What Irdeto does

Irdeto is a Netherlands-headquartered B2B digital platform cybersecurity company founded in 1969, currently operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canal+ Group following the latter's acquisition of MultiChoice Group. The company serves three primary verticals: video entertainment (pay-TV operators, OTT streamers, broadcasters, DTH providers), video games (publishers and developers via the Denuvo brand acquired in 2018), and smart mobility (automotive OEMs, fleet operators, EV charging networks). With approximately 1,000 employees across 10 global locations, a portfolio of 454 granted patents, and 400+ enterprise clients in 75+ countries, Irdeto operates a platform-plus-modules architecture delivering multi-DRM (Irdeto Control), forensic watermarking (TraceMark), streaming aggregation (Irdeto Experience), cardless conditional access (Cloaked CA), server-side ad insertion, anti-piracy/anti-cheat/anti-leak (Denuvo suite), and connected vehicle solutions (Keystone digital key, CrossCharge EV charging). The company manages over 2 billion keys and certificates on behalf of customers and has issued nearly 50 billion DRM licenses in 12 months.

Name

Irdeto

Legal name

Irdeto B.V.

Website

https://irdeto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Irdeto is a Netherlands-based B2B digital platform cybersecurity company serving video entertainment, video games, and smart mobility industries with multi-DRM, anti-piracy, anti-cheat, forensic watermarking, and connected vehicle security solutions used by 400+ enterprise clients across 75+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Piracy, Content Protection & Enforcement (MPADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rights Management, Content ID & Anti-Piracy Platforms (MPACABAK), Piracy Monitoring & Discovery (Web/Social/App Store/UGC Crawling) (MPAHAMAC), IP Protection & Anti-Piracy Operations (Copyright/Trademark takedowns) (BPAAALAL)

Keywords

• Digital rights management
• Anti-piracy software
• Content protection platforms
• Connected vehicle security
• Video streaming security

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoofddorp

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Security Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary security technologies including Denuvo DRM, anti-cheat solutions, Irdeto Control multi-DRM, and watermarking to video game publishers, streaming platforms, and entertainment companies.
2. Managed Security Services: Fully managed security services including anti-piracy operations, cybersecurity monitoring, key management, and hosted DRM services with 99.999% SLA.
3. Professional Services: Implementation, integration, and consulting services for deploying security solutions across operator platforms.
4. Middleware and CPE Solutions: Middleware solutions for set-top boxes and connected devices, including conditional access and software integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Irdeto develops and licenses digital platform cybersecurity software and managed services for three verticals: video games (Denuvo anti-piracy, anti-cheat, anti-leak, SecureDLC, Unbotify, and Nintendo Switch emulator protection), video entertainment (Irdeto Control multi-DRM, Irdeto Experience streaming aggregation, TraceMark forensic watermarking, anti-piracy services, Cloaked CA, ActiveCloak, SSAI, RDK Video Accelerator, App Watch, and managed services), and smart mobility (Keystone digital keys, CrossCharge EV charging security, and Keys & Credentials PKI). The company sells primarily to enterprise customers including pay-TV operators, streaming platforms, broadcasters, game publishers, and automotive OEMs through direct enterprise sales, channel partners, and OEM pre-integration.

Product overview

Irdeto offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture spanning three industry verticals: video games security, video entertainment, and smart mobility. In video games, the Denuvo suite (Denuvo Anti-Piracy, Denuvo Anti-Cheat, Denuvo Anti-Leak, Denuvo SecureDLC, Denuvo Unbotify, Denuvo Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection) protects game revenue, player integrity, and pre-release content. In video entertainment, Irdeto Control (multi-DRM), Irdeto Experience (streaming aggregation), Irdeto TraceMark (forensic watermarking), Irdeto Anti-Piracy and Cybersecurity, Irdeto Cloaked CA (cardless CAS), Irdeto ActiveCloak for Media, Irdeto SSAI (server-side ad insertion), Irdeto RDK Video Accelerator, and Irdeto App Watch collectively protect, deliver, and monetize video across broadcast and OTT platforms. In smart mobility, Keystone by Irdeto (digital keys for fleets) and Irdeto CrossCharge (EV charging security) enable secure connected transport operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Denuvo: Anti-piracy DRM and anti-cheat solutions for video games, acquired by Irdeto in 2018
• Denuvo by Irdeto
• Irdeto Experience
• Irdeto Control
• Keystone
• CrossCharge
• TraceMark
• Irdeto Cloaked CA

Products and services

• Denuvo Anti-Piracy Anti-tamper and anti-piracy DRM technology for video games that protects titles from being cracked and illegally distributed, securing launch-window revenue for AAA publishers while minimizing performance impact on players.
• Denuvo Anti-Cheat Kernel-level anti-cheat solution for multiplayer games that operates on the binary rather than source code, integrating without APIs, SDKs, or custom development and delivering real-time cheat detection without impacting in-game performance.
• Denuvo Anti-Leak Pre-release game protection that prevents leaks and unauthorized distribution of games before their official launch date, securing the development and distribution pipeline against insider threats and premature content exposure.
• Denuvo SecureDLC First-of-its-kind technology that protects downloadable content (DLC) and in-game microtransactions against piracy, preventing players from bypassing payment systems to access paid DLC without authorization.
• Denuvo Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection The first industry solution specifically designed to prevent unauthorized emulation of Nintendo Switch games, blocking the emulation ecosystem that enables piracy of Switch titles.
• Denuvo Unbotify Real-time bot detection solution for multiplayer games that uses behavioral analysis and machine learning models to identify automated cheating programs and hardware cheats at the binary level, distinguishing bots from legitimate human players.
• Irdeto Control Market-leading multi-DRM solution supporting Microsoft PlayReady, Google Widevine, Apple FairPlay, and China DRM, with high-availability key management, concurrent stream management with DRM-based heartbeats, geo-enforcement, VPN/proxy detection, and AI/ML-driven anti-fraud management at 99.999% SLA.
• Irdeto Experience Video streaming aggregation platform that enables super-aggregation of content from multiple providers into a unified user experience with personalized search, single sign-on, and unified subscription management, integrated with Bitmovin's Player and Analytics.
• Irdeto TraceMark Award-winning forensic watermarking solution that embeds invisible, distinct markers in video content to track pirated copies to their source, certified by the Cartesian Farncombe Security Audit for robustness against compression, cropping, and collusion attacks.
• Irdeto Anti-Piracy and Cybersecurity End-to-end anti-piracy and cybersecurity service suite for digital platforms covering internet monitoring and enforcement, watermarking operations, live event protection, cybersecurity services, forensic investigations, and legal support to disrupt piracy operations globally.
• Irdeto Cloaked CA Cardless conditional access system for broadcast and IPTV operators that replaces smart card distribution with software-based key management, reducing total cost of ownership by up to 40% while securing premium content.
• Irdeto ActiveCloak for Media Content protection solution that secures against content key extraction attacks, one of the entertainment industry's most significant piracy vectors, by protecting the cryptographic keys used in DRM licensing.
• Irdeto Server Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) Dynamic server-side ad insertion solution that stitches personalized advertisements directly into live video streams before delivery, eliminating buffering and providing a seamless TV-like ad viewing experience while maximizing addressable live ad inventory at scale.
• Irdeto RDK Video Accelerator Certifiable process for rapid deployment of RDK-V-based OTT and hybrid video platforms using pre-certified, reusable solutions, reducing total cost of ownership and time to market for pay-TV operators.
• Irdeto App Watch Data and analytics solution for pay-TV operators that leverages viewer data to create new business opportunities, fight piracy, protect subscribers from malware, and reduce total cost of ownership.
• Irdeto Managed Services Managed operational support across new and legacy video platforms, including customer care portals, technical assistance, and system management to streamline video entertainment operations.
• Irdeto CrossCharge Electric vehicle charging security solution enabling fast, secure, and interoperable charging communications and billing between EVs and charging stations, supporting ISO 15118 Plug & Charge and V2G applications across Europe.
• Keystone by Irdeto Secure, permission-based digital key solution for fleets and vehicles using Bluetooth Low Energy technology, enabling proximity-based smartphone access, keyless vehicle operation, driver assignment and revocation, and remote vehicle preconditioning without requiring network connectivity.
• Irdeto Keys & Credentials Key lifecycle management service that sets up, operates, and oversees Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for connected transport and EV ecosystems, including V2G PKI for the CharIN Plug & Charge ecosystem in Europe, managing over 2 billion keys and certificates.
• Irdeto Broadband Security (CPE) Customer-premises equipment (CPE) security lifecycle management solution for broadband operators, securing home gateways, routers, and connected devices across the broadband access network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced latency significantly after implementing Irdeto Control for DAZN sports streaming
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability6 records

Feature15 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NAGRA (Kudelski Group): NAGRA is the most direct competitor to Irdeto across conditional access, multi-DRM (NexGuard), content protection, and anti-piracy services for pay-TV and streaming operators. Both companies serve overlapping broadcast and OTT customers and compete on comparable enterprise security technology stacks.
• Verimatrix: Verimatrix is a closely comparable peer offering multi-DRM, conditional access, and anti-piracy solutions to video service operators and content owners. Its product portfolio and target customer base directly overlap with Irdeto Control, Cloaked CA, and Irdeto Anti-Piracy, making it one of Irdeto's head-to-head rivals.
• Synamedia: Synamedia is a direct peer in video security and anti-piracy services for cable, broadcast, and streaming operators. Its content protection, piracy disruption, and video platform offerings compete with Irdeto's managed services and pay-TV customer engagements.
• Easy Anti-Cheat (Epic Games): Easy Anti-Cheat is a direct peer to Denuvo Anti-Cheat, providing kernel-level anti-cheat technology for multiplayer video games including AAA launches. Both are positioned as integrated, low-friction anti-cheat solutions for game publishers and compete for the same third-party game security spend.
• BattlEye: BattlEye is a direct peer to Denuvo Anti-Cheat, offering real-time anti-cheat protection for PC multiplayer games, with widely deployed coverage of major AAA titles. It competes with Denuvo on the same publisher customer base and the same technical problem of binary-level cheat detection.
• Trustonic: Trustonic is a direct peer in connected device and smart mobility security, providing trusted execution environments and secure elements used in connected cars and IoT. Its product footprint overlaps with Irdeto Keystone and connected transport offerings as automotive OEMs select digital key and in-vehicle security partners.

Broad incumbents

• Google Widevine: Google Widevine is a broad incumbent in multi-DRM, pre-integrated across Android, Chrome, and many OTT ecosystems. It is one of the three core DRMs supported by Irdeto Control, and competes with Irdeto for direct, non-bundled multi-DRM contracts with streaming operators.
• Microsoft PlayReady: Microsoft PlayReady is a broad incumbent DRM platform pre-integrated across Windows, Xbox, and many smart TV ecosystems. It is also supported by Irdeto Control and competes with Irdeto in the multi-DRM space as a standalone or bundled offering for enterprise content protection.
• Akamai: Akamai is a broad incumbent in CDN, cloud security, and media delivery with anti-piracy and credential abuse protection capabilities used by large media customers. It represents adjacent, scaled competition in the same content-protection value chain Irdeto serves through anti-piracy and DRM.

Others

• Bitmovin: Bitmovin is a technology integration partner whose Player and Analytics suite is embedded into Irdeto Experience for streaming aggregation. While not a direct competitor in DRM or anti-piracy, it is an adjacent enabling technology provider in the same pay-TV/OTT delivery stack where Irdeto monetises its platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irdeto
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IrdetoFuture
• Facebookfacebook.com/JoinIrdeto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/8291
• Instagraminstagram.com/life_at_irdeto

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irdeto