IDEMIA
IDEMIA is a global leader in biometrics and cryptography, providing secure digital and physical identity solutions to 600+ governments, 2,300+ enterprises, 1,900 financial institutions, and 500 mobile operators across 180+ countries through its Secure Transactions and Public Security business units.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCourbevoie, France
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What IDEMIA does
IDEMIA is a global technology company specializing in biometrics and cryptography-based identity solutions, formed in 2017 through the merger of Oberthur Technologies and Morpho (Safran Identity & Security). Headquartered in Courbevoie, France, the company operates two main business units: IDEMIA Secure Transactions (payment cards, connectivity/eSIM, and cybersecurity) and IDEMIA Public Security (government identity, biometric identification, public safety, and travel identity). It serves 600+ government organizations, 2,300+ enterprises, 1,900 financial institutions and FinTechs, 500 mobile operators, and 4 of the top 10 global car makers across 180+ countries, generating €2.8BN+ in 2024 revenue with 12,500+ employees and 1,500+ active patent families spanning 84 countries.
IDEMIA's core technology portfolio spans government-grade biometrics (fingerprint, facial recognition, multimodal identification), post-quantum cryptography, hardware security modules, and AI-driven border control systems. Flagship products include the Starlight OLED payment card (first network-certified OLED card), F.CODE biometric payment card (fingerprint authentication stored in secure element), MOTION CODE dynamic CVV, NAFIS NextGen cloud-based biometric identification, BORDERGUARD border control suite, quantum-safe 5G SIMs, and Mobile ID platforms deployed across 10 U.S. states with Apple, Google, and Samsung Wallet integrations. The company maintains a Net Promoter Score of +40 and holds DHS RIVR, NIST, EcoVadis Platinum, GDPR, and ISO 27001 certifications.
IDEMIA's revenue model combines hardware sales (payment cards, SIM cards), subscription/recurring revenue from government identity programs and connectivity services, and licensing/royalties from cybersecurity products like HSMs and cryptographic libraries. GTM is direct enterprise and government field sales with multi-year contracts, supplemented by distribution through financial institutions (1,900), mobile operators (500), and 30+ card personalization service centers worldwide. Following the July 2025 divestiture of Smart Identity to IN Groupe and the announced €1.2B sale of IDEMIA Public Security to Amadeus, the Group is refocusing toward biometric secure transactions and cybersecurity as its core operating perimeter.
IDEMIA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IDEMIA
- Legal name
- IDEMIA France SAS
- Website
- https://idemia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- IDEMIA is a global leader in biometrics and cryptography, providing secure digital and physical identity solutions to 600+ governments, 2,300+ enterprises, 1,900 financial institutions, and 500 mobile operators across 180+ countries through its Secure Transactions and Public Security business units.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IDEMIA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Identity and Security Solutions
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics) (HDADAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data, Evidence & Document Verification (IDV) for KYC (FSAMAMAN), Access Control & Identity Systems Integration (Badge, Biometrics, Mobile) (BPAKAGAB)
Keywords
Where IDEMIA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Courbevoie
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
IDEMIA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Security & Government Identity Solutions: Revenue from identity verification, biometric systems, and security solutions deployed to 600+ government organizations, including national ID programs, driver's license issuance, law enforcement systems, and border control solutions
- Secure Transactions & Payment Solutions: Revenue from payment card manufacturing, digital payment solutions, and fintech partnerships serving 1,900 financial institutions; includes premium card products like metal cards, biometric cards, and illuminated cards
- Connectivity & IoT Solutions: Revenue from eSIM technology, SIM card solutions, and IoT connectivity security serving 500 mobile operators and automotive manufacturers including 4 of top 10 car makers
- Cybersecurity Solutions: Revenue from Hardware Security Modules (HSM), post-quantum cryptography consulting, and quantum-ready cryptographic libraries for enterprise and government security
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise and Government Solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
IDEMIA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IDEMIA develops and manufactures biometric identity verification systems, cryptographic security solutions, and secure physical products including payment cards, SIM/eSIM cards, and biometric devices. The company provides identity solutions for governments (national IDs, driver's licenses, border control, law enforcement) and secure transaction solutions for financial institutions and mobile operators.
Product overview
IDEMIA is a leader in biometrics and cryptography with two main business units: IDEMIA Secure Transactions and IDEMIA Public Security. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of identity and security products and services. IDEMIA Secure Transactions provides payment cards (including F.CODE biometric cards, Starlight OLED cards, Metal Cards, and Elite Metal Art premium offerings), digital payment solutions (MOTION CODE, e-PIN), connectivity solutions (eSIM technology, IoT security), and cybersecurity products (Hardware Security Modules, quantum-ready cryptographic libraries). IDEMIA Public Security offers access control, justice and public safety solutions, travel identity solutions (BORDERGUARD suite, PaXpress for air/sea/rail, TSA enrollment), and mobile identity solutions for North American states. The company operates across 180+ countries serving 600+ government organizations and 2,000+ enterprise customers, with over 60 years of experience, 1,500+ active patent families, and €2.8BN+ revenue in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Starlight: Illuminating payment card technology using OLED that lights up during contactless payments without battery
- F.CODE
- MOTION CODE
- BORDERGUARD
- PaXpress
- Elite Metal Art
- NAFIS NextGen
- IMPACT
Products and services
- F.CODE Biometric Payment Card
Quantifiable outcome
- DHS RIVR certified identity verification meeting all PAD performance thresholds
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use IDEMIA
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
IDEMIA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability13 records
Feature9 records
IDEMIA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and regional.
- LA MetroflagshipPartnership to deliver over 800,000 team-branded transit cards including the first LED-enabled public transit card in North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Cards feature 20 distinct designs representing 14 countries.
- SamsungcoreIDEMIA Public Security supports Samsung Wallet launch of California Mobile ID, enabling Californian residents to securely store and use mobile driver's licenses on supported Samsung Galaxy devices at TSA checkpoints and participating businesses.
- AmadeusflagshipAmadeus announced acquisition of Idemia Public Security (IPS) for €1.2 billion following competitive bid process, aimed at enhancing Amadeus's biometric and identity capabilities for travel digitalization.
- AtoscoreAtos and Idemia consortium implementing Togo's $72 million MOSIP-based national digital ID project, funded under World Bank's WURI program. Togo has issued 6 million Unique Identification Numbers as of December 2025.
- IndiciocoreStrategic partnership to develop an interoperable identity verification platform for financial services and cross-border payments, integrating biometric verification and verifiable credentials.
- U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycoreIDEMIA Public Security's Identity Proofing & Verification Solution evaluated and certified in DHS Remote Identity Validation Rally (RIVR), meeting all performance thresholds for Presentation Attack Detection.
- Javelin Strategy & ResearchminorJoint research collaboration on global metal payment card trends and consumer preferences, discussed in PaymentsJournal webinar featuring IDEMIA Secure Transactions executives.
- MicrosoftcoreIDEMIA collaborates with Microsoft on next-generation eSIM connectivity services and digital verified credentials solutions.
- Singapore Changi AirportcoreIDEMIA selected to supply Automated Border Control System and has extended presence with multi-biometric frictionless technology.
- TelefónicacorePartnership to boost 5G SIM technology security and advance use of biometrics for contactless access.
- JCBcoreJCB, IDEMIA and Soft Space launched CBDC pilot to test CBDC in-store payments; trial of first F.CODE payment card in Japan.
- KentuckycoreKentucky Mobile ID app developed on IDEMIA Mobile ID platform, now accepted at more than 250 airports nationwide.
- West VirginiacorePartnership to support launch of West Virginia IDs in Apple Wallet, enabling residents to present IDs digitally at TSA checkpoints.
- Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC)coreSuccessfully deployed NAFIS NextGen biometric identification system in Australia, improving crime-solving capabilities under Australian Government security standards.
- Tsuzuki Denki Co.regionalInnovative partnership to enhance access management in Japan through IDEMIA Public Security solutions.
- NevetalminorPartnership to enable secure and seamless digital cruise passenger journeys.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
IDEMIA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Giesecke+Devrient (G+D): G+D is a direct peer across IDEMIA's secure transactions portfolio, including SIM/eSIM cards, payment card manufacturing, hardware security modules, and secure identity documents. G+D competes head-to-head with IDEMIA Secure Transactions in payment card issuance for banks and SIM/eSIM provisioning for mobile operators.
- NEC Corporation: NEC is a leading direct peer in biometric identity verification, particularly facial recognition and fingerprint identification, where IDEMIA, NEC, and Thales are the three largest players globally. NEC's NeoFace facial recognition platform competes directly with IDEMIA's BORDERGUARD and NAFIS NextGen in airport, law enforcement, and government deployments worldwide.
- Entrust Corporation: Entrust is a direct peer in digital identity, payment card issuance, PKI/certificate-based security, and government identity solutions. Entrust's identity verification and secure issuance products compete with IDEMIA's enrollment, card personalization, and digital credential offerings for governments, financial institutions, and enterprises.
- Veridos: Veridos is a direct peer in government identity solutions, specializing in secure identity documents, e-government solutions, border control, and identity verification for national ID programs and driver's licenses. Jointly owned by Giesecke+Devrient and Bundesdruckerei, Veridos competes with IDEMIA Public Security for European and global government contracts.
- HID Global (Assa Abloy): HID Global is a direct peer in secure identity solutions, including government-to-citizen ID programs, biometric authentication, secure card issuance, access control, and identity verification. Both companies serve national ID programs, driver's license issuance, and physical/digital access control for governments and enterprises globally.
- Thales Group: Thales is the most direct peer to IDEMIA, operating a Digital Identity & Security (DIS) business that spans biometrics, secure payment cards, SIM/eSIM, government identity documents, border control, and hardware security modules. Thales acquired Gemalto in 2019 and competes head-to-head with IDEMIA across virtually every product line including SIM cards, biometric payment cards, national ID programs, and travel identity.
Emerging players
- Aware Inc: Aware is an emerging player in biometric software and fingerprint identification technology, providing algorithms and SDKs used by governments, law enforcement, and commercial identity systems. Aware's biometric algorithm portfolio competes with IDEMIA's identity verification and latent fingerprint identification technology (where IDEMIA recently set NIST benchmarks).
- ID.me: ID.me is an emerging player in digital identity verification for U.S. government agencies, financial institutions, and enterprises. ID.me competes with IDEMIA in the identity proofing and verification space, particularly for IRS, Login.gov, and federal agency contracts, focused on selfie-to-document biometric matching and credentialing.
- Jumio: Jumio is an emerging player in AI-powered identity verification and KYC/AML compliance for financial services, fintechs, and cryptocurrency exchanges. Jumio competes with IDEMIA's digital identity verification capabilities with a software-first delivery model focused on onboarding and fraud prevention.
Broad incumbents
- Mastercard (Identity and Authentication): Mastercard is a broad incumbent that certifies and partners with IDEMIA on payment card products (Starlight, F.CODE, Metal Cards) but also increasingly develops identity and biometric authentication capabilities for transactions. Mastercard competes with IDEMIA in select identity verification use cases while remaining a key partner and certification authority for IDEMIA Secure Transactions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IDEMIA social profiles
Digital presenceIDEMIA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
IDEMIA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IDEMIA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
IDEMIA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
IDEMIA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IDEMIA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IDEMIA
What does IDEMIA do?
IDEMIA develops and manufactures biometric identity verification systems, cryptographic security solutions, and secure physical products including payment cards, SIM/eSIM cards, and biometric devices. The company provides identity solutions for governments (national IDs, driver's licenses, border control, law enforcement) and secure transaction solutions for financial institutions and mobile operators.
Is IDEMIA a public or private company?
IDEMIA is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was IDEMIA founded?
IDEMIA was founded in 2017. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is IDEMIA based?
IDEMIA is headquartered in Courbevoie, France, in the Europe region.
How does IDEMIA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Public Security & Government Identity Solutions are the primary driver. The others are secure Transactions & Payment Solutions, connectivity & IoT Solutions and cybersecurity Solutions.
Who are IDEMIA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), NEC Corporation, Entrust Corporation, Veridos, HID Global (Assa Abloy) and Thales Group. Emerging players are Aware Inc, ID.me and Jumio. Mastercard (Identity and Authentication) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does IDEMIA have an API?
Yes. IDEMIA provides a Developer Portal (developer.idemia.com) and Biometric Devices Portal (biometricdevices.idemia.com) for developer access. Specific API documentation details, authentication methods, rate limits, and versioning information are not explicitly detailed in the available source materials. Developer documentation is at developer.idemia.com.
What industry is IDEMIA in?
IDEMIA's product category is Identity and Security Solutions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAAAF, Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics), with a secondary code of FSAMAMAN, Data, Evidence & Document Verification (IDV) for KYC. Its SIC code is 6200.