What BioID does

BioID is a German-founded face biometrics company delivering Biometrics-as-a-Service through the BioID Web Service (BWS), a cloud and on-premise platform offering face recognition, liveness/presentation-attack detection, deepfake detection, PhotoVerify (ID-to-selfie comparison), periocular recognition, and ICAO-compliant passport photo verification via RESTful, gRPC, and SOAP APIs. The company originated from the Fraunhofer IIS research institute in 1998 and was formally incorporated in Nuremberg as BioID GmbH in 2007, with wholly-owned subsidiaries BioID AG in Switzerland (Sachseln) and BioID Inc. in the USA (Carson City). BioID is the first company worldwide to pass ISO/IEC 30107-3 Level 3 (Level C) PAD testing at TÜVIT (100% detection, August 2025) and maintains additional certifications including ISO/IEC 27001, PVID (ANSSI), FIDO Biometric, eIDAS readiness, and ICAO compliance, positioning it as a regulated-identity-grade vendor for banks, governments, telecoms, digital identity platforms, and electronic signature service providers across EMEA and North America.

The product portfolio is built on proprietary AI/deep-learning models trained against decades of biometric data, with the BWS 3 (Docker/Kubernetes-based, JWT-authenticated, gRPC-enabled) deployment succeeding the Windows/SOAP-based Classic BWS by December 31, 2026. Revenue is generated through (i) cloud SaaS subscriptions priced per usage with a 30-day free trial, and (ii) on-premise/private-hosting licensing on multi-year contracts for regulated industries with strict data-sovereignty requirements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is hybrid — a developer-led, API-first motion (Playground, GitHub SDKs, BWS Portal) complemented by consultative enterprise sales. Anchor customers and partners include Digidentity (eIDAS remote identity proofing), IDnow, Comcorp, GLUU, Bundesdruckerei, Deutsche Post, the Federal Criminal Police Office Berlin, A-Trust, Mastercard, and Bosch, with R&D consortium participation through the BMBF-funded FAKE-ID deepfake detection program alongside Fraunhofer HHI.

BioID is privately held and founder/management-owned (CEO Ho Chang, Managing Director Wolfgang Hoffmann, CTO Dr. Robert Frischholz), with no disclosed external funding. With 11-50 employees, the firm operates as a niche specialist rather than a scaled platform, relying on certification-led differentiation, Fraunhofer-grade research heritage, and integration depth with European identity verification ecosystems as primary competitive anchors. The company addresses demand drivers including KYC/AML compliance, EU digital identity wallets (eIDAS), deepfake-driven fraud, and remote onboarding for telecoms, healthcare, and corporate security applications.

Name

BioID

Legal name

BioID GmbH

Website

https://bioid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BioID is a German face biometrics company (Fraunhofer IIS origin, since 1998) delivering Biometrics-as-a-Service via its BioID Web Service — providing liveness detection, deepfake detection, face recognition, and PhotoVerify through cloud APIs and on-premise deployment for banks, governments, telecoms, and digital identity platforms globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biometric Authentication & Identity Verification Software

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Security Systems Services (56162)

akta.pro primary industry

Speaker Recognition & Voice Biometrics (HDAAAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Facial Recognition & Biometrics (HDAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Biometric authentication
• Face recognition software
• Liveness detection API
• Deepfake detection services
• Identity verification platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Sachseln

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biometrics as a Service (BaaS) / SaaS Subscriptions: BioID Web Service (BWS) is offered as a cloud-hosted SaaS subscription with API access. Customers integrate via RESTful/gRPC APIs and pay based on usage volume (API calls/transactions). The service provides liveness detection, face recognition, deepfake detection, and photo verification as modular API endpoints. A 30-day free trial is available. On-premise and private hosting deployment options are offered for regulated industries requiring data sovereignty.
2. On-Premise / Private Hosting Licensing: For organizations with strict data protection, regulatory, or compliance requirements (finance, government, healthcare), BioID offers on-premise deployment of its biometric technology. This is delivered as containerized (Docker/Kubernetes) software部署, giving customers full control over sensitive biometric data while maintaining BioID's security standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

BioID provides a Biometrics-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform centered on the BioID Web Service (BWS), delivering multimodal biometric authentication (face and voice) via cloud and on-premise APIs. Core capabilities include liveness/Presentation Attack Detection (PAD), deepfake detection, 1:1 and 1:N face recognition, biometric PhotoVerify for ID-to-selfie comparison, and periocular recognition — all exposed as modular RESTful, gRPC, and SOAP APIs for integration into web and mobile applications.

Product overview

BioID offers a Biometrics-as-a-Service platform centered on the BioID Web Service (BWS), providing face biometrics, liveness detection, and deepfake detection through cloud-based APIs. The core offerings include: Liveness Detection (patented PAD technology with active, passive, and video modes), Face Recognition (1:1 verification and 1:N identification since 1998), Deepfake Detection (AI-powered synthetic media detection), PhotoVerify (ID photo-to-selfie comparison for KYC), and Periocular Recognition. The platform is available as SaaS (cloud) or on-premise deployment, with BWS 3 as the new Docker-based version and Classic BWS being deprecated by December 2026. Additional offerings include Pic4Pass (ICAO-compliant passport photos), QualityCheck (image quality assessment), BioID Playground (demo environment), and mobile authenticator apps for iOS and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BioID Web Service (BWS) Cloud-based biometric authentication SaaS platform providing face recognition, liveness detection, deepfake detection, and PhotoVerify as modular API endpoints. Available as cloud/SaaS and on-premise (Docker/Kubernetes) deployment, with pure match-on-server architecture. Targets solution providers, banks, telcos, governments, and integrators.
• Liveness Detection Presentation Attack Detection (PAD) service that verifies a user is a live person in front of the camera, preventing spoofing via photos, videos, or 3D masks. Supports active, passive, and video liveness modes. Compliant with ISO 30107-3, certified by TÜVIT including the world's first Level 3 (Level C) certification with 100% attack detection.
• Deepfake Detection AI-powered detection of AI-generated or manipulated images and videos. Integrated into the Liveness Detection API to analyze facial inconsistencies, rendering artifacts, and timing patterns in real time, preventing deepfake-based identity fraud and AI-generated impersonation.
• Face Recognition Cloud-based face authentication API enabling enrollment, 1:1 verification, and 1:N identification as easily as taking a selfie. Pioneered since 1998 and secured by liveness detection, accessible via the BioID Web Service for web and mobile applications.
• PhotoVerify Biometric face comparison service that verifies identity by matching a captured selfie against an ID photo (passport, driver's license). Preceded by liveness detection for spoof prevention. Enables KYC/AML components and ID ownership verification with FAR as low as 0.0001% and FRR ≤1.5%.
• Periocular Recognition Biometric recognition technology focused on the eye and surrounding facial region, used for identity verification in scenarios where full-face capture is limited (e.g., partial occlusion, mask-wearing, surveillance).
• Pic4Pass ID Photo Verification tool that automatically adjusts photos to meet ICAO-compliant specifications for biometric identification documents. Used for online passport photo generation and ID photo quality checks.
• BioID Facial Recognition Authenticator (Mobile App) Mobile application for iOS and Android providing facial recognition authentication with built-in liveness detection for secure mobile access. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of presentation attacks detected (0% APCER) at Level 3 PAD testing — highest ever achieved in ISO/IEC 30107-3 testing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute (HHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Partner in the FAKE-ID deepfake detection research project funded by BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research). Fraunhofer HHI contributes expertise in video/image processing and AI detection algorithms for the consortium.
• Otto-von-Guericke-University MagdeburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Academic partner in the FAKE-ID deepfake detection research consortium. Contributes research expertise in AI and biometric security.
• Berlin Institute for Safety and Security Research (FÖPS Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Academic partner at Berlin School of Economics and Law in the FAKE-ID deepfake detection research consortium, focusing on legal and socio-ethical implications of AI detection technology.
• Fraunhofer IIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioID originated from Fraunhofer IIS, the renowned German research institute responsible for groundbreaking technologies such as MP3. The company's R&D is based in Nuremberg, continuing its deep research heritage. Fraunhofer IIS is featured as a partner on BioID's website.
• DigidentitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigidentity uses BioID for remote identity proofing supporting eIDAS High identities and Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), and is prepared for EU Wallet onboarding and Electronic Attestation of Attributes. BioID provides liveness detection (deepfake detection) and face comparison to automate the identity proofing process.
• ComcorpcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerComcorp has been partners with BioID for over 3 years, choosing BioID as their Trusted Biometric Partner for providing customers with required level of security and fraud prevention technology while ensuring smooth user experience.
• GLUUcoreTechnology or IntegrationBioID is a longstanding partner used daily by GLUU for biometric authentication into their GLUU server. GLUU founder/CEO Mike Schwartz personally endorses BioID's face recognition technology.
• IDnowcoreTechnology or IntegrationIDnow is listed as a partner on BioID's website. IDnow is a major European identity verification platform; the partnership enables integration of BioID's liveness detection and face recognition into IDnow's identity verification solutions.
• Bundesdruckerei GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBundesdruckerei (German federal printing press / government identity solutions provider) is the lead partner in the BMBF-funded FAKE-ID deepfake detection research consortium alongside BioID, Fraunhofer HHI, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, and others. Focus on developing AI-powered deepfake detection software for legislative support and remote identity verification.
• Deutsche PostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in the FAKE-ID consortium with strong interest in fraud prevention through deepfake detection for logistics and postal services applications.
• Federal Criminal Police Office BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in the FAKE-ID consortium with high interest in deepfake detection for law enforcement applications and cybercrime investigations.
• A-TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian trust service provider partner listed on BioID's website, offering electronic signature and identity solutions.
• AKDB (Paritätische digitale Verwaltung)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman public sector IT partner (AKDB) listed on BioID's website, serving Bavarian and other German public administrations.
• Allied UniversalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal security services company partner listed on BioID's website.
• ComputacenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology partner and reseller listed on BioID's website, providing IT infrastructure and solutions to enterprise customers in Europe.
• BitkomminorOthersGerman digital association member listed on BioID's website. Bitkom represents the interests of the digital industry in Germany.
• EAB (European Association for Biometrics)minorOthersListed as a partner association on BioID's website. EAB promotes the understanding and use of biometrics for the benefit of individuals, businesses, and society.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationBioID's cloud infrastructure is built on Microsoft Azure, operating in EU data centers. Azure provides enterprise-grade encryption, threat detection, scalability, and high availability for BioID Web Service.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iProov: iProov is a UK-based face biometrics vendor specializing in liveness/PAD and deepfake detection, with patented Genuine Presence Assurance technology. Direct overlap with BioID across face recognition, liveness detection, and remote identity verification customers in financial services and government.
• Onfido: Onfido provides an AI-driven identity verification platform combining document verification with biometric facial verification and liveness detection. A leading European competitor in KYC/AML and remote onboarding — directly addressing BioID's Financial Services and Digital Identity customer segments.
• IDnow: IDnow is a major European identity verification platform offering video identification, eID, and automated identity proofing with biometric verification. Listed as both a BioID partner and a direct competitor for regulated EU eIDAS/QES identity proofing engagements.
• Jumio: Jumio is a global identity verification vendor offering biometric facial matching and liveness detection alongside document verification and KYC/AML. Directly comparable to BioID in serving financial services, fintechs, and digital platforms for remote onboarding.
• Daon: Daon provides multi-modal biometric identity verification (face, voice, fingerprint) for customer onboarding, workforce authentication, and KYC. Overlaps directly with BioID's multimodal biometric positioning and regulated-industry focus.
• Mitek Systems: Mitek Systems offers mobile identity verification including biometric facial comparison and liveness detection for digital onboarding and fraud prevention. Closely comparable SaaS/API-led delivery model serving financial services and digital platform customers.
• Veriff: Veriff provides AI-powered identity verification with facial biometric matching and liveness detection, targeting fintechs, marketplaces, and crypto platforms. Direct competitor to BioID's PhotoVerify/KYC workflow in digital onboarding.
• AU10TIX: AU10TIX offers automated identity verification and biometric authentication for financial services, crypto, and regulated industries. Featured in techhq's 2026 buyer's guide as the top recommended AI-powered identity verification provider — directly comparable to BioID's regulated-industry positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft (Azure Face API / Azure AI Vision): Microsoft Azure provides Face detection and recognition APIs at hyperscaler scale and is also BioID's underlying cloud infrastructure partner. Represents the broad incumbent threat: commoditized face biometrics offered as part of a much larger cloud platform at lower price points.
• Thales Digital Identity & Security (incl. IDEMIA-adjacent offerings): Thales is a global incumbent in digital identity and security, offering biometric authentication, eIDAS trust services, and border-control biometric systems. Overlaps with BioID's government, eIDAS, and ID-proofing use cases but as part of a much broader portfolio including SIM, payments, and physical access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bioid_gmbh
• GitHubgithub.com/bioid-gmbh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOpQ5unxQJ7-Y_XBRvvdeyw
• Facebookfacebook.com/bioidgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bioid-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/bioid_gmbh

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BioID