What Smartware does

Smartware is a privately held French manufacturer founded in 1986 and headquartered in Les Ulis (near Paris), specializing in industrial equipment for the electrical testing, personalization, and quality control of contact and contactless secure elements, including smartcards, NFC microSD cards, M2M modules, and embedded secure elements (eSE/eSIM). The company's core technology portfolio centers on the US-CLT3 platform (a programmable-RF contactless tester supporting ISO/IEC 14443, MasterCard PayPass, Sony FeliCa, NXP MIFARE Plus, and ISO/IEC 15693 protocols, sold in US-1TP, US-2TP, and US-4TP head-count configurations) and the PerSE 4000 modular system for electrical testing, personalization, and sequential marking of embedded secure elements using a 4-axis arm robot and personalization turn table. Smartware also offers VIBOX 6430, a stand-alone continuous-diagnostics system for engines and rotating machinery, alongside custom embedded-systems development services.

The company's offerings are organized into five solution categories — smartcard and module testing, smartcard and eDocument personalization, smartcard quality control, eSIM personalization and test, and custom embedded systems — and are complemented by two software products, SmartGear and STPersoEngine, used in personalization operations.

Smartware operates a direct enterprise field-sales motion led by Key Account Managers (including Enrico PERROZZI), with on-site installation, custom development, and tiered Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA) that provide recurring post-sale revenue through updates and technical support. The customer base spans 100+ companies across secure element manufacturing, banking (smartcard personalization), government (passport and eDocument), transportation, and connected-device manufacturing (eSIM). The company claims 70,000+ couplers active worldwide and an aggregate tested volume exceeding 3 billion cards per year. Smartware holds active memberships in AFNOR working groups and the SD Association, contributing to contact-card, contactless-card, and SD-card standards. The company is founder-owned and led by Stéphane MEDIONI (Managing Director and Founder) and has remained continuously operating under the same leadership since 1986, with no disclosed external investors or parent entities.

Name

Smartware

Legal name

Smartware

Website

https://smartware.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smartware is a French, founder-owned industrial-equipment manufacturer (founded 1986, Les Ulis) that builds testing, personalization, and quality-control systems for contact and contactless secure elements used in smartcards, eSIMs, and embedded secure elements, serving secure-element manufacturers, banking, government, transportation, and IoT customers across 100+ companies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secure Element Testing and Personalization Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Secure ICs, Smart Cards & Trusted Hardware (HDAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Industrial-Grade IDMs (HDAHAAAI), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO)

Keywords

• Secure element testing
• Smartcard personalization
• Contactless card testing
• ESIM personalization equipment
• Secure element manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Equipment Sales: Sale of industrial equipment for secure element testing, personalization, and quality control including US-CLT3, PerSE systems, module handlers, and custom embedded systems like VIBOX 6430.
2. Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA): Recurring revenue from software maintenance agreements that provide updates, new features, latest improvements, and technical support during the warranty period and beyond.
3. Professional Services: On-site installation, expertise services, custom development, and training services for smartcard solutions throughout the product lifecycle.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smartware designs, manufactures, and sells industrial equipment and software for the electrical testing, personalization, and quality control of contact and contactless secure elements, including smartcards, NFC microSD cards, M2M devices, and eSIMs. Its product portfolio combines dedicated hardware platforms (US-CLT3 tester, PerSE 4000 personalization equipment, VIBOX 6430 diagnostics) with embedded software (SmartGear, STPersoEngine) and accompanying services such as on-site installation, training, and software maintenance agreements.

Product overview

Smartware offers a modular, scalable portfolio of secure element production solutions, combining hardware equipment with software tools. Core products include the US-CLT3 contactless card testing/personalization system and PerSE 4000 eSIM personalization equipment, supported by software products SmartGear and STPersoEngine. These integrate with dedicated assembly variants (US-1TP, US-2TP, US-4TP) featuring the US-Core v5 motherboard. The portfolio also encompasses VIBOX 6430 for industrial diagnostics and five specialized solution categories covering smartcard/module testing, eDocument personalization, quality control, eSIM personalization, and custom embedded systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PerSE: Personalization of Secure Elements - modular equipment designed for electrical testing, personalization, and sequential marking of Embedded Secure Elements (eSE).
• US-CLT 3
• VIBOX 6430

Products and services

• US-CLT3 Contactless Card Tester Advanced contactless card testing and personalization system supporting multiple protocols (ISO/IEC 14443, MasterCard PayPass, Sony FeliCa, NXP MIFARE Plus, ISO/IEC 15693). Features programmable RF parameters, capacitance/inductance measurement, GPIO for external equipment integration, communication speeds up to 3.4 Mbps, and a 4-quadrant VNA. Available in three pre-configured assemblies (US-1TP, US-2TP, US-4TP) combined with the US-Core v5 motherboard. Designed for smartcard manufacturers and equipment producers.
• PerSE 4000 Modular industrial equipment (Personalization of Secure Elements) for electrical testing, personalization, and sequential marking of Embedded Secure Elements (eSE) using fixed and variable data. Features a 4-Axis Arm Robot and Personalization Turn Table concept for minimal handling of sensitive components. Designed for eSIM and embedded secure element manufacturers requiring secure connectivity management and remote provisioning.
• VIBOX 6430 Stand-alone system for continuous diagnostics of engines and rotating machinery. Features 4 input channels for industrial measurements, 24-bit acquisition resolution, 256 ksps sampling rate, with communication ports including Gigabit Ethernet, CAN 2.0B, RS232, RS485, and 2 opto-isolated outputs. Targeted at industrial equipment manufacturers requiring predictive maintenance and machinery performance monitoring.
• SmartGear Software application for smartcard management and personalization operations, used by smartcard manufacturers and personalizers.
• STPersoEngine Personalization engine software for smartcard operations, supporting secure element data preparation and personalization workflows.
• Custom Embedded Systems Development Custom embedded system development services ranging from antenna design to complete personalization systems, including bespoke stand-alone diagnostic systems for engines and rotating machinery. Tailored to specific customer requirements in the secure element manufacturing and industrial monitoring sectors.
• Software Maintenance Agreements (SMA) and On-Site Assistance Recurring software maintenance agreements providing updates, new features, latest improvements, and technical support, combined with on-site installation assistance and first-level maintenance training to fine-tune systems and achieve uptime objectives for smartcard and secure element production lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• +3,000,000,000 cards/year produced and tested globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AFNOR (Association Française de Normalisation)coreTechnology or IntegrationSmartware is a member of AFNOR working groups for contact card and contactless card standardization, contributing to the development of industry standards.
• SD AssociationcoreTechnology or IntegrationSmartware is a member of the SD Association which develops and publishes technical standards for SD Card technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær): HBK is a global leader in condition monitoring and industrial diagnostics for rotating machinery — a direct peer for Smartware's VIBOX 6430 custom embedded systems line in industrial measurement applications.
• Veridos: Veridos provides passport and eDocument personalization solutions to governments — a direct peer in secure eDocument personalization, an area where Smartware explicitly competes with its passport/eDocument solutions.
• Mühlbauer Group: Mühlbauer is a German provider of turnkey smartcard and eID production/personalization systems, including test equipment for secure elements — directly comparable to Smartware's US-CLT3 and PerSE platforms in both customer base and product scope.
• VALID (Valid Soluções S.A.): VALID is a Brazilian provider of secure identification and smartcard personalization solutions — a direct peer in secure element and eDocument personalization targeting banking, government, and telecom customers.

Others

• Infineon Technologies: Infineon is a major supplier of secure element and smartcard ICs — comparable as an upstream customer and ecosystem player whose specifications shape Smartware's product requirements.
• NXP Semiconductors: NXP is a leading supplier of secure element ICs (MIFARE, etc.) and is a key upstream customer for Smartware's testing and personalization equipment — a chip supplier whose protocol stack (MIFARE) Smartware explicitly supports.

Broad incumbents

• Thales (Digital Identity & Security): Thales (which absorbed Gemalto) is a leading secure-element and smartcard producer serving banking, government ID, and telecom — a large incumbent whose secure element and eSIM operations directly overlap with Smartware's buyer ecosystem.
• IDEMIA: IDEMIA is a global leader in secure identity, smartcards, and eSIM solutions — a major buyer of secure-element production technology and a broad incumbent whose needs intersect directly with Smartware's personalization and test equipment offerings.
• Giesecke+Devrient: G+D is a global provider of secure elements, smartcards, and personalization services across banking, government, and telecom — a much larger incumbent that overlaps with Smartware's downstream customers and increasingly develops its own production equipment.

Regional players

• Eastcompeace: Eastcompeace is a major Chinese smartcard and secure element manufacturer serving telecom and banking — comparable in product scope but primarily serving Asia, making it a regional rather than direct competitor to Smartware.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartware
• Xx.com/_smartware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Smartware