What Royal Joh. Enschedé does

Royal Joh. Enschedé is a Haarlem, Netherlands-based security and value printing company founded in 1703 and operating today as a subsidiary of Authentix. The firm produces high-security printed documents for governments and postal authorities, including passports, visas, election papers, deed papers, certificates, municipal certified security paper, and tax stamps, using intaglio (diepdruk) printing combined with offset, letterpress, and digital techniques and security features such as microtext, watermarks, UV inks, holograms, anti-copy foil, and digital fingerprinting. The company is a long-tenured printer of postage stamps for national postal organizations including PostNL, Norway Post, An Post, and Deutsche Post, and has produced Dutch excise stamps for the Ministry of Finance since 1924.

The firm has expanded beyond traditional security printing into digital and consumer adjacencies. The Diploma Support platform, launched in 2024 in partnership with Prindustry (software) and AMP Group (secure logistics), bundles 12 services for educational institutions and is positioned for EBSI/Edubadges European blockchain verifiable credential standards. The Global Note, MyEventNote, and Ciphers.me brands support collectible banknotes with augmented reality and NFT digital twins, including the Dennis Bergkamp Golden banknote, the VriendenLoterij VIP-LOT note, and Deutsche Post's crypto stamp series. Royal Joh. Enschedé holds ISO 14298 (Intergraf Government Level) certification alongside ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and FSSC 22000, and maintains a workforce of 101-250 employees at its secure Haarlem facility.

Name

Royal Joh. Enschedé

Legal name

Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V.

Website

https://joh-enschede.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1703

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Royal Joh. Enschedé is a Dutch security and value printer (founded 1703) producing passports, visas, tax stamps, postage stamps, diplomas, and collectible banknotes for governments, postal authorities, and educational institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Haarlem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Security Documents: Production of high-security printed materials including passports, visas, election papers, deed papers, certificates, diplomas, municipal certified security paper, and permit papers for governments.
2. Postage Stamps: Stamp printing for postal organizations worldwide including standard stamps, 2D digital coded stamps, crypto stamps, and augmented reality stamps. Long-term partnerships with PostNL, Norway Post, An Post, Deutsche Post.
3. Tax Stamps: Secured excise tax stamps with authenticity features for government tax regulation. Dutch excise stamps produced since 1924 under Ministry of Finance contract.
4. Collectible Banknotes: Custom-designed commemorative and collectible banknotes for events, sports legends, and promotional purposes. Products include The Global Note™ series, Dennis Bergkamp note, W.A. van Buren note, VIP-LOT for VriendenLoterij.
5. Diploma Support Platform: All-in-one service platform for educational institutions covering formatting, production, and secure delivery of diplomas. Integrates 12 services including document creation, stock management, digital signing, delivery, and administration.
6. Custom Solutions and Authentication: Authentication solutions for collectibles, brand protection products, and custom solutions. Ciphers.me platform for digital collectibles and NFT minting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Royal Joh. Enschedé is a high-security value printing company that produces postage stamps, excise tax stamps, security documents (passports, visas, election papers, certificates), and custom collectible banknotes for governments, postal organizations, central banks, and educational institutions worldwide. The company also offers the Diploma Support platform — an integrated service for secure ordering, production, signing, and delivery of academic diplomas — and operates the Ciphers.me platform for trading blockchain-backed digital collectibles.

Product overview

Royal Joh. Enschedé operates as a high-security value printing company offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on document security, authentication, and the convergence of physical and digital collectibles. The core product lines are: (1) Security Documents — passports, visas, election papers, deed papers, certificates, and diplomas; (2) Postage Stamps — including Crypto Stamps (NFT-integrated) and 2D Digital Coded Stamps (traceable); (3) Tax Stamps — excise stamps with digital fingerprint features; and (4) Notables — custom collectible banknotes with AR and digital twin capabilities. The company also offers an integrated platform called Diploma Support, which bundles document design, secure storage, ordering, digital signing, printing, and secure delivery into one service for educational institutions, and is being extended to support digital diplomas as verifiable credentials via EBSI/blockchain. Authentication is reinforced through the Ciphers.me platform for digital collectibles and NFT trading. The portfolio is delivered across government, postal, academic, and corporate sectors globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Diploma Support: All-in-one platform for educational institutions to securely order, produce, and deliver diplomas with digital signatures and blockchain verification capabilities (EBSI, Edubadges compatible).
• MyEventNote / The Global Note
• Ciphers.me

Products and services

• Diploma Support Platform All-in-one subscription service platform that lets universities, colleges, and vocational schools format, order, sign digitally, print, and securely deliver diplomas and certificates, with support for EBSI/Edubadges verifiable credentials and digital signatures approved by the Dutch Ministry of OCW and DUO.
• Security Documents (Passports, Visas, Election Papers, Deed Papers, Certificates, Municipal Certified Security Paper) High-security printed documents (passports, visas, election papers, deed papers, certificates, municipal certified security paper) for governments and public authorities, incorporating intaglio printing, watermarks, microtext, UV inks, and anti-copy foil to deliver fraud- and forgery-proof documents.
• Postage Stamps (Standard, 2D Digital Coded, Crypto, Augmented Reality) High-quality postage stamps for postal organizations worldwide, including innovative formats: standard stamps, 2D Digital Coded Stamps for single-use traceability, Crypto Stamps combined with blockchain-secured NFTs, and Augmented Reality Stamps that unlock digital content via mobile apps.
• Tax Stamps (Secured Excise Tax Stamps with Digital Fingerprint) Secured excise tax stamps combining specialized inks, unique plate printing, and digital fingerprint technology to authenticate and trace regulated products (such as tobacco) for government excise tax collection.
• Notables — Custom Collectible Banknotes (The Global Note™ series) Custom-designed collectible banknotes for brands, sports legends, events, and lotteries, combining banknote-quality printing with augmented reality experiences and digital twin minting via Ciphers.me. Sold directly to collectors through theglobalnote.com and related storefronts.
• MyEventNote — Interactive AR Banknotes for Events Interactive banknotes equipped with Augmented Reality that function as event currency replacing plastic tokens, while serving as branded, AR-enhanced mementos for theme parks, festivals, sports clubs, and events.
• Ciphers.me — Digital Collectibles Trading Platform Digital collectibles trading platform enabling minting, ownership, and trading of blockchain-backed digital items, including crypto stamps and collector banknotes tied to physical notes via digital twins and NFTs.
• Authentication Solutions Authentication and brand protection services, leveraging Ciphers.me and the company's security-printing expertise to combat counterfeiting of collectibles and branded products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Automated diploma ordering reduces manual work and email exchanges
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMP GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2024Logistics partner for secure diploma transport from Royal Joh. Enschedé in Haarlem to educational institutions. Employees trained for identification checks. Anonymous driving so value documents transport cannot be detected. Currently transports personalized diplomas to Maastricht University faculties.
• PrindustrycoreTechnology or Integration · 8 June 2024Software partner that developed the Diploma Support ordering platform for educational institutions. Created all elements of the diploma process into one platform with user-friendly ordering system, automated data linking, and secure file management.
• AuthentixcoreOthersRoyal Joh. Enschedé is an Authentix company. Authentix is the parent organization providing corporate backing and potentially shared services or synergies.
• The Global Note B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for collectible banknote distribution and the Dennis Bergkamp Experience. Company associated with The Global Note brand for commemorative and collector banknotes. Manages theglobalnote.com e-commerce platform.
• PostNLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership spanning decades for postage stamp printing. Collaborates on December stamp development from design briefing through press check to final production. Annual December stamp process involves close consultation between Marketing and technical teams.
• Norway PostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStamp printing partnership since 1997. Norwegian stamps have won multiple awards including Nexofil 2018 'most beautiful stamp'. Known for high quality design and printing contributing to Norway Post's stamp reputation.
• An PostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish postal organization for stamp printing. Produced commemorative stamps including World Ocean Day series featuring marine life. Supports An Post's environmental initiatives.
• Deutsche PostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for crypto stamp series combining physical stamps with NFT blockchain collectibles. Deutsche Post issues limited edition cryptostamps including Brandenburger Tor and Dom van Keulen. Royal Joh. Enschedé provides one-stop solution from stamp to Ciphers.me trading platform.
• Buro BendminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio that designed the W.A. van Buren commemorative banknote. Responsible for concept and visual design while Royal Joh. Enschedé handled printing and technical execution.
• Speciaaldrukkerij DoumaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPackaging development and printing partner for W.A. van Buren commemorative banknote. Specialized printing company handling packaging production.
• VriendenLoterijcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch charity lottery for VIP-LOT commemorative banknote. Collector item for lottery participants as token of appreciation. Combines with VIP card for museum access and AR scanning features.
• Roma Intelligence & Administration Agency (RIAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partnership for Roma Identity & Archive Infrastructure. Royal Joh. Enschedé contributes security printing and document expertise for Roma population registry enabling verification and official certificate issuance through Dutch government authorities.
• Embassy of the United Roma TribesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiplomatic and institutional support for RIAA ecosystem development. Supports expansion of Roma documentation methodology to Roma communities worldwide.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• De La Rue: The world's largest commercial security printer and Royal Joh. Enschedé's closest competitor. Produces banknotes, passports, tax stamps, and identity documents for governments and central banks globally — directly overlapping with Royal Joh. Enschedé's core security printing, tax stamp, and passport/visas lines.
• Giesecke+Devrient: Munich-based security technology group producing banknote paper/substrate, ID documents, payment cards, and secure printing solutions. Directly comparable on banknote printing heritage, government-grade secure documents, and identity credentials; competing for many of the same European ministry and postal customers.
• Crane Currency: US-based banknote substrate and security feature manufacturer (formerly Crane & Co., supplier of US dollar paper). Directly comparable on high-security banknote paper, micro-optics, and security features used in central bank currency — relevant competitor for the same global central bank customer base.
• SICPA: Swiss-based global leader in security inks and authentication solutions used on banknotes, tax stamps, excise labels, and product authentication. Directly comparable to Royal Joh. Enschedé on tax stamps/excise authentication and on security ink and taggant technologies integrated into sovereign documents.
• Thomas Greg & Sons: Polish security printing group producing passports, banknotes, visas, and tax stamps for governments across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Comparable business model and product mix to Royal Joh. Enschedé across sovereign security documents and postage stamps.
• Landqart: Swiss manufacturer of banknote paper and security substrates (formerly a Lonza business). Direct competitor in the secure substrate supply chain and a benchmark for high-security banknote paper production, complementing Royal Joh. Enschedé's intaglio printing operations.

Broad incumbents

• IDEMIA: Global leader in Augmented Identity, producing biometric passports, ID cards, and driver licenses. Broader incumbent with diversified identity, payment, and connectivity offerings, but competes with Royal Joh. Enschedé on the security printing/identity document side for European ministries.
• HID Global (Assureon): Secure identity and access management company supplying government-issued credentials, e-passports, and secure card printing solutions. Overlaps with Royal Joh. Enschedé on identity/credential secure printing, though HID operates more broadly across physical and digital identity.
• CCL Industries (Security): Canadian specialty label and secure identification business producing brand protection, tax stamps/excise labels, and identity documents. Comparable on authentication and excise label/excise tax stamp technologies, though it operates as a much larger diversified label conglomerate.

Others

• Authentix: Royal Joh. Enschedé's parent company and a global authentication and brand protection solutions provider serving central banks, governments, and brand owners. Not a direct competitor in security printing, but an ecosystem participant whose strategy and capabilities shape Royal Joh. Enschedé's go-to-market and authentication roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RoyalJohEnschede
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Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Royal Joh. Enschedé