ColorID
ColorID is a privately held value-added distributor and systems integrator of identification and biometric solutions, serving 1,000+ higher-education institutions plus enterprise, healthcare, and government customers with hardware, software, and lifetime support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersCornelius, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ColorID does
ColorID is a value-added distributor and systems integrator specializing in identification, credential management, and biometric security solutions, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Cornelius, North Carolina. The company operates as a vendor-agnostic reseller of ID card printers, ribbons, credentials, contactless and proximity readers, and biometric terminals from a broad manufacturer set including HID Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard, Entrust Datacard, Matica, Idemia, IrisID, and Invixium. Its proprietary software layer centers on the CardExchange Cloud Suite — which manages physical, wallet, and app-based credentials — along with the CardExchange Desktop ID Software, the Bridge Solution for ODBC database integration with HID Fargo HDP5000 printers, and complementary HID WorkforceID and HID Fargo Connect platforms.
The business monetizes through hardware resale, recurring ribbon/supplies consumption, software subscriptions (CardExchange Cloud Suite, Asure ID, ID Works, HID Fargo Connect), professional services including identity roadmap consulting, recarding projects, and card migration support, and extended warranty/support contracts via the CHOICE Support Program. Approximately 700 custom projects per year are personally overseen by dedicated project managers, and the company serves more than 1,000 colleges and universities along with enterprise, healthcare, and government customers (the latter via GSA Schedule Contract GS-35F-0429V). Go-to-market is consultative and quote-based: account managers, QuickQuote forms, the interactive e-Binder catalog, the annual Identity Summit at NYU, and educational forums (Campus Forum Series, Credential & Identity Security Forum) drive demand, while a dedicated reseller portal at coloriddistribution.com supports a channel layer.
In February 2026 ColorID achieved HID Elite Technology Partner status, a distinction held by only five companies globally, formalizing its position as a strategic integration partner to HID. The company is privately held (ColorID, LLC, North Carolina), operates with 11-50 employees, and shows no evidence of outside institutional investment or acquisitive activity to date. Its competitive position rests on multi-vendor integration expertise, deep higher-education customer relationships, a partnership-friendly posture toward its hardware vendors, and ongoing investment in software-led (cloud and mobile credential) extensions of what is fundamentally a hardware resale and services business.
ColorID firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ColorID
- Legal name
- ColorID, LLC
- Website
- https://colorid.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ColorID is a privately held value-added distributor and systems integrator of identification and biometric solutions, serving 1,000+ higher-education institutions plus enterprise, healthcare, and government customers with hardware, software, and lifetime support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ColorID is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cornelius
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ColorID business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- ID Card Printers & Hardware Sales: ColorID sells a wide range of ID card printers from multiple manufacturers including HID Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard, Nisca, Matica, Entrust Datacard, and others. Sales are conducted via direct quotes, QuickQuote forms, and account managers.
- ID Cards, Ribbons & Consumables: Sale of blank ID cards, printer ribbons, laminates, access cards, proximity cards, contactless smart cards, and UHF cards & tags.
- Biometric & Reader Hardware: Sale of biometric recognition devices (fingerprint, iris, facial recognition, palm vein) and ID card readers including HID Signo, iCLASS SE, multiCLASS SE, proximity readers, desktop readers, and magstripe readers.
- Software Licenses & Subscriptions: Sale and support of ID card software including CardExchange Cloud Suite, CardExchange Desktop ID Software, Asure ID, ID Works, HID Fargo Connect, RemotePhoto, and HID WorkforceID.
- Professional Services & Project Management: Identity roadmap consulting, recarding services, card migration, government contracts, pre-printed card services, and technical support. ColorID project managers personally oversee approximately 700 custom projects per year.
- Extended Warranty & Support Contracts: Extended warranty programs including enrollment into loaner programs, overnight loaner service, printer trade-in programs, and tune-up services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for all products and services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ColorID product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ColorID is a value-added distributor and systems integrator of identification solutions, supplying ID card printers, blank and smart cards, biometric recognition devices, contactless card readers, and credential management software (including its CardExchange Cloud Suite platform) from manufacturers such as HID Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard, Entrust Datacard, Idemia, and IrisID. The company provides consultative sales, project management for approximately 700 custom deployments per year, integration services, and lifetime support to higher education, healthcare, enterprise, and government customers.
Product overview
ColorID is a value-added distributor specializing in identification, credential management, and biometric security solutions. Their product portfolio centers on the CardExchange Cloud Suite platform for managing physical, wallet, and app-based credentials, complemented by HID WorkforceID for cloud-based workforce identity management. They distribute and support a comprehensive range of ID card printers from manufacturers including Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard, Entrust, Matica, Nisca, and IDP, along with associated ribbons and supplies. Their reader portfolio includes HID Signo, iCLASS SE, and multiCLASS SE contactless smart card readers, proximity readers, desktop readers, and biometric readers. Their biometric offerings span facial recognition (VisionPass SP, Invixium Titan), iris recognition (iCAM7 Series, iA1000, iT100), fingerprint recognition (Idemia MorphoWave, IDT Wallmount), and palm vein recognition (IDT Sapphire). They also offer visitor management solutions (HID Visitor Manager, Easy Lobby SVM, Verkada VMS), Bridge Solution for ODBC database integration, and various ID software products including Asure ID, ID Works, and CardExchange Desktop. Support services include the CHOICE Support Program and recarding services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CardExchange Cloud Suite: Cloud-based platform managing physical, wallet, and app-based credentials
- CardExchange Desktop ID Software
- CHOICE Support Program
- Bridge Solution
- ColorID Campus Forum Series
- Credential & Identity Security Forum
Products and services
- CardExchange Cloud Suite
Quantifiable outcome
- Helps more than 1,000 colleges and universities with identity solutions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ColorID
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ColorID technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
ColorID partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- HID GlobalflagshipColorID achieved HID Elite Technology Partner status, the highest designation within HID's partner ecosystem, recognizing ColorID's advanced technical expertise and strategic integration capabilities through its CardExchange Cloud Suite platform that manages physical, wallet, and app-based credentials. ColorID is one of only five companies globally to hold this designation.
- HID Fargo (HID Global)coreColorID is an HID Fargo Authorized Service & Support Center with the ability to upgrade new or existing printers to correct specifications. ColorID offers HID Fargo printers as part of its core product portfolio.
- Idemia (MorphoWave)coreColorID distributes Idemia's MorphoWave XP and MorphoWave SP contactless fingerprint recognition devices, including the MorphoWave SP with capacities of up to 10,000 users and MorphoWave XP supporting up to 100,000 users.
- IrisIDcoreColorID distributes IrisID products including the iCAM7 Series, iCAM TD100A, iCAM T10, iA1000 (iris and face recognition), and iT100 (dual capture iris and facial recognition) for biometric access control.
- IDEMIA / IdentyTech Solutions (Palm Vein)coreColorID distributes the IDT Sapphire palm vein recognition device (incorporating HID PalmSecure technology) and IDT Wallmount fingerprint device, both designed for rugged physical access control applications.
- RF IDeas (pcProx)coreColorID distributes RF IDeas pcProx card readers including pcProx Enroll, pcProx Plus (dual frequency), and pcProx Playback desktop ID readers for proximity and contactless smart card applications.
- US Government (GSA)coreColorID holds GSA Schedule Contract GS-35F-0429V, enabling US government agencies to procure ColorID's full range of identity management products and services through official government purchasing channels.
- New York University (NYU)minorNYU co-hosts the annual ColorID Identity Summit, an in-person conference exploring the future of identity management with industry leaders and technology experts. The event is held at NYU's Manhattan campus.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ColorID competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDenticard: IDenticard is a long-standing US-based identification and security solutions provider offering ID card printers, badges, access control, and visitor management—directly competing with ColorID across higher education, healthcare, and enterprise verticals.
- ID Wholesale: ID Wholesale is an online retailer specializing in ID card printers, cards, ribbons, and accessories from multiple manufacturers (Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard). It overlaps directly with ColorID's hardware distribution business model, though with less emphasis on integration services.
- BradyID: BradyID is Brady Corporation's identification solutions business, offering ID card printers, photo ID systems, badges, and visitor management—directly comparable to ColorID's product portfolio and customer segments.
- SafeCardID: SafeCardID is an online ID solutions retailer offering ID card printers, cards, and accessories from multiple manufacturers. It competes with ColorID in the SMB and education segments for ID hardware purchases.
- All ID: All ID is an identification solutions provider offering ID card printers, badge systems, access control, and visitor management software, serving higher education and enterprise customers in a similar value-added reseller model to ColorID.
Broad incumbents
- HID Global: HID Global is the dominant credential manufacturer and ColorID's flagship technology partner. It offers overlapping capabilities (printers, readers, credentials, WorkforceID) but as part of a much broader portfolio serving global markets directly.
- Identiv: Identiv is a publicly traded security technology company offering physical access, credentialing, and RFID solutions that overlap with ColorID's biometric, card, and access reader categories. It competes as a broader incumbent rather than a focused integrator.
- Allegion: Allegion is a large publicly traded provider of security products and access control solutions. While not a direct reseller like ColorID, it overlaps through credential readers and electronic access control offerings.
- Convergint Technologies: Convergint is a large global systems integrator specializing in security, fire alarm, and identity/access control deployments. It competes with ColorID on large-scale enterprise and government credentialing projects but operates at significantly larger scale.
Others
- ASSA ABLOY (HID parent): ASSA ABLOY is the parent company of HID Global and the global leader in access solutions. It is relevant as the upstream supplier whose ecosystem strategy directly affects ColorID's go-to-market as a value-added reseller.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ColorID social profiles
Digital presenceColorID compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ColorID financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ColorID leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ColorID funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ColorID 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 ColorID
What does ColorID do?
ColorID is a value-added distributor and systems integrator of identification solutions, supplying ID card printers, blank and smart cards, biometric recognition devices, contactless card readers, and credential management software (including its CardExchange Cloud Suite platform) from manufacturers such as HID Fargo, Zebra, Evolis, Magicard, Entrust Datacard, Idemia, and IrisID. The company provides consultative sales, project management for approximately 700 custom deployments per year, integration services, and lifetime support to higher education, healthcare, enterprise, and government customers.
Is ColorID a public or private company?
ColorID is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ColorID founded?
ColorID was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ColorID based?
ColorID is headquartered in Cornelius, United States, in the North America region.
How does ColorID make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. ID Card Printers & Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are ID Cards, Ribbons & Consumables, biometric & Reader Hardware, software Licenses & Subscriptions, professional Services & Project Management and extended Warranty & Support Contracts.
Who are ColorID's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDenticard, ID Wholesale, BradyID, SafeCardID and All ID. Broad incumbents are HID Global, Identiv, Allegion and Convergint Technologies. ASSA ABLOY (HID parent) is listed as an others.
Does ColorID have an API?
No public API is recorded for ColorID.