, verify deliveries, or perform any other type of visual verification.
VerifyAI covers parking verification, damage detection, and proof of delivery across micromobility, logistics, and fleet operations. A single SDK integration handles multiple verification needs rather than requiring separate solutions for each use case.
For operators who only need parking zone compliance and are already on the Dott platform, Fantasmo's VPS approach is built in. For everyone else, VerifyAI provides broader coverage with more flexible deployment.
Company & Track Record
Fantasmo was founded in 2014 and operated independently until its acquisition by TIER Mobility in March 2022 for an undisclosed sum. All 15 employees joined TIER. Before the acquisition, Fantasmo had also partnered with Helbiz to deploy parking verification in Miami, demonstrating third-party demand. The combined AVPS system (Fantasmo CPS + Google's ARCore Geospatial API) achieved 98% parking compliance in deployed cities. A TIER study in France, Spain, and Italy had found that GPS coordinates could be more than 10 meters from physical parking bay locations — the core problem AVPS solved.
The Fantasmo brand and technology now exist only as an internal capability within Dott. The fantasmo.io website, GitHub repositories (Fantasmo-iOS-SDK, Fantasmo-Android-SDK), and public documentation are no longer actively maintained for external use. Fantasmo's co-founder Jameson Detweiler became VP of Special Projects at TIER post-acquisition. Meanwhile, competitors like Bird and Lime have independently adopted Google's ARCore for their own parking solutions, bypassing Fantasmo entirely.
VerifyAI is an actively developed, standalone product with transparent pricing and a self-service model designed for third-party integration. For operators evaluating parking verification today, VerifyAI is available as an independent solution while Fantasmo is effectively an internal Dott tool.
Pros & Cons
Switch Labs
Pros
- Available as a standalone product to any operator
- No city pre-mapping required - works anywhere immediately
- Transparent per-verification pricing ($0.008)
- No annual contracts or monthly minimums
- On-device processing for speed and privacy
- Broader use cases (parking, damage, POD)
- Self-service SDK with public documentation
Cons
- Does not provide centimeter-level positional coordinates
- Newer to market with fewer published deployments
- No integration with Google's Visual Positioning System
Fantasmo
Pros
- 20cm positional accuracy using visual positioning
- 98% parking compliance achieved in deployed cities
- Deep integration with Google VPS
- Proven in major European cities (Paris, London, Tel Aviv)
- Centimeter-level geofence enforcement in urban canyons where GPS fails
Cons
- Not available as a standalone product (internal to Dott only)
- Requires physical city mapping with LIDAR backpacks before deployment
- Parking verification only - no damage detection or POD
- No self-service access or public API
- Parent company (TIER) merged into Dott - uncertain technology roadmap
- Does not process on-device - requires cloud matching against 3D maps
- No offline support
Which Should You Choose?
Choose VerifyAI If You...
- Need a standalone verification API you can license independently
- Want to deploy in any city without pre-mapping infrastructure
- Need verification beyond parking (damage detection, proof of delivery)
- Want transparent, pay-per-use pricing without enterprise contracts
- Need to integrate quickly (hours, not weeks or months)
- Require offline support and on-device processing
Choose Fantasmo If You...
- Already operate within the Dott/TIER micromobility platform
- Need centimeter-level positional accuracy for geofence enforcement
- Operate only in cities that Dott has already mapped
- Want integrated VPS built into your existing Dott operations
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready for Verification That Works Anywhere?
No city mapping, no LIDAR backpacks, no enterprise contracts. Just accurate photo verification at $0.008 per check.
Get Started with VerifyAI