Thawte Consulting

What Thawte Consulting does

Thawte is a globally recognized Certificate Authority brand and wholly-owned subsidiary of DigiCert, Inc., specializing in public key infrastructure (PKI) and digital trust services for websites, email, software, documents, and regulated transactions. The company issues and manages TLS/SSL certificates across Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV) tiers — including wildcard and multi-domain variants — alongside S/MIME email encryption certificates, code signing certificates, document signing certificates, and Verified Mark Certificates (VMC) for BIMI-compliant email brand authentication. Thawte's underlying technology is operated on DigiCert's certificate infrastructure, with lifecycle management delivered through the DigiCert CertCentral platform (and a dedicated CertCentral Europe instance for EU data residency). FIPS 140-2 Level 2-compliant cloud key storage is provided via DigiCert KeyLocker for code signing, and certificate issuance is integrated across CI/CD platforms (Azure DevOps, CircleCI, GitLab, Jenkins, GitHub), document platforms (Adobe AATL, DocuSign, Microsoft Office), and email clients (Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Mail, Fastmail, ZohoMail).

Thawte monetizes exclusively through subscription-based annual contracts with auto-renewal, priced per certificate or per seat, ranging from approximately $192/year for entry DV SSL to $1,728/year for PSD2-compliant QWAC, with EV certificates carrying warranty coverage up to $1.5M USD. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer self-serve web purchase for SMBs and individuals, supplemented by dedicated enterprise phone and email sales lines across Americas, EMEA, and APJ, plus channel distribution through integration partners. Customer segments span website owners and e-commerce businesses, organizations with email security requirements (healthcare, financial services, defense), software developers, legal/financial enterprises requiring e-signatures, EU organizations needing eIDAS/PSD2 qualified certificates, and Dutch entities requiring PKIoverheid certificates for Digipoort government communication.

As a subsidiary brand rather than an independent operating company, Thawte does not separately disclose revenue, headcount, or standalone financial statements. The company has no independent funding history, no disclosed M&A activity of its own, and no separate leadership team — its strategic and operational direction is set within DigiCert's portfolio of digital trust brands. Active expansion has occurred through productization of EU regulatory offerings, PKIoverheid for the Dutch market, VMC/CMC for BIMI, and deepening of developer-tooling and document-platform integrations.

Name

Thawte Consulting

Legal name

Thawte (DigiCert, Inc.)

Website

https://thawte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Thawte is a globally recognized Certificate Authority brand owned by DigiCert, issuing subscription-based TLS/SSL, S/MIME, code signing, document signing, and EU/PKIoverheid qualified certificates to website owners, software developers, and regulated enterprises worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Certificate Authority Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Offices of Notaries (54112)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Document Digitization, eDocs & eBL/eAWB Enablement (Platforms/Compliance) (TLACAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Certificates of Origin & Trade Certificates (COO, Chamber/Legalization) (TLACAHAC)

Keywords

• TLS/SSL certificates
• Certificate authority services
• Public key infrastructure
• Code signing certificates
• Document signing certificates

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TLS/SSL Certificate Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV) TLS/SSL certificates. Certificates are sold on subscription basis with annual auto-renewal. Revenue varies by validation level with DV being most affordable and EV commanding premium pricing due to extensive identity verification requirements.
2. Code Signing Certificates: Revenue from code signing certificates that protect software from tampering. Offered with Organization Validation or Extended Validation, with optional hardware tokens or cloud-based KeyLocker storage. Sold as annual subscriptions.
3. S/MIME Email Certificates: Revenue from email security certificates providing end-to-end encryption and authentication for individuals and business groups. Tiered pricing for individual, business group, and business employee subscriptions.
4. Document Signing Certificates: Revenue from document signing certificates enabling legally binding digital signatures compatible with Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, Microsoft Office and other platforms. Sold with optional hardware tokens for identity verification.
5. Verified Mark Certificates (VMC): Revenue from brand protection certificates enabling display of verified logos in email inboxes. Priced per certificate with subscription model including automatic file hosting and certificate renewal.
6. EU Qualified Certificates (QWAC, QSealC, QES): Revenue from EU-specific qualified certificates for eIDAS and PSD2 compliance, including Qualified Web Authentication Certificates, Qualified Electronic Seals, and Qualified Electronic Signatures for European market requirements.
7. PKIoverheid Certificates: Revenue from Dutch government-compliant certificates for authentication, encryption, and document signing required for secure communications with Dutch government entities through Digipoort.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thawte is a globally recognized Certificate Authority (CA) brand operated by DigiCert that issues digital certificates — including TLS/SSL (DV/OV/EV and wildcard), S/MIME email, code signing, document signing and Verified Mark Certificates — to secure websites, email, software and documents. The portfolio extends to EU-qualified certificates (QWAC, QES, eSeal, PSD2 variants) for eIDAS/PSD2 compliance and PKIoverheid certificates for Dutch government communications. Certificate issuance, renewal, revocation and lifecycle management are delivered through the DigiCert CertCentral platform, supported by 24x5 global customer support.

Product overview

Thawte is a globally recognized Certificate Authority and subsidiary of DigiCert, offering a comprehensive portfolio of digital certificates and public key infrastructure (PKI) solutions. The product portfolio centers on TLS/SSL certificates (including Thawte SSL 123 DV, SSL Web OV, and SSL Web EV), complemented by email security through S/MIME certificates, software security via Code Signing certificates, and document security through Document Signing certificates. Thawte extends DigiCert's offerings through Verified Mark Certificates (VMC) for email brand protection. For European markets, Thawte provides EU-qualified certificates including QWAC, EU Document Signing (QES), EU eSeal, and EU eSeal PSD2 for PSD2 compliance. Dutch government services are served through PKIoverheid certificates including Private Services Server, Document Signing, and Authentication/Encryption certificates. Certificate lifecycle management is handled through DigiCert CertCentral and DigiCert CertCentral Europe platforms, which provide centralized management for all certificate types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thawte SSL 123 - DV
• Thawte SSL Webserver - OV
• Thawte SSL Webserver - EV
• Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)
• Common Mark Certificate (CMC)
• S/MIME Email Certificate
• Code Signing Certificate
• Document Signing Certificate
• EU Qualified Web Authentication Certificate (QWAC)
• EU Qualified Document Signing (QES)
• EU Qualified eSeal
• EU Qualified eSeal PSD2
• PKIo Private Services Server Certificate
• PKIo Document Signing Certificate
• PKIo Authentication/Encryption Certificate
• PKIo Citizen Signing Certificate
• PKIo Personal Organization Signing Certificate
• PKIo Professional Signing Certificate
• PKIo Qualified Electronic Seal Certificate

Quantifiable outcome

• Strong 256-bit encryption on 2048-bit root of trust protects against data interception and tampering
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration33 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DigiCertcoreOthersDigiCert is the parent company powering Thawte. Thawte is a globally recognized Certificate Authority that is now powered by DigiCert, the industry leader in high-assurance website security. Thawte certificates are backed by DigiCert's infrastructure, CertCentral platform, and award-winning global support. This is not a partnership but a subsidiary/brand relationship where DigiCert owns and operates the Thawte brand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DigiCert: Parent company of Thawte and the largest high-assurance Certificate Authority globally. Operates in the same space with broader portfolio including IoT PKI, enterprise trust management, and DigiCert ONE platform.
• GoDaddy SSL: Major incumbent SSL certificate reseller targeting SMB and website owners. Competes with Thawte's DV and OV SSL tiers at lower price points with bundled web hosting offerings.

Direct peers

• Sectigo: One of the largest commercial Certificate Authorities globally, offering TLS/SSL, S/MIME, Code Signing, and Document Signing certificates. Direct competitor across nearly all of Thawte's core product lines.
• Entrust: Established Certificate Authority and PKI solutions provider with TLS/SSL, Code Signing, and qualified eIDAS certificates. Comparable to Thawte in serving enterprise customers requiring high-assurance digital certificates.
• GlobalSign: Major Certificate Authority providing TLS/SSL, Code Signing, eIDAS-qualified certificates, and PKI solutions. Directly competes with Thawte in enterprise digital certificate markets, particularly in regulated EU segments.

Emerging players

• Let's Encrypt: Free, automated, open Certificate Authority issuing DV TLS/SSL certificates. Represents the primary competitive threat to Thawte's DV tier pricing and has materially shaped industry economics.
• SSL.com: Commercial Certificate Authority offering TLS/SSL, Code Signing, and document signing certificates. Smaller-scale competitor focused on specific customer segments and pricing tiers comparable to Thawte.
• IdenTrust: Certificate Authority specializing in digital identity and trusted digital identity verification services, including eIDAS-qualified certificates. Overlaps with Thawte in regulated EU certificate segments.

Regional players

• Actalis: European Certificate Authority offering eIDAS-qualified certificates and digital trust services. Comparable to Thawte in EU regulated certificate markets with focus on European customers.

Others

• DocuSign: Adjacent ecosystem partner and leading digital agreement platform that integrates with Thawte's document signing certificates. Relevant peer given shared customers in legally binding electronic signature workflows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/digicert
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DigiCert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thawte-world-of-trust---a-verisign-company

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Thawte Consulting