PrimeKey
PrimeKey, now a subsidiary of Keyfactor, provides PKI, digital signing, and certificate lifecycle automation solutions built on open-source EJBCA, SignServer, and Bouncy Castle, serving 1,500+ global enterprises across financial services, telecom, automotive, government, medical, and IoT verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSolna, Sweden
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PrimeKey does
PrimeKey, founded in 2002 in Solna, Sweden, provided Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), digital signing, and certificate authority solutions built on open-source foundations including EJBCA, SignServer, and the Bouncy Castle cryptographic APIs. In 2024, PrimeKey merged with Keyfactor (founded 2001 in Independence, Ohio), operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary under the Keyfactor brand. The combined platform delivers certificate lifecycle automation (Command), managed PKI services (Cloud PKI as a Service), code and document signing (SignServer, Signum), cryptographic discovery and inventory, cryptographic posture management, IoT identity, and SSH key management through a unified Keyfactor Platform supporting software appliance, hardware appliance, container, SaaS, and fully managed single-tenant deployments.
The business serves 1,500+ global enterprises across eight named verticals: financial services (primary), telecom, automotive, government, medical, industrial IoT, consumer IoT, and software/IT. Revenue is generated through subscription-based recurring revenue on PKI platforms, certificate lifecycle automation, and digital signing solutions delivered as software, SaaS, or fully managed services, sold via an enterprise field sales motion with direct demo engagement and solution/vertical-specific selling.
PrimeKey/Keyfactor has raised $218 million cumulatively since 2001, including seed, Series A through Series D rounds between 2021 and 2023, and a Series E led by Sixth Street in October 2023 that achieved a $1.3 billion post-money valuation and unicorn status. The company is privately held with 101-250 employees and continues to invest in post-quantum cryptography readiness (PQC Lab) and emerging areas such as securing AI agent identities.
PrimeKey firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PrimeKey
- Legal name
- Keyfactor
- Website
- https://primekey.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PrimeKey, now a subsidiary of Keyfactor, provides PKI, digital signing, and certificate lifecycle automation solutions built on open-source EJBCA, SignServer, and Bouncy Castle, serving 1,500+ global enterprises across financial services, telecom, automotive, government, medical, and IoT verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PrimeKey industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Machine Identity Management
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secrets Management & Machine Identity (API keys, certificates, workload identity) (HDAEAJAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Device Identity & Certificate-Based Authentication (PKI) (BPAMAEAL)
Keywords
Where PrimeKey is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solna
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
PrimeKey business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- PKI and Certificate Management Solutions: Subscription-based recurring revenue from PKI platforms, certificate lifecycle automation, and digital signing solutions offered as software, SaaS, or fully managed services
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
PrimeKey product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PrimeKey develops and sells Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), certificate lifecycle automation, and digital signing solutions for enterprises. Its offerings include the EJBCA Enterprise PKI platform, SignServer Enterprise for code and document signing, Command for certificate lifecycle automation, Signum cloud-based signing, and cryptographic discovery and posture management. The company has merged with Keyfactor and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary delivering flexible on-premises, cloud, hybrid, SaaS, and fully managed single-tenant deployments.
Product overview
PrimeKey has merged with Keyfactor, forming a unified PKI and machine identity management platform. The product portfolio includes: EJBCA Enterprise as the core PKI platform for certificate management and validation; SignServer Enterprise for code and document signing; Command for certificate lifecycle automation and outage prevention; Signum for cloud-based signing services; Cloud PKI as a Service for managed deployments; and Cryptographic Discovery & Inventory for asset discovery. These products are integrated into the broader Keyfactor Platform which also encompasses cryptographic posture management, IoT identity management, SSH key management, and Bouncy Castle open-source APIs. The combined offering supports flexible deployment options including software appliance, hardware appliance, containers, SaaS, and fully managed single-tenant solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EJBCA: Highly flexible and scalable PKI covering certificate management, registration, enrollment, and validation
- SignServer
- Command
- Signum
- Bouncy Castle APIs
- Keyfactor Platform
Products and services
- EJBCA Enterprise Highly flexible and scalable PKI platform covering certificate management, registration, enrollment, and validation for enterprises.
- SignServer Enterprise Digital signing platform for signing documents, code, and timestamps while keeping signature processes and keys secure.
- Command (Keyfactor Command) Certificate lifecycle automation solution that helps prevent outages and simplifies certificate management operations, replacing manual spreadsheet-based processes.
- Signum Cloud-based signing as a service providing secure code signing for DevOps and IT workflows.
- Cloud PKI as a Service Managed PKI and certificate automation delivered as a service with single-tenant deployment options.
- IoT Identity Platform Identity management solution for securing IoT devices and machine identities.
- Keyfactor Platform Unified platform combining PKI, certificate automation, cryptographic discovery, and digital signing capabilities.
Companies that use PrimeKey
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
PrimeKey technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
PrimeKey partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PrimeKey competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Entrust: Long-standing PKI and digital signing vendor serving financial services, government, and enterprise customers. Competes with Keyfactor in PKI platforms, certificate lifecycle, and signing solutions.
- Sectigo: Commercial CA and PKI platform vendor competing head-to-head with EJBCA and Keyfactor Command for certificate management, IoT identity, and enterprise PKI modernization deals.
- DigiCert: Largest commercial Certificate Authority offering TLS, PKI, and IoT identity solutions. Directly competes with Keyfactor/PrimeKey across enterprise PKI issuance, certificate lifecycle automation, and digital signing.
- Venafi (CyberArk): Machine identity management platform focused on certificate and key lifecycle automation, now part of CyberArk. Closest direct competitor to Keyfactor Command in certificate lifecycle automation and machine identity security.
- GlobalSign: Certificate Authority and managed PKI provider with strong presence in IoT and enterprise identity. Directly comparable to Keyfactor/PrimeKey in CA, PKI, and IoT identity offerings.
Emerging players
- AppViewX: Certificate lifecycle management and PKI automation vendor competing with Keyfactor Command and EJBCA in enterprise certificate operations and PKI modernization.
- HashiCorp Vault: Secrets management and PKI engine often used as an alternative or complement to dedicated enterprise PKI. Competes with Keyfactor in workload identity, certificate issuance, and secrets management workflows.
- ISARA Corporation: Post-quantum cryptography and crypto-agility vendor. Relevant peer given Keyfactor's PQC Lab and quantum-ready positioning; competes in the emerging PQC migration tooling market.
Broad incumbents
- AWS Certificate Manager / AWS Private CA: Cloud-native certificate management and private CA services inside AWS. Competes with Keyfactor for cloud-native PKI workloads, particularly with AWS-based customers seeking integrated certificate services.
- Microsoft Azure Key Vault / Managed HSM: Azure-native key, secret, and certificate management plus managed HSM service. Competes with Keyfactor for certificate and key management inside Azure estates and for hybrid enterprise deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PrimeKey social profiles
Digital presencePrimeKey financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PrimeKey leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PrimeKey subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
PrimeKey funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PrimeKey M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PrimeKey
What does PrimeKey do?
PrimeKey develops and sells Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), certificate lifecycle automation, and digital signing solutions for enterprises. Its offerings include the EJBCA Enterprise PKI platform, SignServer Enterprise for code and document signing, Command for certificate lifecycle automation, Signum cloud-based signing, and cryptographic discovery and posture management. The company has merged with Keyfactor and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary delivering flexible on-premises, cloud, hybrid, SaaS, and fully managed single-tenant deployments.
Is PrimeKey a public or private company?
PrimeKey is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PrimeKey founded?
PrimeKey was founded in 2001. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PrimeKey based?
PrimeKey is headquartered in Solna, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does PrimeKey make money?
One revenue line is on record: PKI and Certificate Management Solutions.
Who are PrimeKey's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Entrust, Sectigo, DigiCert, Venafi (CyberArk) and GlobalSign. Emerging players are AppViewX, HashiCorp Vault and ISARA Corporation. Broad incumbents are AWS Certificate Manager / AWS Private CA and Microsoft Azure Key Vault / Managed HSM.
Does PrimeKey have an API?
No public API is recorded for PrimeKey.
What industry is PrimeKey in?
PrimeKey's product category is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Machine Identity Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAJAJ, Secrets Management & Machine Identity (API keys, certificates, workload identity), with a secondary code of BPAMAEAL, Device Identity & Certificate-Based Authentication (PKI). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.