Alcineo
Alcineo (La Ciotat, France; est. 2007) builds PCI MPoC-certified EMV Level 2 kernels and SoftPOS SDKs enabling Tap to Phone and contactless payment acceptance on COTS devices. It licenses this embedded acceptance software to terminal manufacturers, PSPs, transit integrators, and SoftPOS providers across 30+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLa Ciotat, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Alcineo does
Alcineo (legally Alcinéo) is a private French embedded-software vendor founded in 2007 and headquartered in La Ciotat. The company builds payment acceptance software for terminal manufacturers, PSPs and acquirers, transit integrators, SoftPOS providers, ISVs and platform designers. Its core offering has two lines: certification-ready EMV Level 2 contact and contactless kernels, supporting twelve-plus payment schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Bancontact, CB, girocard, Bancomat, eftpos, Interac Flash, Multibanco, Thales Pure, CPACE); and an MPoC-certified SoftPOS SDK enabling Tap to Phone acceptance on COTS Android devices with virtual PIN, key management, device attestation, and fleet-monitoring backend services. Both products are optimized for small-footprint, multi-OS deployment and are pre-validated by accredited laboratories, materially reducing clients' certification timelines.
Underlying technology is domain-specialized rather than AI-driven: deterministic payment kernels conforming to EMVCo Level 1/Level 2 specifications, plus MPoC-compliant attestation/monitoring services performed in collaboration with UL Solutions (La Ciotat) and Elitt. The firm is led by founder-president Arnaud Corria, operates with 11-50 employees, and is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, suggesting organic, bootstrapped growth.
Alcineo monetizes primarily through SDK and kernel licensing (royalties tied to device volume or per-build), supplemented by professional services for bespoke integration, certification support and ongoing maintenance. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales to OEMs and PSPs, plus upstream embedding via the STMicroelectronics Partner Program and NXP partner ecosystem, and OEM integrations with device partners including Coppernic, AMobile, MobiIoT and oona. Marketing emphasizes industry events (UITP, NetComm Forum, Visa Vendor Forum, Sommet CB) targeting payment-ecosystem stakeholders. The company states that its certified software is deployed in 30+ countries across six continents.
Alcineo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alcineo
- Legal name
- Alcinéo
- Website
- https://alcineo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alcineo (La Ciotat, France; est. 2007) builds PCI MPoC-certified EMV Level 2 kernels and SoftPOS SDKs enabling Tap to Phone and contactless payment acceptance on COTS devices. It licenses this embedded acceptance software to terminal manufacturers, PSPs, transit integrators, and SoftPOS providers across 30+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alcineo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Embedded Payment Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- mPOS & SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) Solutions (FSAMADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO), Open-Loop EMV Contactless Fare Payments (THAIAMAD)
Keywords
Where Alcineo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Ciotat
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alcineo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SDK Licensing: Licensing of SoftPOS SDK and EMV Level 2 kernels to payment solution providers, terminal manufacturers, and fintech companies for integration into their products.
- Certification Services: Attestation and monitoring services certified under PCI MPoC, providing backend security services for SoftPOS deployments.
- Integration Support: Bespoke integration support and dedicated maintenance services to optimize product lifecycle for clients.
- EMV Technology Consulting: Technical expertise and engineering support for certification processes, lab-like validation, and product type approval.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Alcineo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alcineo develops and licenses EMV Level 2 payment kernels and a SoftPOS SDK that enable secure card payment acceptance on payment terminals and on Android/multi-OS COTS mobile devices. Its products support multiple global and domestic payment schemes (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, American Express, Discover, JCB, Interac, CPACE, Bancontact, CB, girocard, eftpos and others) and include PCI MPoC certified attestation and monitoring backend services for SoftPOS compliance.
Product overview
Alcinéo is the embedded payment acceptance specialist offering two core product lines: (1) SoftPOS SDK - a PCI MPoC certified toolkit for Tap to Phone payments enabling secure card acceptance on Android devices without additional hardware; and (2) EMV Level 2 Kernels - cert-ready contact and contactless payment kernels for traditional payment terminals. The company provides attestation and monitoring backend services as an integral component of their SoftPOS offering, supporting transit fare collection, fare inspection, retail, and hospitality use cases across 30+ countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SoftPOS SDK A PCI MPoC certified software development kit enabling secure Tap to Phone (SoftPOS) payment acceptance on Android and multi-OS devices. Provides a certified payment suite, virtual PIN capability, key management, attestation and monitoring backend services, and multi-scheme support including Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Interac, American Express, Discover, JCB and European schemes, targeted at PSPs, acquirers, SoftPOS providers, transit integrators, ISVs and device OEMs.
- EMV Level 2 Kernels Certification-ready EMV Level 2 contact and contactless payment kernels for all types of payment terminals. Supports major payment schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Discover, JCB, Bancontact, CB, girocard, Bancomat, eftpos, Interac, Multibanco, Thales Pure, CPACE) with customizable implementations optimized for STM32 platforms and dedicated integration support, targeted at terminal manufacturers and platform designers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Launch SoftPOS solutions in weeks rather than months through certified SDK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Alcineo
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Alcineo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Alcineo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- STMicroelectronicscoreAlcineo joined the STMicroelectronics Partner Program to provide EMV Level 1 contact software stack on STM32 platforms, helping payment terminal manufacturers achieve compliance and accelerating certification processes. The partnership provides a fully functional EMV contact stack for smartcard readers.
- NXP SemiconductorscoreRegistered partner completing the ecosystem surrounding NXP technologies for embedded payment designs. Collaboration with leading silicon and hardware providers optimizes software at the core of embedded payment architectures.
- CopperniccoreCoppernic integrated Alcineo SoftPOS payment solution into their rugged handheld devices for public transportation ticketing. Devices can securely read EMV credit cards, smartphone wallets, and smartwatches. Coppernic is a market leader with installations in 80% of French cities with over 100K inhabitants.
- NeptingcoreAlcineo and Nepting collaborated to demonstrate SoftPOS technology at UITP Summit 2025 for transit fare collection. Nepting provides a scalable and certified platform for payment acceptance while Alcineo embeds transit-specific features for open-loop payment systems.
- oonacoreJoint demonstration of SoftPOS solution at UITP Global Public Transport Summit. oona provides ruggedized Android tablets and kiosks with integrated NFC technology while Alcineo provides SoftPOS SDK for EMV contactless payments.
- UL SolutionscoreCollaboration since 2018 for security and functional testing of SoftPOS applications. UL Solutions performed evaluations in their La Ciotat laboratory to demonstrate Alcineo's SoftPOS application meets industry requirements for international issuers, processors, and PSPs.
- ElittcoreFrench laboratory accredited to perform official testing approvals for CPACE kernel certification. Alcineo integrated and certified the European CPACE contactless kernel through Elitt's testing services.
- Payment Networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)coreClose collaboration with global payment networks ensures acceptance logic reflects latest requirements, giving clients confidence that integrations are secure, compliant, and ready for certification on any network.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Alcineo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Adyen: Adyen offers Tap to Pay and terminal software as part of its unified commerce platform, competing in the same enterprise acquiring and PSP customer base Alcineo targets. Comparable as a broad incumbent integrating payment acceptance (including SoftPOS) into its platform offering.
- Block (Square): Block's Square ecosystem includes Square Reader, Square Register, and Tap to Pay on iPhone/Android SoftPOS. Comparable as a major SoftPOS ecosystem with proprietary software stacks; represents both a competitor in merchant-facing SoftPOS and an indirect integrator for the kind of kernel layer Alcineo supplies.
- Thales: Thales is a global digital security heavyweight with a payment-kernel and domestic-scheme (Pure, CB) business that directly overlaps Alcineo's EMV Level 2 and Thales Pure offerings. Comparable as a broader incumbent in EMV kernels and payment security software.
- Verifone: Verifone is one of the world's largest payment terminal manufacturers with its own embedded payment software stack. Comparable as a broad incumbent in POS hardware and integrated acceptance software serving merchants and acquirers.
- IDEMIA: IDEMIA provides payment software, EMV kernels, and Secure Element solutions to card issuers and terminal makers. Directly comparable to Alcineo's certified EMV kernel and payment acceptance stack, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Worldline (formerly Ingenico): Worldline is a major European payment acquirer and terminal/payments-software provider following the Ingenico acquisition. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering both payment terminals and acceptance software across Europe, overlapping with Alcineo's PSP/acquirer and terminal manufacturer customer base.
Direct peers
- Castles Technology: Castles Technology designs and manufactures payment terminals and module solutions with EMV certifications across major schemes. Comparable to Alcineo in EMV-certified payment hardware/software, particularly in transit and unattended segments.
- PAX Global Technology: PAX Global manufactures Android-based POS terminals and offers its own payment software to acquirers and PSPs. Comparable to Alcineo as a terminal/payment-software vendor serving the same acquirer and PSP customer base, though PAX sells finished hardware while Alcineo licenses kernels/SDKs.
- NMI (formerly CreditCall): NMI provides payment gateway and EMV Level 2/3 kernel software for ISVs, ISOs, and acquirers. Directly comparable to Alcineo as a payments-software vendor licensing EMV kernels to integrators, though NMI leans more toward gateway/ISV while Alcineo leans toward SoftPOS and transit.
Emerging players
- SumUp: SumUp is a SoftPOS pioneer offering Tap to Phone acceptance to SMB merchants across Europe. Comparable to Alcineo as a SoftPOS provider, though SumUp operates its own end-to-end merchant-facing product while Alcineo sells the underlying SDK to PSPs/acquirers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alcineo social profiles
Digital presenceAlcineo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Alcineo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alcineo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Alcineo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alcineo 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 Alcineo
What does Alcineo do?
Alcineo develops and licenses EMV Level 2 payment kernels and a SoftPOS SDK that enable secure card payment acceptance on payment terminals and on Android/multi-OS COTS mobile devices. Its products support multiple global and domestic payment schemes (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, American Express, Discover, JCB, Interac, CPACE, Bancontact, CB, girocard, eftpos and others) and include PCI MPoC certified attestation and monitoring backend services for SoftPOS compliance.
Is Alcineo a public or private company?
Alcineo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alcineo founded?
Alcineo was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alcineo based?
Alcineo is headquartered in La Ciotat, France, in the Europe region.
How does Alcineo make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SDK Licensing is the primary driver. The others are certification Services, integration Support and EMV Technology Consulting.
Who are Alcineo's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Adyen, Block (Square), Thales, Verifone, IDEMIA and Worldline (formerly Ingenico). Direct peers are Castles Technology, PAX Global Technology and NMI (formerly CreditCall). SumUp is listed as an emerging player.
Does Alcineo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alcineo.
What industry is Alcineo in?
Alcineo's product category is Embedded Payment Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMADAB, mPOS & SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) Solutions, with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure.