Authlete
Authlete provides a headless OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect backend-as-a-service, enabling enterprises — primarily financial institutions — to deploy FAPI-compliant authorization servers and open-banking infrastructure without building authentication systems in-house.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersOtemachi, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Authlete does
Authlete is a Tokyo-headquartered technology company that operates a headless OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) backend-as-a-service. Its core product exposes Web APIs that handle protocol processing and token lifecycle management, allowing organizations to implement authorization servers without building or maintaining authentication infrastructure in-house. The platform supports an unusually broad specification set — FAPI 1.0 and 2.0, CIBA, OID4VCI, JAR, PAR, RAR, DPoP, token exchange, step-up authentication, OpenID Federation, and verifiable credentials — and is delivered through managed shared cloud, dedicated cloud, or self-managed (on-premise) deployments, with a web-based management console and a Terraform provider for infrastructure-as-code workflows.
Authlete is differentiated by its regulatory and conformance footprint: it is OpenID-certified across multiple OpenID Provider profiles and FAPI variants, and holds regional open banking security profile certifications for the UK, Australia (CDR), Brazil (Open Banking and Open Insurance), and Saudi Arabia (SAMA), in addition to ISO/IEC 27001 compliance. Named customers include Nubank (LATAM digital bank), Seiko Epson (manufacturing/IoT, for the Epson Connect API v2.0), and unnamed major digital banks; additional segments include media/entertainment/sports, B2B SaaS, and system integrators. The Nubank case study, in which a fully specification-compliant authorization server was stood up in a few weeks without modifying the existing environment, illustrates the operational value proposition.
The commercial model is subscription-based SaaS: a free tier and a Business tier on shared cloud, plus capacity-based dedicated cloud contracts for enterprise financial institutions. GTM combines product-led growth (self-service free trial, console registration, developer documentation, GitHub reference implementations) with enterprise field sales supported by technical pre-sales for large banks and system integrators. The company has raised approximately US$8M cumulatively across four funding rounds, most recently a ~US$4M Series A in April 2023 from SBI Digital Asset Holdings (part of SBI Group), with explicit use of funds for global expansion and new product development.
Authlete firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Authlete
- Legal name
- Authlete, Inc.
- Website
- https://authlete.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Authlete provides a headless OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect backend-as-a-service, enabling enterprises — primarily financial institutions — to deploy FAPI-compliant authorization servers and open-banking infrastructure without building authentication systems in-house.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Authlete industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Identity and Access Management Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Identity & Access Management Infrastructure (IAM/IdP/MFA) (HDABAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Federation & Identity Standards (SAML/OIDC/OAuth, Federation Hubs) (HDADAAAG), Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (SAML/OIDC, Identity Providers) (HDAEAJAB), Open Banking APIs & Connectivity (FSAMAFAA)
Keywords
Where Authlete is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Otemachi
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Authlete business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription - Shared Cloud: Monthly or annual subscription for managed shared cloud deployments. Pricing is tiered by plan (Free, Business) with rate limits per service. Users pay a recurring fee based on their selected plan tier.
- SaaS Subscription - Dedicated Cloud: Enterprise-grade dedicated cloud deployments with contracted capacity (e.g., specific RPS limits). Provides guaranteed performance and SLA with pricing based on contracted capacity.
- Self-Managed / On-Premise License: Self-managed deployments where customers operate Authlete infrastructure on their own. Revenue model may include licensing fees and professional services for implementation and support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Free plan with 5 RPS per service on shared cloud |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business plan with 20 RPS per service on shared cloud |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Dedicated Cloud with contracted capacity for enterprise deployments |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Authlete product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Authlete provides a headless OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) backend-as-a-service that handles protocol operations, token lifecycle management, and standards conformance for organizations building authorization servers. The service exposes Web APIs that process OAuth/OIDC requests and manage access tokens end-to-end, available through managed shared cloud, dedicated cloud, and self-managed deployment models.
Product overview
Authlete offers a headless OAuth/OpenID Connect backend service that enables organizations to implement authorization servers by delegating OAuth 2.0/OIDC protocol operations and token management. The core product is the Headless OAuth/OIDC Engine, complemented by a Management Console for service and client configuration, a Terraform Provider for Infrastructure-as-Code management, API Reference Documentation with an API Explorer, and developer tools including the JWK Generator (mkjwk.org) and JOSE Generator (mkjose.org). The platform supports managed shared cloud, dedicated cloud, and self-managed deployment options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Headless OAuth/OIDC Engine Authlete's core backend-as-a-service that offloads OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect protocol operations and token lifecycle management via Web APIs. Enables organizations building authorization servers and OpenID Providers to delegate protocol processing and token storage to Authlete, supporting managed shared cloud, dedicated cloud, and self-managed deployment models.
- Authlete Terraform Provider An open-source Infrastructure-as-Code provider for managing Authlete services, OAuth/OIDC clients, and cryptographic keys through Terraform configurations. Supports service creation, client management, and key rotation workflows for DevOps and platform engineering teams.
- JWK Generator (mkjwk.org) A free online developer tool that generates random JSON Web Keys (JWKs) for use in OAuth/OIDC servers, JWT signing, and related cryptographic operations. Used by developers implementing OAuth and OpenID Connect systems.
- JOSE Generator (mkjose.org) A free online developer tool that generates JOSE (JSON Object Signing and Encryption) objects from given payloads and JWK keys, supporting JWS, JWE, and JWT structures for OAuth/OIDC implementations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nubank implemented a fully specification-compliant authorization server in just a few weeks using Authlete.
Companies that use Authlete
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Authlete technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature8 records
Authlete partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Seiko EpsoncoreAuthlete partnered with Seiko Epson to implement OAuth and OpenID Connect security standards for the Epson Connect API Version 2.0, enabling device-specific access control for remote printing and scanning services. Seiko Epson selected Authlete after determining that building an in-house OAuth server would be impractical and that existing IDaaS solutions could not meet their device-level authorization requirements. The partnership allows Seiko Epson to leverage Authlete's API for OAuth protocol processing and token lifecycle management while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Authlete competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Okta: Okta is a leading cloud identity platform offering OAuth/OIDC, SSO, and CIAM as part of a broad IDaaS suite. Directly comparable as an OAuth/OIDC backend provider for enterprise customers, though it competes via a full-suite model rather than Authlete's headless approach.
- Auth0 (Okta): Auth0 provides OAuth/OIDC and authentication APIs with a developer-first model, very similar to Authlete's positioning. It competes in the same developer-led segment but offers more end-to-end identity features (user stores, MFA, hosted login) versus Authlete's headless engine.
- Ping Identity: Ping Identity (now combined with ForgeRock) provides enterprise IAM including OAuth/OIDC authorization servers, FAPI support, and Open Banking certifications. Comparable as an OAuth/OIDC backend provider to financial institutions, with broader CIAM and directory capabilities.
- Amazon Cognito: Amazon Cognito is AWS's managed identity service providing OAuth 2.0/OIDC-based user pools and identity pools. Competes with Authlete at the OAuth/OIDC backend layer for AWS-centric customers, with the advantage of native cloud integration and bundled AWS pricing.
- Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) provides OAuth 2.0/OIDC, SSO, and CIAM at massive enterprise scale. A broad incumbent competing with Authlete for enterprise authorization server workloads, though typically as part of broader Microsoft ecosystem deals.
Direct peers
- Curity: Curity is a specialist OAuth/OIDC and API security vendor offering a programmable identity server with strong financial-grade and Open Banking support. Closely comparable to Authlete in product scope, target verticals (financial services), and deployment model.
- WSO2 Identity Server: WSO2 Identity Server is an open-source API-driven IAM platform supporting OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SSO, and Open Banking profiles. Directly comparable to Authlete in API-first design, financial-grade certifications, and deployment flexibility.
Emerging players
- Ory: Ory provides open-source and cloud-native identity infrastructure (Hydra for OAuth/OIDC, Kratos for identities, Oathkeeper for authorization). Directly competes with Authlete at the OAuth/OIDC infrastructure layer, with an open-source-first go-to-market that contrasts with Authlete's commercial BaaS model.
- Keycloak (Red Hat): Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution supporting OAuth 2.0, OIDC, and SSO. Competes with Authlete as a self-managed alternative for organizations building authorization servers, particularly attractive to cost-sensitive or cloud-native deployments.
- Gluu: Gluu is an open-source identity and access management platform with strong OAuth/OIDC and Open Banking support. Comparable as an OAuth/OIDC backend alternative, especially for self-hosted enterprise deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Authlete social profiles
Digital presenceAuthlete compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Authlete financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Authlete leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Authlete funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Authlete 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 Authlete
What does Authlete do?
Authlete provides a headless OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) backend-as-a-service that handles protocol operations, token lifecycle management, and standards conformance for organizations building authorization servers. The service exposes Web APIs that process OAuth/OIDC requests and manage access tokens end-to-end, available through managed shared cloud, dedicated cloud, and self-managed deployment models.
Is Authlete a public or private company?
Authlete is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Authlete founded?
Authlete was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Authlete based?
Authlete is headquartered in Otemachi, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Authlete make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription - Shared Cloud is the primary driver. The others are saaS Subscription - Dedicated Cloud and self-Managed / On-Premise License.
Who are Authlete's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Okta, Auth0 (Okta), Ping Identity, Amazon Cognito and Microsoft Entra ID. Direct peers are Curity and WSO2 Identity Server. Emerging players are Ory, Keycloak (Red Hat) and Gluu.
Does Authlete have an API?
Yes. Authlete provides a set of Web APIs for implementing OAuth 2.0 authorization servers and/or OpenID Connect identity providers. The APIs handle OAuth/OIDC protocol processing, token lifecycle management, and token storage. Available via REST API on managed shared or dedicated cloud, or self-managed deployments. Documentation and API Explorer available at docs.authlete.com. Multiple versions maintained: v3.0 (active development), v2.3 (LTS), v2.2 (legacy grace period until March 2027). Developer documentation is at docs.authlete.com.
What industry is Authlete in?
Authlete's product category is Identity and Access Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAHAF, Cloud Identity & Access Management Infrastructure (IAM/IdP/MFA), with a secondary code of HDADAAAG, Federation & Identity Standards (SAML/OIDC/OAuth, Federation Hubs). Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7372.