Hopae
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Hopae does
Hopae is a digital identity infrastructure company that operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on Hopae Connect (hConnect), a single API that provides enterprise access to 65+ government-backed electronic identity systems with eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 compliance built in. Founded in 2020 in Seoul by former developers of Korea's COOV COVID-19 vaccination certificate app (43 million monthly active users), the company is incorporated as Hopae S.A. in Luxembourg and has established offices in Seoul, Paris (Station F), Luxembourg, and San Francisco. The technology stack combines blockchain-based decentralized identity (DCI) with selective disclosure via the SD-JWT standard, and the team pioneered the open-source SD-JWT-JS library downloaded over 4.2 million times. In September 2025, Hopae became the first officially registered EU intermediary under eIDAS 2.0 via a partnership with Luxembourg's INCERT GIE.
The company's product portfolio includes Hopae Connect as the flagship verification hub, a Wallet SDK for organizations building eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets, Hopae Auth for federated and step-up authentication, and PlayID as a sub-brand for esports identity verification. Revenue is generated through enterprise subscription contracts (annual billing) and SDK licensing, with quote-based pricing tied to volume and eID coverage requirements. The go-to-market is hybrid: an API-first, developer-led motion complemented by enterprise field sales targeting financial institutions, IDV providers, telecoms, gambling operators, and travel/hospitality companies needing cross-border eID coverage to comply with EU regulations.
Hopae has raised approximately $6.5 million in total funding through a pre-seed from 500 Global (March 2024) and a seed round led by SV Investment with Z Venture Capital and Bon Angels Venture Partners (October 2024), supplemented by a Korea Credit Guarantee Fund facility (November 2024) and a €5 million EU expansion commitment (November 2025). Named customers and partners include Korea e-Sports Association, IATA, Trip.com Group, Datai, INCERT GIE, 1Kosmos, and Identt. The company has been named a representative vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for Decentralized Identity in both 2024 and 2025, and was included in FinTech Global's FinCrimeTech50 in 2026.
Hopae firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hopae
- Legal name
- Hopae S.A.
- Website
- https://hopae.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hopae industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Identity Verification
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Compliance Identity & KYC/KYB for Wallets (on-chain identity, reusable KYC, travel rule tooling) (FSAPACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Smart Contract Wallets / Account Abstraction (MPC/AA, social recovery, paymasters) (FSAPACAB), Account Abstraction & Smart Wallet Tooling (AA SDKs, paymasters, session keys) (FSAPABAK), Smart Contract Wallets & Account Abstraction (FSADACAF)
Keywords
Where Hopae is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Hopae business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- API/Platform Subscription: Revenue generated through API access to Hopae Connect platform, likely subscription-based with usage components. Single contract approach for accessing 65+ government identity systems.
- Wallet SDK Licensing: Revenue from licensing the Hopae Wallet SDK for organizations building their own eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise platform with full eID coverage |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hopae product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hopae provides global digital identity infrastructure through Hopae Connect (hConnect), a single-API platform connecting to 65+ government-backed eID systems with built-in eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 compliance. It also offers a Wallet SDK for building eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets, an authentication solution (Hopae Auth), and a specialized esports identity product (PlayID). The platform is sold as an enterprise subscription with usage-based components to financial institutions, IDV providers, telecoms, gambling operators, and travel/hospitality companies.
Product overview
Hopae is a global digital identity infrastructure company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on two primary products: Hopae Connect (hConnect) as the flagship global eID verification hub providing single API access to 65+ government identity systems, and the Wallet SDK for organizations building eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets. Additional offerings include Hopae Auth for authentication use cases (federated auth, step-up auth, account recovery) and PlayID as a specialized sub-brand for esports identity verification. The platform delivers compliance-by-design with standards including eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hopae Connect: The global eID verification hub for enterprises - connects to global eIDs and trusted credentials through a single, compliant API.
- Hopae Wallet
- Hopae Auth
- PlayID
- hConnect
Products and services
- Hopae Connect (hConnect) Global eID verification hub providing enterprise customers with single API access to 65+ government-backed identity systems. Offers compliance-by-design covering eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, with sandbox and production environments, customizable UX, analytics dashboard, and multi-language support (6 languages). Designed for banks, payment institutions, IDV providers, telecoms, gambling operators, and travel/hospitality platforms.
- Wallet SDK Ready-to-use, accredited wallet SDK that enables organizations to build and launch their own eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets. Built on blockchain-based DCI technology with a lightweight and scalable architecture supporting high traffic volumes while ensuring interoperability and data privacy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6x faster customer onboarding compared to traditional document-based verification
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Hopae
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Hopae technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Hopae partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- IdenttcorePartnership with Polish identity verification provider to integrate services into Hopae Connect interoperability platform for European digital identity schemes. Supports eIDAS 2.0 and AMLR compliance, facilitating access to multiple national eID systems through single connection.
- IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreTechnology partner in IATA and Trip.com Group digital identity pilot for airline booking flows. Testing secure wallet-based credentials from Apple Wallet and Google Wallet to autofill airline booking information. Participating airlines include Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, and Qatar Airways.
- Trip.com GroupcorePartner in digital identity pilot with IATA for airline booking flows. Trip.com Group hosted Airline Global Conference 2026 in Amsterdam announcing pilot Customer ID initiative with participating airlines.
- 1KosmoscoreGlobal partnership to expand access to government-issued digital identities across borders by integrating Hopae Connect with 1Kosmos platform. Enables secure verification of government-backed digital credentials without relying on centralized databases. Combined platform available immediately for enterprise customers.
- DataicoreLuxembourg-based consultancy selected Hopae to modernize KYC processes for financial institution clients across Europe. Partnership enables banks and fund administration companies to achieve up to 10x faster onboarding through single API integration while preparing for mandatory EUDI Wallet acceptance.
- INCERT GIEflagshipPartnership with Luxembourg's public trust infrastructure agency to make Hopae Connect the first officially registered EU intermediary under eIDAS 2.0. INCERT provides sovereign, eIDAS-compliant backend infrastructure enabling Hopae to serve as Qualified Trusted Service Provider. Conforms to Architecture Reference Framework (ARF) requirements.
- KeSPA (Korea e-Sports Association)coreStrategic MOU partnership to introduce PlayID identity technology into Korean esports ecosystem. Addresses player registration modernization, match record management, and tournament operations. Aligned with Olympic Esports Games 2025 and KeSPA's mission to foster global competitiveness.
- OpenWallet FoundationflagshipFounding member of OpenWallet Foundation alongside Visa, American Express, and Accenture. Committed to development and promotion of open, interoperable digital wallet solutions. Hopae contributes expertise in digital identity and SD-JWT standardization.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hopae competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ID.me: US-based digital identity network providing federated identity verification for government, healthcare, financial services, and consumer applications. Highly comparable to Hopae in serving regulated buyers needing government-backed identity assurance, though focused on the US market.
- iProov: Biometric facial verification provider with government-grade deployments including the NHS and border agencies. Comparable to Hopae in providing high-assurance identity verification for regulated and public-sector use cases.
- Au10tix: Identity verification and eKYC vendor with deep deployments in financial services, crypto, and gambling. Competes with Hopae in regulated onboarding, particularly for gambling and high-risk verticals where age and AML verification are mandatory.
- Veriff: AI-powered identity verification platform serving financial services, mobility, and online marketplaces. Competes with Hopae in regulated onboarding, fraud reduction, and global coverage — though primarily document/biometric-based rather than eID-aggregator based.
- Jumio: End-to-end identity verification, eKYC, and AML platform serving banks, fintechs, and gambling operators globally. Comparable in addressing the same KYC drop-off and fraud problems Hopae targets, with deeper enterprise penetration.
- 1Kosmos: Decentralized identity and workforce/consumer verification platform that has a formal global partnership with Hopae to expand cross-border government-issued digital identity coverage. Direct peer in decentralized identity architecture and regulated buyer focus.
- Onfido (Entrust): Global identity verification provider offering document and biometric verification with KYC/AML compliance for financial institutions. Direct competitor to Hopae Connect in serving banks and fintechs with onboarding flows, now part of Entrust's broader identity portfolio.
- Persona: Configurable identity verification platform serving fintechs, marketplaces, and crypto companies with KYC, KYB, and fraud tooling. Closely comparable in API-first delivery model and focus on regulated buyer segments.
Broad incumbents
- Thales Digital Identity & Security: Thales provides national eID programs, ePassports, and identity verification infrastructure to governments worldwide. Named alongside Hopae by SV Investment as a leading decentralized identity supplier; operates at vastly larger scale.
- Microsoft Entra Verified ID: Microsoft's decentralized identity product within the Entra suite, leveraging SD-JWT and verifiable credentials. Directly named by SV Investment as a Hopae peer; offers identity as part of a much broader enterprise platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hopae social profiles
Digital presenceHopae compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Hopae financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hopae leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Hopae funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hopae M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hopae
What does Hopae do?
Hopae provides global digital identity infrastructure through Hopae Connect (hConnect), a single-API platform connecting to 65+ government-backed eID systems with built-in eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 compliance. It also offers a Wallet SDK for building eIDAS 2.0-compliant digital identity wallets, an authentication solution (Hopae Auth), and a specialized esports identity product (PlayID). The platform is sold as an enterprise subscription with usage-based components to financial institutions, IDV providers, telecoms, gambling operators, and travel/hospitality companies.
Is Hopae a public or private company?
Hopae is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Hopae founded?
Hopae was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hopae based?
Hopae is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Hopae make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. API/Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are wallet SDK Licensing.
Who are Hopae's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ID.me, iProov, Au10tix, Veriff, Jumio, 1Kosmos, Onfido (Entrust) and Persona. Broad incumbents are Thales Digital Identity & Security and Microsoft Entra Verified ID.
Does Hopae have an API?
Yes. Hopae offers a Workspace API for programmatic access to Hopae Connect configuration features. The API allows partners to create and manage Applications, enable and manage ID Providers (eIDs), adjust data requirements, policy settings, and environment options. API keys are environment-specific (sandbox, production) and begin with 'sk_workspace_'. Authentication uses Authorization: Bearer header. Production base URL: https://api.hopae.com/connect/v1. App credentials (clientId + clientSecret) are used for Verification API with Basic Auth and OIDC flow. Developer documentation is at docs.hopae.com.
What industry is Hopae in?
Hopae's product category is Digital Identity Verification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPACAL, Compliance Identity & KYC/KYB for Wallets (on-chain identity, reusable KYC, travel rule tooling), with a secondary code of FSAPACAB, Smart Contract Wallets / Account Abstraction (MPC/AA, social recovery, paymasters). Its NAICS code is 51821 and its SIC code is 7370.