What Identification International does

Identification International (i3) is a Blacksburg, Virginia-based designer, manufacturer, and seller of FBI-certified biometric fingerprint capture hardware and supporting software. Founded in 2004 by Richard Fenrich on technology developed at Exegetics Incorporated, the company sells the Terrain and TerrainX 3D livescan devices, the next-generation RX1000 (launched 2024) with Water Enhancement Technology, and a legacy digID series, complemented by the inVize software suite (inVize ID, inVize Connect, inVize Enterprise), FPCheck (pay-per-transaction applicant background checks), a Device SDK, card scanners, and accessories.

Its core technology stack centers on proprietary high-resolution fingerprint imaging, including the world's first FBI-certified 3D livescan device, 1000 ppi capture that doubles the resolution of legacy tenprint devices, a patented single-USB power/data/control interface, and image processing certified under FBI Appendix F, CJIS, and NGI IQS standards. Ten issued US patents plus pending applications protect this imaging IP.

Commercially, i3 operates as a private, founder-led hardware vendor of 11–50 employees generating revenue through direct sales of FBI-certified devices, software licenses, maintenance/subscription, custom development projects, and a pay-per-transaction network. Distribution combines an inside/field direct-sales motion with a dealer and reseller channel and localized support in English, Italian, and Portuguese; all pricing is custom-quoted through the sales team. Customer segments are government, defense (DoD/SWFT, NISP), law enforcement, ATF-regulated firearms dealers, and commercial applicant background-check users across healthcare, education, financial services, and transportation.

Name

Identification International

Legal name

Identification International, Inc.

Website

https://idintl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Identification International (i3) designs and manufactures FBI-certified biometric fingerprint livescan devices and supporting software from Blacksburg, Virginia, serving U.S. and international government, defense, law enforcement, and commercial background-check customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biometric Security Hardware

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

akta.pro primary industry

Biometric Input Devices (Fingerprint/Face/Iris Scanners) (HDACAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fingerprinting & Biometric-Based Checks (BPACALAK), Identity Verification (ID, SSN Trace, KYC-lite) (BPACALAD)

Keywords

• FBI-certified livescan
• Biometric fingerprint capture
• 3D fingerprint imaging
• Identity verification hardware
• Applicant background checks

Headquarters

HQ city

Blacksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Livescan Hardware Sales: Sale of FBI-certified fingerprint scanning devices including Terrain, TerrainX, and RX1000. Devices are sold with one-year warranties and extended warranty options available. Hardware represents the primary product category.
2. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Software products including inVize ID, inVize Connect, inVize Enterprise, FPCheck, and Device SDK. Software supports fingerprint transactions, demographic data collection, submission, and management capabilities.
3. Maintenance and Support Services: Annual maintenance and support options with extended warranty plans available. Support team provides assistance for product-related questions and technical issues.
4. FPCheck Pay-Per-Transaction Service: Service-based model where i3 shares service revenue with organizations that provide fingerprinting services through a pay-per-transaction network. Organizations can purchase FPCheck systems to place into the service network.
5. Special Projects and Custom Development: Custom project engagement for requirements that existing products, services, or solutions do not fit. i3 works with clients to define special projects satisfying goals of all parties.
6. Accessories and Consumables: Sale of accessories including roller bags, scan enhancer gel, microfiber cloths, dust covers, and FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards (sold in packages of 50).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Identification International (i3) designs, manufactures, and sells FBI-certified livescan fingerprint capture hardware — including the Terrain, TerrainX, and RX1000 devices — alongside the inVize software suite (inVize ID, inVize Connect, inVize Enterprise), the FPCheck pay-per-transaction background-check service, and a Device SDK for third-party integration. Products are sold primarily to law enforcement, government/defense agencies, and commercial entities that require FBI-compliant biometric capture for criminal identification, security clearances, and applicant background checks.

Product overview

Identification International (i3) offers a portfolio of biometric fingerprint hardware and software solutions. The core product line consists of three generations of FBI-certified livescan devices: the legacy digID series (digID mini+, digID rugged+, digID XS), the current Terrain series (Terrain, TerrainX) featuring the world's first 3D fingerprint capture capability, and the next-generation RX1000 offering twice the resolution of existing devices at 1000 ppi. These hardware devices are complemented by the inVize software suite (inVize ID, inVize Connect, inVize Enterprise) for managing fingerprint transactions, FPCheck for pay-per-transaction applicant background checks, and a Device SDK for third-party integration. The ecosystem is supported by accessories including scanners, cleaning supplies, carrying cases, and FBI FD-258 cards. All products are designed, manufactured, and supported from the company's headquarters in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• inVize ID: Fingerprint transaction management software for demographic data collection, fingerprint capture, and electronic submission to background check authorities.
• inVize Connect
• inVize Enterprise
• FPCheck
• Device SDK

Products and services

• Terrain High-resolution 3D FBI-certified livescan device that captures both traditional FBI-certified 2D images at 500 ppi and high-resolution 3D images, with continuously variable resolution into nanometers in the Z axis. Used by law enforcement, government defense, and commercial customers for forensic-quality fingerprint capture.
• TerrainX Ruggedized version of the Terrain livescan with hardened base plate and cover, designed for travel and operation in high-intensity environments. Provides FBI-certified Appendix F 2D and 3D imaging with enhanced corrosion resistance.
• RX1000 Next-generation 1000/500 ppi FBI-certified tenprint livescan device featuring Water Enhancement Technology (WET) that uses moisture to enhance capture quality, and simultaneous 2D and 3D fingerprint capture at up to 22 frames per second. Targets law enforcement, government, and commercial customers needing pore-level and edge detail.
• inVize ID Fingerprint transaction management software for collecting demographic data, capturing fingerprint scans (livescan and card), and electronically submitting transactions to clearinghouses. Supports 100+ transaction types, EBTS standard file format, and NIST-certified WSQ compression.
• inVize Connect Secure remote synchronization software that transfers fingerprint transactions from remote inVize ID systems to a centralized database without storing PII, enabling offline capture with later synchronization.
• inVize Enterprise Enterprise database management software that consolidates fingerprint and demographic data across multiple copies of inVize ID into a single master database, supporting applicant background checks and law enforcement processing at scale.
• FPCheck Pay-per-transaction applicant fingerprint background check service operating over a network of loosely coupled livescan and card-scan systems, allowing partner organizations to deploy FPCheck systems and share in transaction revenue.
• Device SDK Software Development Kit for integrating i3 livescan devices into third-party applications, including documentation, drivers, coding examples, utility code, and software engineer support during integration and deployment.
• Card scanners FBI-certified flatbed scanners (Epson V600 and V700) that digitize hard copy fingerprint cards into electronic format for submission, used together with inVize ID and FPCheck software.
• Accessories Accessories for mobile fingerprint services including roller bag, antibacterial scan enhancer gel, microfiber cleaning cloth, prism dust cover, and FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards (sold in packages of 50).
• Special projects Custom development and special project engagements for customers whose requirements are not met by standard i3 products, services, or solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Variable resolution in Z axis exceeds 500 ppi by a factor of more than 100
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 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 capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dealer and Reseller NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributori3 works closely with a network of dealers and resellers to deliver biometric solutions tailored to customer needs. The company actively recruits new dealers and resellers, inviting prospective partners to make contact to discuss collaboration opportunities. This channel partner network is a key component of i3's distribution strategy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thales (Gemalto): Provides biometric capture and identity verification hardware/software for government, border, and law enforcement customers globally. Overlaps with i3 in FBI-certified livescan and background-check workflows, but offers a much broader identity and security portfolio.
• HID Global: Supplies biometric readers, including fingerprint capture devices, for government, enterprise, and civil ID applications. Comparable to i3 in fingerprint capture hardware and reader ecosystem, with broader credentialing and access control adjacencies.
• IDEMIA: Global leader in biometric identity solutions, including FBI-certified livescan hardware and AFIS platforms. Directly comparable to i3 in law enforcement and government fingerprint capture, but at substantially larger scale and with multimodal (face, iris) capabilities i3 does not offer.
• Fujitsu Frontech: Offers biometric authentication hardware including palm vein and fingerprint readers for government, healthcare, and enterprise. Comparable to i3 in biometric capture devices, though focused more on authentication/credentialing than criminal forensic workflows.
• NEC Corporation: Provides large-scale AFIS and biometric identification solutions for law enforcement and government agencies worldwide. Comparable to i3 on the capture/forensic-quality fingerprinting axis, but with significantly larger scale and integrated multimodal biometric platforms.

Direct peers

• Aware, Inc. Provides biometric SDKs, fingerprint capture software, and identity enrollment solutions used in civil ID and law enforcement. Comparable to i3's inVize software stack and Device SDK, with overlap in NIST-certified WSQ compression and EBTS-format transaction processing.
• Suprema: Manufactures biometric readers and fingerprint capture devices for enterprise, government, and access control. Comparable to i3 on fingerprint hardware, though more oriented to access control than forensic-grade criminal livescan workflows.
• Dermalog: German-based provider of biometric identification systems including livescan fingerprint devices for government and civil ID. Directly comparable to i3 in FBI/BSI-certified fingerprint capture and AFIS integration, with strong EMEA presence where i3 is underpenetrated.
• Crossmatch (now part of HID Global): Historically a direct competitor in FBI-certified livescan hardware (e.g., Guardian, L Scan), with strong penetration in U.S. law enforcement and civil background checks. Now integrated within HID Global, but its product line remains the closest direct competitor to i3's Terrain/RX1000.
• Green Bit (POLCARD/Tactivo): European manufacturer of FBI-certified livescan fingerprint devices for law enforcement and civil background checks. Closely comparable to i3 on the livescan hardware axis, particularly in the EMEA market where i3's own footprint is thinner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/identificationinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/identification-international

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Identification International