Canadian Bank Note Company

What Canadian Bank Note Company does

Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited (CBN) is a privately held Canadian secure-technology company founded in 1897 and headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. The company designs, produces, and operates secure solutions for central banks and government agencies across 75+ jurisdictions, organized into six product lines: Currency Solutions (banknote design, production, security features, and supply chain management); Border Security (travel document readers and border management software, introduced in 1995); Driver & Vehicle Solutions (license and registration systems); Civil Identification (civil registries, residency/citizenship data, electoral identification, national IDs); Excise Control (physical and digital product tracking to combat illicit trade and protect tax revenue); and Lottery & Gaming (lottery systems, iGaming, charitable gaming, VLT platforms). Underlying technology includes proprietary anti-counterfeiting features such as embedded holograms and tactile marks, biometric identity verification, and integrated software platforms supporting mission-critical government workflows.

CBN employs more than 2,000 specialized professionals globally, including engineers, designers, systems architects, security-cleared personnel, production specialists, and software developers. The company monetizes primarily through enterprise government contracts — including one-time currency production agreements, professional services for identity program implementation, and managed services for lottery and excise control operations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per contract scope. CBN serves 250+ government partnerships and has delivered 100+ secure ID and issuance programs globally.

The company is controlled by the Arends family (with Doug Arends as Chairman since 1976), led operationally by CEO Marilou Robinson, and pursues growth through the CBN | DLR Identity Group joint venture with De La Rue (passport and identity solutions), the BUMP Worldwide charitable gaming platform acquired in 2021, wholly-owned Caribbean lottery operating entities, and a Commercial Solutions arm extending secure-document capabilities beyond government buyers. The firm has been the printer of Canada's banknotes since 1935 and maintains manufacturing and design capabilities in-house.

Name

Canadian Bank Note Company

Legal name

Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited

Website

https://cbnco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Canadian Bank Note Company is a privately held Ottawa-based secure-technology firm founded in 1897 that designs, produces, and operates banknotes, identity documents, border, driver, civil identification, excise control, and lottery systems for central banks and government agencies across 75+ jurisdictions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secure Document and Identity Solutions

NAICS

Monetary Authorities-Central Bank (521110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Banking & Ledger Systems (Cloud Core, Deposits, Accounts) (FSAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deposit Operations (Account Maintenance, Fees, Reconciliations) (FSABALAE)

Keywords

• Banknote printing services
• Government identity solutions
• Border security systems
• Lottery operations management
• Excise control solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Currency Solutions: Design, production, and distribution of banknotes for central banks and monetary authorities, including security features, substrate selection, printing, and lifecycle management
2. Identity & Security Solutions: Government ID programs including passports, visas, ID cards, civil registries, and border security systems
3. Lottery & Gaming Operations: Design, launch, and management of lottery and gaming systems for governments and charitable organizations
4. Excise Control Solutions: Secure supply chain visibility and product tracking solutions for governments to control excise products

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Canadian Bank Note Company designs, produces, and delivers secure technology solutions for governments and central banks worldwide. Its portfolio spans six core lines: banknote design and production with advanced security features, integrated border management and travel document reader systems, driver's license and vehicle registration credentials, civil identification and national ID systems, excise control supply-chain tracking, and full lottery and gaming operations. The company combines in-house manufacturing capabilities with proprietary software platforms to deliver end-to-end secure identity, currency, and compliance programs to public-sector clients in over 75 jurisdictions.

Product overview

Canadian Bank Note Company (CBN) provides a comprehensive portfolio of secure technology solutions for governments worldwide. The company's offerings include six core product lines: Currency Solutions (bank note design, production, and security), Border Security (travel document readers and border management), Driver & Vehicle Solutions (licensing and registration systems), Civil Identification (national ID, civil registries, electoral ID), Excise Control (supply chain tracking and tax revenue protection), and Lottery & Gaming (lottery systems, iGaming, charitable gaming). CBN operates through its CBN | DLR Identity Group joint venture with De La Rue for passport solutions, its BUMP acquired brand for charitable gaming fundraising, and CBN Commercial Solutions for commercial market expansion. The company also provides end-to-end services from design through production and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ secure government ID and issuance programs delivered globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DLR Identity Group (De La Rue)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBN | DLR Identity Group is a joint venture between Canadian Bank Note Company and De La Rue, focused on delivering secure identity and passport solutions to governments worldwide. Mark Houlton serves as CEO of the joint venture, leading strategic direction and commercial growth for large-scale national identity and travel document programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• De La Rue: UK-based global security printer producing banknotes, identity documents, and passports. Direct competitor across CBN's core currency and identity product lines, and the partner in the CBN | DLR Identity Group joint venture for passport solutions.
• Giesecke+Devrient (G+D): German family-owned security technology company producing banknotes, identity documents, and payment cards. Closest analog to CBN in business model, ownership structure, and product breadth spanning currency through digital identity.
• IDEMIA: French-headquartered identity and biometric solutions provider serving government ID, border management, and banking sectors. Direct competitor in biometric identity verification, national ID programs, and border document readers.
• Crane NXT: US-listed specialist in currency authentication, micro-optics, and secure document features. Direct competitor in advanced banknote security technology including the type of holograms and substrate features CBN integrates into central bank notes.
• CCL Secure: Australia-based banknote substrate manufacturer (Guardian polymer substrate) serving central banks globally. Competes with CBN's currency substrate and security feature offerings in the procurement of secure banknote production.
• HID Global (HID): US-based identity solutions provider (subsidiary of Assa Abloy) producing government IDs, secure credentials, and identity management systems. Direct competitor in driver licensing, national ID, and secure credential issuance for governments.
• Veridos (G+D / Bundesdruckerei JV): German identity solutions JV between Giesecke+Devrient and Bundesdruckerei providing passports, national IDs, and border control systems. Comparable JV-enabled identity program model to CBN | DLR Identity Group, targeting the same government RFPs.
• IGT (International Game Technology): US-listed lottery and gaming systems provider serving government lotteries globally with platform, iLottery, and managed services offerings. Directly competes with CBN's Lottery & Gaming division including the Caribbean operations.
• secunet Security Networks AG: German border control and e-government security specialist providing automated border control gates, e-gates, and border management software. Direct competitor in the integrated border security systems that CBN has delivered since 1995.

Broad incumbents

• Thales Group: French multinational with a dedicated Identity & Security (formerly Gemalto) division producing e-passports, national IDs, border management systems, and banking cards. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but directly overlaps with CBN's civil identification and border security offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/canadian-bank-note-company-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Bank Note Company