OVD Kinegram

What OVD Kinegram does

OVD Kinegram AG is a Swiss-headquartered (Zug) provider of physical and digital security solutions for government-issued identity documents and banknotes, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German KURZ Group since its 1999 acquisition. The company's core offering is the proprietary KINEGRAM technology — a Diffractive Optically Variable Image Device (DOVID) that, unlike conventional security holograms, delivers directed light movement, color shifts, and reflection effects to defeat counterfeiting and manipulation attacks. Its physical product portfolio spans KINEGRAM PCI (polycarbonate inlays), PCI with Full Data Protection (FDP), KINEGRAM PATCH, TKO overlays, STRIPE, GUARD, MOVE, FILM, and the transparent ZERO.ZERO, all designed to integrate with polycarbonate, paper-based, and laser/thermal/inkjet personalization systems. Layered on top of the physical line, OVD Kinegram has built a digital verification stack — VDS Bio (a cryptographically signed barcode embedding facial landmarks, ICAO Doc 9303-compliant), Mobile Scan SDK, Mobile Chip SDK, Digital Policing, and Digital Seal App — that closes the loop between physical document authentication and on-device electronic verification.

The company monetizes through three streams: licensing/supply of KINEGRAM physical security elements to governments and authorized document printers (royalties and supply contracts), software licensing of SDKs and digital verification apps to IT solution providers and system integrators (recurring/subscription-like), and professional services including KINEGRAM Academy training and equipment consulting. Go-to-market is a direct B2B enterprise model targeting government agencies, law enforcement, system integrators, and financial institutions, supported by ISO 14298 and CWA 15374:2018 security certifications, a Swiss Federal DDPS Facility Security Clearance, and a global reference base of more than 120 countries protecting over 500 document types and 80+ central bank banknote programs. With 101–250 employees and a regional APAC hub in Singapore, OVD Kinegram operates as a high-trust, certification-gated niche supplier within the document security stack.

The business model is anchored by long-cycle government procurement and multi-year integration contracts that create high switching costs once KINEGRAM elements are embedded in national ID/passport issuance infrastructure. Revenue predictability is supported by the regulatory and certification moat (ISO 14298, INTERGRAF CWA, Swiss facility clearance) and by the company's ability to bundle physical and digital verification into a single integrated offering — a positioning that becomes increasingly relevant as governments migrate to e-passports, biometric IDs, and digital identity credentials.

Name

OVD Kinegram

Legal name

OVD Kinegram AG

Website

https://kinegram.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OVD Kinegram AG, a Swiss subsidiary of the KURZ Group, provides proprietary KINEGRAM DOVID security elements and digital verification SDKs used by more than 120 governments to protect passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, visas, banknotes, and tax stamps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Document Security Solutions

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Identity, eKYC & Borrower Verification (Lending-Focused) (FSAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Verifiable Credentials & Attestations (VC issuance/verification, credential registries) (FSAPACAH), Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics) (HDADAAAF)

Keywords

• Document security
• Optical security features
• Identity protection
• Banknote security
• DOVID technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical KINEGRAM Security Elements: Sale of proprietary DOVID security elements (patches, inlays, stripes, films) for integration into government-issued identity documents, passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, visas, and secure labels. Revenue generated through licensing and supply of security technology to governments and authorized document printers.
2. Digital Verification Solutions: Software products including Mobile Scan SDK, Mobile Chip SDK, Digital Policing app, and Digital Seal App. Revenue from software licensing, SDK distribution, and potential subscription models for digital services.
3. Professional Services: Equipment consulting, technical support, applications services, and document expert training through KINEGRAM Academy. Revenue from service engagements with government clients and system integrators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OVD Kinegram develops and manufactures KINEGRAM, a diffractive optically variable image device (DOVID) used as a security feature on government-issued identity documents (passports, ID cards, driving licenses, visa stickers, tax stamps) and banknotes. The company also delivers digital verification solutions, including mobile SDKs, biometric verification, and digital sealing applications that enable smartphone-based authentication of physical KINEGRAM-protected documents.

Product overview

OVD Kinegram offers a comprehensive portfolio of physical document security solutions and digital identity verification products. The core offering is the proprietary KINEGRAM technology — a DOVID (Diffractive Optically Variable Image Device) security feature that protects identity documents (passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, visas, secure labels, certificates) and banknotes. Physical security products include KINEGRAM PCI (for polycarbonate cards), KINEGRAM TKO (tack-on overlays for passport data pages), KINEGRAM PATCH (surface-applied patches), KINEGRAM STRIPE, KINEGRAM GUARD (for secure labels), KINEGRAM MOVE (for vehicle registration), KINEGRAM FILM, and KINEGRAM ZERO.ZERO (transparent patches). Advanced polycarbonate solutions include KINEGRAM PCI with Full Data Protection (FDP) and KINEGRAM PCI with Primary Image Protection. The digital product line, hosted on kinegram.digital, includes VDS Bio (a biometric-secured barcode for document verification), MOBILE SCAN SDK, MOBILE CHIP SDK, KINEGRAM DIGITAL POLICING app, and the DIGITAL SEAL APP. The company serves governments, system integrators, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies in over 120 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOBILE SCAN SDK: SDK for scanning and processing data from ID documents' MRZs, European license plates and 2D barcodes including VDS.
• MOBILE CHIP SDK
• KINEGRAM DIGITAL POLICING
• DIGITAL SEAL APP

Products and services

• KINEGRAM PCI

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed in more than 120 countries protecting over 500 document types
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG (KURZ Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999KURZ, a German film technology company founded in 1892 in Fürth, Germany, acquired OVD Kinegram AG in 1999. The two companies had already collaborated for years on developing support films for KINEGRAM optical elements. KURZ is the leading supplier of security films for banknotes worldwide with over 5,500 employees. OVD Kinegram remains a Swiss subsidiary of the German KURZ Group.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Giesecke+Devrient: Munich-based security technology group producing banknote substrates, ID documents, and secure payment solutions. Competes directly with OVD Kinegram in polycarbonate passport data pages, ID cards, and high-security print.
• Crane Currency: U.S.-based supplier of banknote substrates and security features (e.g., MOTION micro-optics). Direct peer in the banknote security-element vertical that competes with KINEGRAM's central bank customers.
• Bundesdruckerei: German state-owned security printer producing passports, ID cards, and e-government solutions, parent of Veridos. Direct competitor with strong European government footprint overlapping OVD Kinegram's installed base.
• De La Rue: British security printer producing banknotes, identity documents, and authentication solutions (DLR Authentication). Overlaps with KINEGRAM in banknote security elements and government ID programs.
• SICPA: Swiss provider of security inks, track-and-trace, and authentication solutions for banknotes, tax stamps, and identity documents. Competes with OVD Kinegram in government security features and tax stamp revenue protection.
• Veridos: Joint venture between Giesecke+Devrient and Bundesdruckerei supplying passports, ID cards, and border management solutions. Competes for the same government ID programs as OVD Kinegram.
• IDEMIA: Global leader in identity and security solutions, supplying passports, national IDs, driver's licenses, and biometric verification to governments. Direct competitor in the same government ID and e-passport security market.
• Hologram Industries: French manufacturer of optical security devices (holograms and DOVIDs) for ID documents, banknotes, and brand protection. Closest like-for-like competitor in DOVID/hologram security elements.

Broad incumbents

• HID Global (Assa Abloy): Broad incumbent in identity and access management, offering government ID solutions, e-passport chips, secure card issuance, and biometric readers. Larger portfolio player with overlapping capabilities in identity verification.
• Thales (Digital Identity & Security): Global incumbent in digital identity and security, including e-passport biometrics, border management, and government ID cards. A larger, diversified competitor with overlapping government-customer footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ovdkinegram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ovd-kinegram

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 OVD Kinegram