SmartMetric
SmartMetric is a Las Vegas-based, publicly traded technology company (OTC: SMME) that develops biometric fingerprint credit cards for card-issuing banks, with patented US exclusivity, $50-per-card wholesale pricing, and one million cards-per-month manufacturing capacity.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLas Vegas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SmartMetric does
SmartMetric, Inc. is a Las Vegas-based, publicly traded technology company (OTC Markets: SMME) that designs and develops biometric fingerprint credit cards for card-issuing banks and financial institutions. The company, founded by Chaya Hendrick in the early 2000s, holds issued USPTO patents that it claims grant exclusivity for biometric credit cards within the United States market. Its sole product integrates a nano fingerprint scanner, a rechargeable hybrid solid-state battery, an embedded cryptographic secured processor, and a proprietary in-card operating system (ICOS Version 4) into a standard credit-card form factor. Fingerprint templates are stored and matched entirely on the card, with the device powered through energy harvesting from EMV contact and RFID/NFC contactless card readers.
The company's monetization model is wholesale hardware sales to banks at $50 per card against a stated manufacturing capacity of one million cards per month. Consumer pricing research commissioned by SmartMetric has explored two consumer-facing alternatives: a one-time $69.95 charge per card and an $8.95/month subscription bundled with identity-theft insurance. Direct sales to card issuers is the primary go-to-market motion, supported by a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront for related accessories. The company is pre-revenue with no disclosed bank customers, no recognized revenue line, and sustained multi-year operating losses; it has funded operations through public capital markets, including a Reg A+ offering, and operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Management is led by founder Chaya Hendrick (President & CEO) alongside CFO Jay Needelman and board member Elizabeth Nightingale, who brings experience from a major global credit card brand. The company's GEN4 product completed in-card operating system testing in November 2023 with a planned 2024 release to banks. Categorical growth drivers cited in company materials include the projected expansion of the global biometric card market from $0.17 billion in 2023 to $8.45 billion by 2028 (per Mordor Intelligence), supported by consumer research showing 65-70% willingness to pay for enhanced card security and 80.1% consumer concern about credit card fraud.
SmartMetric firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SmartMetric
- Legal name
- SmartMetric Inc.
- Website
- https://smartmetric.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SmartMetric is a Las Vegas-based, publicly traded technology company (OTC: SMME) that develops biometric fingerprint credit cards for card-issuing banks, with patented US exclusivity, $50-per-card wholesale pricing, and one million cards-per-month manufacturing capacity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SmartMetric industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biometric Payment Cards
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (52221)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Card Issuing Platforms (Issuer Processing) (FSAGABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Device Fingerprinting & Behavioral Biometrics (FSAMALAL)
Keywords
Where SmartMetric is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Las Vegas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SmartMetric business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Biometric Credit Card Hardware Sales to Banks: SmartMetric sells biometric credit cards to card-issuing banks at $50.00 per card. The cards are distributed by banks to their customers as regular credit cards. Revenue is generated from one-time hardware sales to financial institution customers.
- Consumer Payment Options: Consumer research indicates potential for recurring revenue through monthly subscription model ($8.95/month with identity theft insurance) or one-time payment ($69.95 for life of card at 3 years). These represent potential consumer-facing pricing models.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bank wholesale pricing - $50.00 per biometric card |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Consumer one-time payment - $69.95 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Consumer monthly subscription - $8.95/month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
SmartMetric product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmartMetric designs, develops, and manufactures a biometric fingerprint-activated credit card with an embedded nano fingerprint scanner, rechargeable hybrid solid-state battery, cryptographic secured processor, and proprietary operating system. The card is sold wholesale to card-issuing banks for $50 per card, who then issue it to their cardholders as a regular credit card that only activates after a fingerprint match.
Product overview
SmartMetric is a technology development and manufacturing company specializing in biometric security for credit cards. The company's sole product is the SmartMetric Biometric Credit Card — a single unified product that integrates a fingerprint scanner, embedded cryptographic processor, rechargeable hybrid solid-state battery, and proprietary operating system inside a standard-sized credit card. The card uses the user's own fingerprint biometrics to protect and unlock the card, with the fingerprint stored securely inside the card rather than in cloud storage. SmartMetric operates exclusively in the biometric credit card market, protected by issued USA patents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SmartMetric Biometric Credit Card (GEN4) A fingerprint biometric credit card with embedded nano fingerprint scanner, rechargeable hybrid solid-state battery, embedded cryptographic secured processor, and proprietary SmartMetric operating system. The card is activated only after the user's fingerprint is matched and is sold to card-issuing banks for distribution to their credit card customers as a regular credit card with biometric security.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fingerprint scan and match in under 1/4 second
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SmartMetric
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SmartMetric technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
SmartMetric partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SmartMetric competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Mastercard: Mastercard is a global card network that has publicly piloted and promoted biometric payment cards, making its network standards and partnerships a key gating factor for biometric card issuers such as SmartMetric.
- Visa: Visa is a global card network whose tokenization, contactless standards, and issuer programs dictate the commercial viability of new card form factors including biometric cards from SmartMetric.
Direct peers
- IDEMIA: IDEMIA is a direct competitor in biometric payment cards (e.g., the F.CODE card) and a major card manufacturer serving global issuers, with established biometric card pilots and deployments with banks worldwide.
- Zwipe: Zwipe is a direct competitor in biometric fingerprint payment cards, offering energy-harvesting and battery-powered biometric card platforms sold to card issuers, with multiple live issuer pilots in Europe and emerging markets.
Broad incumbents
- Giesecke+Devrient (G+D): G+D is a broad incumbent in card manufacturing, payment security, and digital identity, with its own biometric card offerings and a global issuer customer base competing for the same bank deals SmartMetric targets.
- Thales (DIS): Thales' Digital Identity & Security division is a global leader in payment card issuance, EMV chips, and biometric card solutions, supplying major banks and card networks with both standard and biometric secured cards.
- NXP Semiconductors: NXP supplies the secure element and NFC/contactless chips used in nearly all EMV payment cards, including biometric cards, positioning it as both an enabling supplier and a strategic force shaping the biometric card ecosystem.
- Gemalto (now Thales): Gemalto (now part of Thales DIS) historically dominated payment card and SIM manufacturing and pioneered early biometric card pilots, representing an incumbent comparable against which SmartMetric's market entry must compete.
Emerging players
- Fingerprint Cards (FPC): Fingerprint Cards designs and supplies the biometric sensors that power many biometric payment card solutions, making it a component-level competitor and potential partner for any biometric card program including SmartMetric's.
- NEXT Biometrics: NEXT Biometrics develops fingerprint sensor technology marketed for payment cards and access control, overlapping with SmartMetric's biometric authentication approach on the sensor level.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SmartMetric social profiles
Digital presenceSmartMetric financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SmartMetric leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SmartMetric funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SmartMetric M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SmartMetric
What does SmartMetric do?
SmartMetric designs, develops, and manufactures a biometric fingerprint-activated credit card with an embedded nano fingerprint scanner, rechargeable hybrid solid-state battery, cryptographic secured processor, and proprietary operating system. The card is sold wholesale to card-issuing banks for $50 per card, who then issue it to their cardholders as a regular credit card that only activates after a fingerprint match.
Is SmartMetric a public or private company?
SmartMetric is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was SmartMetric founded?
SmartMetric was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SmartMetric based?
SmartMetric is headquartered in Las Vegas, United States, in the North America region.
How does SmartMetric make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Biometric Credit Card Hardware Sales to Banks are the primary driver. The others are consumer Payment Options.
Who are SmartMetric's main competitors?
Others on record are Mastercard and Visa. Direct peers are IDEMIA and Zwipe. Broad incumbents are Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), Thales (DIS), NXP Semiconductors and Gemalto (now Thales). Emerging players are Fingerprint Cards (FPC) and NEXT Biometrics.
Does SmartMetric have an API?
No public API is recorded for SmartMetric.
What industry is SmartMetric in?
SmartMetric's product category is Biometric Payment Cards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGABAD, Card Issuing Platforms (Issuer Processing), with a secondary code of FSAMALAL, Device Fingerprinting & Behavioral Biometrics. Its NAICS code is 52221 and its SIC code is 6141.