OSLO, NORWAY – 15 December 2021 – One of the largest global providers of payment services has signed an agreement to work with Zwipe to evaluate the opportunity of bringing Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards to issuers in North America and beyond.
In June 2021, Zwipe and IDEX Biometrics studied the payment habits, concerns on COVID-19 and desire for safer and more secure payments of over 1,000 consumers across the US and Canada. The study showed a strong demand for biometric payment cards in the US with 77% (81% in Canada) of the respondents wanting their next payment card to be biometric. In addition, 61% in the US (63% in Canada) said that they would be willing to pay a monthly fee to obtain such a card. Both organizations believe that the timing is right for this product and will be working together over the coming months to present the biometric payment card proposition to select customers with the aim of securing pilots and subsequent commercial launches.
“We are delighted to be entering this agreement with one of the largest and most respected payment service providers in the world. This agreement will provide the opportunity to accelerate the adoption of next generation biometric payment cards in some of the largest credit card markets in the world. We look forward to a mutually rewarding partnership,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Oslo, Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 17:30 CET on 15 December 2021.
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and CAIRO, EGYPT – 15 December 2021 - Zwipe and Masria Digital Payments are pleased to announce the first biometric payment card pilot with an Egyptian bank. This will be the first pilot in Africa to deploy the next generation biometric cards from Zwipe. The largest smart card manufacturer in Egypt, Masria Digital Payments (MDP), will supply Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric cards and play a key role in bringing the next payment experience to the Egyptian market and other African countries.
The biometric payment cards, built on the unique single silicon platform Zwipe Pay ONE, deliver world-class security and a completely touch-less user experience, leading to improved customer loyalty and a strong business case for banks. Across many markets globally and especially the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Zwipe has experienced a strong and growing demand in biometric payment cards from banks and payment service providers.
Speaking on this development, Vice President of MDP, Ahmed Nafei, said: “We are proud to be piloting next generation contactless cards in Egypt for the first time. Seeing a strong interest from our bank clients, we are confident that this first pilot in Egypt, which is with a medium sized bank, is one of many to come. MDP has always been at the forefront of bringing payment innovations to banks. During the pandemic, we have seen growing demand for touch-less checkout as it is safer and much more hygienic which is exactly what this innovation brings. Zwipe is a global leader in biometric payment technologies, and we are thrilled to collaborate with them. We aim for a pilot in early 2022, followed by a commercial launch.”
Chief Commercial Office at Zwipe, John Goodale said: “We are honored that the Zwipe Pay ONE platform has been selected to deliver pilots and commercial launches in Egypt. Zwipe and MDP have worked very closely over the past few months to bring both the product and overall commercial proposition to the Egyptian market, and we are delighted that banks have responded so positively. We look forward to launching this exciting new product with the bank and supporting it all the way through the pilot and into the commercial launch.”
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About Masria Digital Payments (MDP)
Masria Digital Payments (previously Masria Card S.A.E) is Africa's leading smart card solutions provider with a regional presence spanning 35 countries and 3 continents. Building on its vast sector experience, MDP has consistently introduced the latest technology in cards, payment security and smart applications to the Middle East and African markets. MDP also provides its partners with a complete card offering ranging from card production, personalization, issuance and fulfilment as a service or as a solution. MDP is the only end to end fully certified African payments solutions provider to offer a full card services, solutions, processing and digital payment suites to clients in the financial, government and retail sector under one roof.
For more information, please visit MDP | Home (mdp-eg.com)
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 29 November 2021 – GEPCOM, one of oldest and most respected card production and printing facilities in the Arab world, has selected the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to deliver biometric payment cards to its clients in Saudi Arabia and key international markets. Zwipe is a FinTech that has pioneered the development of biometric payment cards and delivered many successful pilots globally.
Gulf Printing Products Manufacturers’ Factory (GEPCOM), founded in 1989, was the first to bring plastic card manufacturing technology to the Arab world. This announcement demonstrates that they are continuing the path of innovation today. Leveraging their investment in the latest manufacturing equipment, and with full VISA and Mastercard certification, they are able to create a range of high-quality products to serve the financial services industry.
GEPCOM engaged with Zwipe earlier in 2021 and, after extensive evaluation of available alternatives, selected Zwipe Pay ONE as the preferred biometric card platform for its next generation payment cards. They were especially interested in Zwipe’s end to end products and services including Zwipe’s range of enrolment options providing GEPCOM with an opportunity to create even further value for their clients.
According to Abdullah Ahmed Abed, Deputy General Manager & Regional Director, GEPCOM, “GEPCOM has been manufacturing card products for all sectors in the Middle-East and is recognized in the market for its unmatched service, transparency and quality. With the impact of the pandemic still being felt across Saudi and the world, consumers’ focus on safety and hygiene has increased significantly.”
As part of this agreement, Zwipe will provide biometric technology and technical services to enable GEPCOM to manufacture Zwipe Pay ONE test cards from Q1 2022. The partners are already jointly engaging with issuers in Saudi with the aim of launching pilots from Q2 2022 to be followed by full commercial roll outs.
“In collaboration with Zwipe, we will deliver payment cards that will enable payments to be completely touch-less through a PIN-free checkout experience for consumers with much higher security. Our assessment shows that Zwipe Pay ONE represents the most advanced and high-performing solution and will be the first mass-market viable platform”, said Yousef Ahmed Abed, General Manager, GEPCOM.
Commenting on this partnership, Ramzi Saboury, General Manager MENA region at Zwipe, said: “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with GEPCOM in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the most important markets in the MENA region. We are seeing a strong appetite globally as well as in the Middle East for this new technology from issuers, processors and cardholders. I am confident that this partnership will accelerate deployment of biometric cards in Saudi. Zwipe will be supporting GEPCOM’s clients during their launch processes to ensure the best customer experience and successful commercialization”.
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About GEPCOM
Gulf Printing Products Manufacturers’ Factory (GEPCOM) was founded by Mr. Ahmad Taleb Abed. For over 26 years, GEPCOM has been manufacturing printing products for all sectors in the Middle-East and the Arab world, leading by example since its establishment in 1989.GEPCOM was the first to bring plastic card manufacturing technology to the Arab world and continues on a path of innovation today, with only the most advanced machines and equipment for the fabrication of excellent products including cards, envelopes, security forms, adhesive label rolls, thermal rolls and more. We provide customers worldwide with unmatched service and transparency and believe in uncompromised quality when it comes to all our products. GEPCOM is proudly certified by VISA and MasterCard, in addition to its ISO certification for product quality assurance.
GEPCOM’s vision is to become the benchmark of outstanding service across all industries. We take pride in providing exceptional results in everything that we set out to do, and work unswervingly to ensure the success of our business.
For further information please contact info@gepcom.com.sa
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries & cultures to make convenience safe & secure. We are pioneering biometric payment card and wearables technology, and biometric technology for physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135, info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY; AUSTIN and CONCORDVILLE, USA; LIMOGES, FRANCE – 25 November 2021 - Zwipe, a Norway-based biometric fintech, is proud to announce the launch of a two-factor authentication solution for access control based on its biometric authentication technology platform. The global access control market is valued at USD 7.65 billion and is expected to reach USD 11.7 billion by 2026 (1).
Entering the access control market, Zwipe announces collaborations with several well-known companies in the security industry; notably HID Global, an ASSA ABLOY Group brand and a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, LeGrand, the global specialist in high-value-added products and solutions for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings, and Southco, the leading global designer and manufacturer of engineered access solutions. The coalition will bring a highly advanced, cost-effective, biometric authentication solution to market. The full capability of Zwipe's biometric card operates with existing access control systems thereby removing the need to make any time-consuming and costly adjustments to existing access control infrastructure.
The complete solution will be demonstrated for the first time at TRUSTECH in Paris, on Zwipe’s booth, from 30 November 2021.
Commenting on this breakthrough, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, said “Thanks to Zwipe’s advanced biometric authentication technology platform, Zwipe is ready to move into adjacent markets, starting with Access Control. We see a real need for much stronger access control solutions and are confident that our biometric card solution will address many security concerns in this space. We are particularly proud to partner with such distinguished companies and we look forward to adding significant value to this sector with our solution. I am convinced Access Control and ID will be a significant business line for Zwipe going forward, adding to our profitable growth and long-term value creation.”
The customer project has started with Raritan (the data center expert company with worldwide references and a subsidiary of LeGrand), focusing on the joint development of a highly secure solution based on Zwipe’s biometric card technology that delivers a new level of secure access for data center cabinets.
Raritan’s CTO, Swen Anderson, commented “It was crucial that we developed a product that allowed us to deploy the latest in biometric technology without having to make any infrastructure changes. Zwipe has provided us with the opportunity to leverage their leading technology platform to create a new product that delivers a level of security for data center access control that is unique within our industry.”
“Thanks to this excellent cooperation based on real use cases, the full integrity of our biometric card solution has been successfully demonstrated for new areas of application. Our biometric authentication technology platform provides world-class security and we are excited that it can be integrated seamlessly with physical and logical access control solutions. We believe innovations like biometric access control and ID management will be highly sought after,” says Christian Vaas, Zwipe’s Vice President ID-Solutions & Access Control.
(1): Global Access Control Market | 2021 - 26 | Industry Share, Size, Growth - Mordor Intelligence
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
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About HID Global
HID Global powers the trusted identities of the world’s people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be identified, verified and tracked digitally. Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and billions of things are connected through HID technology. We work with governments, educational institutions, hospitals, financial institutions, industrial businesses and some of the most innovative companies on the planet.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID Global has over 4,000 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID Global is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com.
About Legrand
Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. The Group harnesses technological and societal trends with lasting impacts on buildings with the purpose of improving life by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet with electrical, digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. Drawing on an approach that involves all teams and stakeholders, Legrand is pursuing its strategy of profitable and sustainable growth driven by acquisitions and innovation, with a steady flow of new offerings—including Eliot* connected products with enhanced value in use. Legrand reported sales of €6.1 billion in 2020. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is notably a component stock of the CAC 40 and CAC 40 ESG indexes. (code ISIN FR0010307819) www.legrandgroup.com
About Southco
Southco, Inc. is the leading global designer and manufacturer of engineered access solutions. For over 70 years, Southco has helped the world’s most recognized brands create value for their customers with unrivalled engineering resources and innovative products. Southco’s data center solutions provide access control and monitoring at the rack level, providing a complete, comprehensive security system to control, monitor and track equipment that stores sensitive data.
To learn more, visit www.southco.com and www.southco.com for our Data Center mini-site.
For further information, please contact: Natalie Brannelly nbrannelly@southco.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries & cultures to make convenience safe & secure. We are pioneering biometric payment card and wearables technology, and biometric technology for physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY, 25 November 2021 - Zwipe launches a range of enrolment solutions to complement their next-generation biometric payment card platform, Zwipe Pay ONE. Seamless customer onboarding remains one of the most important components in enabling the transition to the safer and more secure payment experience provided by biometric payment cards.
The Zwipe R&D team has created some exclusive inventions to overcome several challenges that many in the industry had considered insurmountable. For the first time, it is now a realistic proposition to have consumers enroll their card at home using just a mobile phone and a set of simple instructions.
Zwipe has created a range of innovative enrolment solutions that meet the evolving demands of the financial services industry and consumers. With a focus on providing simple to use, cost-effective and low environmental impact products, Zwipe will deliver multiple different types of solutions that include not only passive and customizable enrolment devices, such as sleeves, highly integrated card fulfilment packaging, and branch-based enrolment solutions, but also self-service mobile phone APIs that can easily be integrated into issuer apps. Issuers can choose the solutions that best suit their needs and use cases of their products and cardholder segments. For example, while mobile app-based enrolment would be attractive for the majority of consumers, in-branch supervised enrolment may better suit financial inclusion programs.
All these solutions will be made available to Zwipe Pay ONE customers in 2022.
“Zwipe has undertaken extensive research on enrolment, and after very clear customer feedback and interest, we decided to invest heavily in this area. Issuers repeatedly told us that enrolment is one of the most important parts of the user experience for biometric payment cards and we are delighted to have made several breakthroughs that we believe will transform the way in which consumers enrol their cards whilst even further strengthening the value proposition for issuers. These developments underscore Zwipe’s ambition to be a leading innovator in the industry, putting user experience in front”, commented André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
The enrolment solutions will be demonstrated at TRUSTECH in Paris, on Zwipe’s booth, from 30 November 2021.
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135, info@zwipe.com
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About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries & cultures to make convenience safe & secure. We are pioneering biometric payment card and wearables technology, and biometric technology for physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and CASABLANCA, MOROCCO – 22 November 2021 – Biometric fintech company, Zwipe and NetPS, part of dzcard Group and one of the main Moroccan Smart Card Personalization Bureaus, are partnering to bring Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards to banks across Africa and the Middle East.
As part of this collaboration, both companies will work closely to promote the innovative Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards for NetPS’ issuers in Africa and the Middle East.
NetPS has a portfolio of more than 30 clients based in 15 countries across Africa. The company, which is based in Morocco, provides its first-class card personalization services to major financial institutions in the region, such as Banque Central Populaire (BCP), Société Générale, Credit Agricole du Maroc, Attijariwafa Bank, Al Barid Bank, CIH, and major Telecom operators including Maroc Telecom (part of Etisalat Group).
“As a leading provider of payment cards across Africa, we believe adding Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards to our portfolio creates a compelling and differentiating product to our clients. We are looking forward to working with the Zwipe team on developing some very innovative and exciting card designs, fulfillment solutions and enrolment options. We believe this new product will drive new business and significantly uplift customer loyalty for our clients.”, said Younes Lahlou, CEO of NetPS.
Speaking on the new partnership, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said: “We are really pleased with the response across the Middle East and North Africa for Zwipe Pay ONE and are delighted to partner with NetPS in extending our reach to Morocco and beyond. With this partnership with NetPS, our dzcard Group relationship is strengthened further, giving us the opportunity to deliver next generation payment cards to the many banks looking for a more safe and secure payment card in the region. NetPS has a very strong reputation for customer service and excellence in their market and are an ideal partner for Zwipe”.
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About NetPS, part of dzcard Group
Founded in 2000, NetPS, a subsidiary of the dzcard Group, is one of the leading players in the field of smart card personalization in Morocco. The company has been certified by Visa and Mastercard since 2000. The company is a trusted partner among its Moroccan banking and telco clients supporting their African expansion with world class solutions and service.
To learn more, visit the NetPS webpage: www.NetPS.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free.
To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For further information, please contact Mr. André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 17 November 2021 – Zwipe is partnering with areeba to pilot Biometric payment cards based on Zwipe Pay ONE in Lebanon and Iraq. These pilots reflect a strong and growing demand from issuers and processors across the region for next-generation contactless payment cards.
areeba is a leading financial technology company in the MENA region and is licensed as both issuer and acquirer by the international card schemes. It is one of the main issuing & acquiring processors in the region and leads in the Lebanese market with more than 50% market share. areeba was chosen as one of the top leading payments innovators in 2021 by Global Business Leaders.
areeba and Zwipe have a long-standing collaboration, launching the first biometric payment card pilots in the Middle East in 2018 and winning the 2019 Seamless Award for Best Technological Innovation in Payments.
Speaking on this development, Maher Mikati, Chief Executive Officer at areeba said, “We have always been pioneers in embracing new technologies that enhance user experience and security for end consumers, uplifting loyalty and business cases of payment portfolio. We are proud to partner with Zwipe, a highly respected innovator with whom we have had the pleasure to collaborate since 2018, witnessing the evolution of biometric payment cards. We are looking forward to delivering the pilots in H1 2022 followed by commercial launches.”
In these pilots, the biometric payment cards will be built on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform and delivered by Inkript, one of the leading EMV Card Manufacturers in the Middle East, which already provides cards to areeba and many issuers in the region.
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said: “We are proud of our partnership with areeba, a leading innovator in the region, and look forward to supporting them and Inkript in bringing biometric payment cards to two markets, Lebanon and Iraq. Zwipe will also support areeba through all stages of pilots, ensuring that end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured and assessed. This is going to be an exciting journey together.”
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About areeba
areeba is an electronic payment technology company licensed by Visa and MasterCard and has an agreement with American Express & Discover. Established in 2017, areeba adopts the latest technologies and provides solutions and payment services to banks, governments and merchants to suit their aspirations and needs.
areeba offers services tailored to global requirements, from card issuance and management, non-contact payment solutions, contactless and mobile payment. It also provides merchants and governments with the latest e-commerce platform and point-of-sale machines that adopt the highest standards and safety systems. areeba operates a wide range of loyalty programs, including collecting points and miles, cashback programs, and providing consultancy services for the planning, design and development of electronic products and payment solutions.
For more information, visit www.areeba.com, or @areebalebanon on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. areeba media contact: Nouchka El Hage, +961-1-954325 - NHage@areeba.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 9 November 2021 – The primary insider Diderik Schonheyder, a board member of Zwipe, has today acquired a total of 13,434 shares at an average price of SEK 29.90. Diderik Schonheyder’s shareholding after the transaction is 25,302 shares.
Attached is a copy of the form submitted to the Norwegian FSA, Finanstilsynet, reporting the transaction as listed above:
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements in Regulation EU 596/2014 article 19 number 3 and the Norwegian Securities Trading Act § 5-12.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free. To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
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OSLO, NORWAY – 3 November 2021 - Zwipe’s technology partner, Idemia, has announced that it has obtained full certification from both VISA and Mastercard for its F.CODE biometric payment card.
These certifications (Letters of Approval) represent full validation of the core components in our disruptive technology platform, Zwipe Pay ONE, notably the shared single silicon biometric secure element, where Idemia and Zwipe have co-invested since Q4 2019, and the IDX3405 fingerprint sensor from Idex Biometrics.
This paves the way for subsequent successful certification of Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards for Zwipe’s customers, as Zwipe is working towards completion of its Zwipe Pay ONE platform. Zwipe Pay ONE includes Zwipe’s ISO Module integrating the now fully certified single silicon biometric secure element, as well as Zwipe’s passive inlay. Zwipe’s customers can also purchase the fully validated Idex Biometrics fingerprint sensor, IDX3405, from Zwipe. The timing for certification of Zwipe’s card manufacturing customers will be subject to the planning and execution of the certification by each customer.
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For further information, please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135
info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and TRIPOLI, LIBYA – 8th MARCH 2022 – Zwipe and Mediterranean Bank are pleased to confirm that they will pilot Biometric Payment Cards built on the Zwipe Pay platform, making it the first pilot of biometric payment cards in Libya.
Mediterranean Bank is a medium-sized bank in Libya, focusing on corporates, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs, with branches in all major Libyan cities like Benghazi, Tripoli and others. The bank is keen to pilot Zwipe’s disruptive “single silicon” biometric payment card platform and assess its impact on making payment experience seamless and more secure for consumers. Libya is a key emerging market in Africa that is seeking innovation in its payment ecosystem with the objective to minimize fraud, corruption and uplift user experience.
Speaking on this development, Mr. Ahmed Nafo, Chief Information Officer at Mediterranean Bank said, “We are very pleased to partner with Zwipe, a leading technology brand in biometric payment cards. We are especially proud to be the first bank in Libya to introduce this world-class innovation. We want to ensure that our customers are extremely well protected when using payment cards and enjoy a great user experience. Our collaboration with Zwipe is well timed and strongly complements our vision to be a customer centric bank. We are looking forward to launching the pilot in Q2 2022 as a step to deployment of the cards later in the year.”
As part of this collaboration, Zwipe will train key stakeholders in the bank on all aspects of issuing and managing biometric payment cards. These cards will be delivered by one of the Zwipe certified smart card manufacturers in the region.
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said, “We are excited to enter the Libyan market with Mediterranean Bank and help them to pilot their next generation payment cards. In close collaboration with our regional partners, we will be supporting the bank through all the stages of the pilot and launch, ensuring the best experience for the bank’s consumers.”
For further information please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52 info@zwipe.com
About Mediterranean Bank
Mediterranean Bank is a medium-sized bank in Libya, focusing on corporates, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs, with branches in all major Libyan cities like Benghazi, Tripoli and others.
For more info contact the bank at info@meditbank.ly, Tel: +218 61 9082167
or visit www.meditbank.ly
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries & cultures to make convenience safe & secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for both payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – 2 March 2022 – Placard, Australia’s largest card manufacturer and the only one qualified by all major card schemes, has selected biometric fintech pioneer Zwipe as its technology partner in pursuing the global market opportunities for biometric payment cards and other security products.
Placard delivers more than 100 million cards each year for the most established brands in the financial, retail, identification, government, loyalty and hospitality sectors. Placard’s success over the past two decades is accredited to high-quality products and a deep understanding of how new technology and product innovations can benefit customers and societies at large. With the disruptive Zwipe Pay platform, Placard will be able to deliver highly advanced and secure biometric card products that are also exceedingly user-friendly.
“We are excited about the opportunity that this innovative technology represents. The biometric solution provided by Zwipe combines break-through technologies and is the ideal platform for the next generation of payment cards. We believe that highly secure touch-less payments and PIN-free cards create a very compelling proposition for consumers and that our collaboration with Zwipe will provide differentiation and meaningful commercial value to our customers”, said Tess Barone, General Manager Sales & Marketing, Placard.
As part of this agreement, Zwipe will provide biometric technology, technical services and go-to-market commercialization support to enable Placard to manufacture biometric cards. The partners will engage with issuers and other enterprises to run pilots from Q2 2022, followed by full commercial rollouts.
Commenting on this partnership, André Løvestam, CEO at Zwipe, said: “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Placard, one of the most prominent card manufacturers in the Australasian region. There is a clear growing interest in biometric payment cards globally and Placard will be vital in accelerating the deployment of biometric payment cards to banks and consumers. Zwipe will be supporting Placard’s clients during their launch processes to ensure the best customer experience and successful commercialization.”
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About Placard
Placard is an Australian organization which has been established since 1987, and is Australia’s largest secure plastic card manufacturer. Placard is continuously expanding, providing comprehensive card programs to over 500 clients and producing upwards of 100 million cards per year. Placard provides end to end card solutions and has a reputation of meeting its commitments to its clients and consistently achieves service levels beyond its clients’ expectations.
Placard’s secure manufacturing and bureau facilities are Visa, MasterCard, China Union Pay and American Express accredited to the highest level.
Placard’s core competencies lie in the design, printing, manufacture, personalization and mailing of ISO Standard secure and non-secure plastic cards. With Bureau services encompassing the latest Visa and MasterCard EMV standards for embossing, manufacture of Dual Interface cards, magnetic stripe encoding, indent printing, thermal print duable flat graphics, high quality Drop on Demand personalization, laser printing processes and intelligent matching & mailing services.
For more information, please visit www.placard.com.au or call Tess Barone, General Manager, Sales & Marketing on +61 3 9722 5200.
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO, +47 934 36 952, info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and DOHA, QATAR – 28 FEBRUARY 2022 - Zwipe has partnered with Qatar Fintech Hub to bring Zwipe Pay enabled next generation biometric payment cards in the market. With this technology, the partners will deliver the highest level of security and safety with world-class user experience in making in-store payments.
Founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Qatar FinTech Hub supports the growth of the fintech industry in Qatar in collaboration with leading players in FinTech ecosystem in Qatar and tie ups with major FinTech hubs including the UK, Turkey, Australia and Singapore. There is a big focus on partnering with technology pioneers who will make a difference in the payments space and bring it to a new level of experience.
Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Mannai, Executive Director – Advisory, Qatar Development Bank, said: “I am very happy to announce the collaboration with Zwipe and welcome them as a valued member at the Qatar Fintech Hub. Zwipe is one of the leading technology brands for biometric payment solutions. Our innovation programs have witnessed tremendous success since their launch, and we are extremely happy to incorporate biometrics now. This collaboration with greatly enrich our technology competency and help Qatar to become a regional hub of fintech solutions, catering to the needs of the global market.”
As part of this collaboration, both parties will join forces to drive education, awareness building and engagement on biometric payment solutions in Qatar enabling issuers to pilot and launch next generation payment experience.
Speaking on this collaboration, General Manager for Zwipe in the MENA region, Ramzi Saboury said, “We are honored to be partnering with Qatar Fintech Hub as we believe this collaboration will further accelerate the adoption of Zwipe Pay enabled biometric payment cards among fintechs, issuers, processors and consumers. Qatar is a core market for us in the MENA region and we are already engaging with issuers in the country to pilot Zwipe Pay and be amongst the first in MENA to deploy the next Gen biometric cards.”
About QFTH
Launched by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in May 2018, with the support of Qatar Central Bank (QCB), Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) is part of QDB’s FinTech vision and ambitions.
QFTH is a global FinTech hub with the purpose to support the development of the FinTech industry in Qatar. It aims to facilitate collaboration among the participants and stakeholders of the FinTech ecosystem and develop local and global relationships that will advance the bank’s FinTech vision.
QFTH brings together talented entrepreneurs, investors, and enablers to develop disruptive technologies so that great visions become reality.
QFTH offers a globally interconnected cluster, which gathers a vibrant community of FinTech entrepreneurs, industry experts, regulators, and investors.
To offer the best global opportunities, expertise, and develop a collaborative FinTech ecosystem, QFTH has tied up with global FinTech hubs, financial institutions, universities, technology partners, industry experts and others.
QFTH holds considerable opportunities for economic diversification, one of the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 that seeks to “transform Qatar into an advanced society capable of achieving sustainable development” by 2030.
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 934 36 952, info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 23 February 2022 – Zwipe AS today publishes its annual report 2021.
Highlights for 2021 include:
Financials
Significant events 2021
Significant events after the period
CEO comments
"2021 was a transformative year for Zwipe, preparing the ground for commercial success in 2022.
Our technology platform was upgraded to a cutting-edge, third-generation single silicon platform that provides best-in-class biometric performance at highly competitive cost levels. We prepared for submission of reference cards based on Zwipe Pay components to accredited laboratories for certification by both Visa and Mastercard. The submission has been made and, together with our biometric card manufacturing partners, the certification tests are proceeding according to plan. Based on this, and the core components in our Zwipe Pay platform being validated through Idemia’s certifications obtained in November 2021, we are confident we are closing in on certification as planned.
During 2021 we have also continued to build commercial momentum. We announced engagements with nine new smart card manufacturers and card personalization bureaus during the year, representing an annual volume above 250m payment cards. We also extended and expanded our partnership with TAG Systems, which delivers an additional 100+ million payment cards per annum. Each new partner and customer in our ecosystem contribute to increasing the value creation potential and reducing the risk for Zwipe and its stakeholders.
A great milestone for Zwipe in 2021 was the receipt of commercial orders from BCC, Inkript, and yet another card manufacturing customer for complete Zwipe Pay deliveries worth more than NOK 20m, to be delivered primarily in 2022.
As a complement to our "push" approach, targeting smart card manufacturers as our direct customers, we continued to broaden our go-to-market strategy with the "pull" approach. That means we are marketing the benefits of biometric cards to partners and indirect clients, such as financial institutions – our customers’ customers. This move has allowed us to accelerate awareness, create strong demand for our biometric payment option, take more control of our destiny, and significantly strengthen our strategic position and brand equity.
The results of these efforts started coming to fruition in 2021, when Zwipe announced commitments for 14 pilots with 11 new issuers, including a global Tier-1 bank that will pilot Zwipe Pay in three European markets. We also entered go-to-market and implementation partnerships with many payment processors and, most recently, a major US company that is one of the world’s largest payment services providers. Such partners enable us to leverage their long-term, trust-based relationships with hundreds of banks worldwide to further accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards built on our platform. I often refer to this as “the Megaphone Effect”, which is fundamental to our pull strategy.
We have upgraded our sales-enabling services and tools to support these processes and our customers. For example, this has resulted in the launch of new services such as "Zwipe Experience" (pilot and launch program services) and Zwipe Insights (consumer research to gauge demand for biometric payments), to name a few. The ROI calculator for issuers, created together with industry experts, is another example. It demonstrated that, even without an additional card fee from consumers, Zwipe Pay could deliver a $22.4m annual net benefit for an average US issuer converting a portfolio of 1 million credit cards, 1 million debit cards, and 100,000 commercial cards to biometric cards.
As part of our end-to-end offering, ranging from leading technology to professional sales enablement, these kinds of services and initiatives make Zwipe stand out from the crowd, adding considerable value to customers.
In addition, Zwipe announced its first entry into adjacent sectors, starting with the launch of “Zwipe Access”, building on years of investments into our advanced biometric authentication technology platform designed to fulfil the highest criteria for security, scalability, and mass-volume implementation. At the same time, we announced collaborations with several leading companies in the security industry; notably HID Global, LeGrand, and Southco. This coalition will bring a highly advanced, cost-effective biometric authentication solution to market, fully capable of working with existing access control infrastructure.
We also raised NOK 104 million in a private placement directed towards one of the Nordic’s most respected investors, Erik Selin. This means that our shareholder base and finances have been significantly strengthened in 2021.
Adding to our confidence in our future outlook is the consistent evidence from numerous consumer surveys covering more than 2,500 cardholders from diverse markets around the world that cardholders want the touch-less and PIN-free experience with world-class security that is made possible by biometric payment cards. 56% said they were willing to pay to get a biometric card and 57% said they were willing to switch banks to get a biometric card. These findings, which are consistent with survey findings of industry peers and other analyst reports, suggest that launches of biometric cards will offer valuable differentiation to first-moving banks and trigger competitive reactions from others.
Like most other companies engaged in multinational development projects, Zwipe has, as mentioned before, been impacted by COVID-19 through added complexity and extended lead times. However, I have been impressed by the grit and determination of my team and technology partners, systematically overcoming hurdles and setbacks along the way.
I want to express my deep gratitude to the exceptional team of Zwipers for their unfailing efforts through this challenging pandemic which has taken its toll on everyone.
My sincere thanks also go out to all our customers, partners, and shareholders for supporting our journey and sharing our mission - Making Convenience Safe and Secure.
I am looking forward to 2022 with a lot of excitement due to the prospects ahead.” says CEO of Zwipe André Løvestam.
Please find the annual report here
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About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
lars.kristian@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 23 February 2022 – Zwipe AS today publishes its second half-year 2021 report.
Summary of financial development for the second half-year 2021:
Please find the second half-year report here
The annual report 2021 will be released through a separate stock exchange announcement shortly after this announcement.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
lars.kristian@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Oslo, Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0)8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 07:58 CET on 23 February 2022.
OSLO, NORWAY – 23 February 2022- The share capital increase of 384,000 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 20 January 2022, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,736,668.50, and the new number of shares and votes are 37,366,685.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
lars.kristian@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market Oslo and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 00:20 CET on 23 February 2022.
OSLO, NORWAY – 22 February 2022- The share capital increase of 384,000 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 20 January 2022, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,736,668.50, and the new number of shares and votes are 37,266,685.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
lars.kristian@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market Oslo and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 20:00 CET on 22 February 2022.
OSLO, NORWAY and DELHI, INDIA – 21 February 2022 – sKarn RoboticS, a high-tech company providing security and privacy solutions to businesses, consumers, and the government sector, is strengthening its solution portfolio with biometric access control and co-branded biometric payment cards built on Zwipe’s technology. Headquartered in Oslo with a global presence, Zwipe is pioneering the deployment of the next generation biometric payment and access control cards globally.
Founded in 2019, sKarn RoboticS is one of the key contributors to the ‘Self Reliance’ initiative of the Indian government. The company is investing heavily in building ultra-secure digital products and services ecosystems for end-users and businesses. Its WeCript portfolio delivers high-grade security and privacy controls for remote communication, secure searching, browsing, SaaS and e-commerce. Right to privacy, right to freedom and right to information are the three core values at sKarn RoboticS. The company recently won “2021 Global Revolutionary Founder of the Year” and “2021 Global Innovative Product of the Year” from the Government of India.
Speaking on the collaboration, sKarn RoboticS’s Founder & COO, THE KARN, said, “Our mission is to provide highly secured digital services that significantly empower end-users with top rated privacy, security and digital experience. Zwipe’s extremely secure biometric payment and access control cards strongly complement our core values and fit perfectly in the WeCript Ecosystem, our solution portfolio. From Q3 2022 or before, we aim to launch pilots for our B2C and B2B customers with a few thousand biometric access control and payment cards and expect a rapid scale-up thereafter. Biometric cards will create meaningful value for all our customers.”
sKarn RoboticS will take deliveries from selected manufacturers of biometric cards in Zwipe’s global ecosystem with focus on India and key growth markets.
Commenting on this development, André Løvestam, Chief Executive Officer at Zwipe, said: “It is great to see an ambitious and fast-moving high-tech security solution provider such as sKarn RoboticS, with its WeCript Ecosystem, recognize the value of biometric cards for its customers. Both organizations share the passion to deliver enhanced security, privacy and convenience to our direct customers and end customers. We are very much looking forward to our collaboration with sKarn RoboticS and their customers”.
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About sKarn RoboticS
Founded in 2019 by THE KARN, sKarn RoboticS is an Indian tech start-up company, govt. accredited and recognized by DPIIT as start-up India. Carrying forward the Indian government's initiative, sKarn RoboticS is working on prioritizing the significance of building a safe and secure internet ecosystem for the users and businesses. Its private and secure product line named "WeCript Ecosystem'' is a product of the visionary thinking of the founder of sKarn RoboticS, THE KARN about making India and world self-reliant. The company aims to ensure data protection and privacy for users, serving right and relevant results across the web through WeCript Ecosystem.
Core Values of sKarn/Wecript Ecosystem:
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 934 36 952, info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – 16 February 2021 – Modularsoft, Malaysia’s leading full service smart card company, has entered into a partnership with fintech Zwipe to enable banks in Malaysia to deploy the next generation of biometric enabled contactless payment cards.
Modularsoft (also known as Modular) has been a leader in the smart card industry in Malaysia since 2007. As a fully certified provider of smart cards to the majority of Malaysian banks, Modular continues to drive innovation and bring new levels of service to the industry. Its customers include banks, fintech companies, educational institutions, insurance, healthcare and telecommunication companies across Malaysia. With the Zwipe Pay platform, Modular will further strengthen its product portfolio with this new innovative biometric card technology that is both user-friendly and highly secure.
Speaking on the collaboration, Haleelur Rahman AG, General Manager Modularsoft, said, “We are excited about the opportunities that biometric payment cards bring to us and our issuer clients. The biometric card platform provided by Zwipe combines a number of break-through technologies and drives us forward into the next generation of payment cards. We believe that highly secure and touch-less payment cards will create a very compelling proposition for banks and consumers. Our collaboration with Zwipe will provide differentiation and visible commercial value to our customers.”.
As part of the collaboration, Zwipe will provide Modular with technical and commercial support to drive the implementation of Zwipe Pay biometric cards, including a range of value added services for issuers. The cards will be manufactured by one of Zwipe’s certified smart card manufacturers in the region. The partners will engage with issuers and enterprises across Malaysia with the objective of deploying pilots and full commercial rollouts.
Commenting on this partnership, André Løvestam, Chief Executive Office at Zwipe, said: “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Modular, Malaysia’s leading card bureau and a highly trusted brand in delivering payment cards and personalization solutions to issuers in Malaysia. I am confident that this partnership will lead to multiple commercial launches of Biometric Payment Cards and I look forward to a very successful long term relationship between our companies.”
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About Modular
Modular is the leading player in the region within the smartcard industry, specifically in the banking and finance domain. The group gained recognition and credibility by successfully implementing the government initiative of enabling all banks to migrate from magnetic strips to chip based ATM cards; to date the group has delivered in excess of 75 million bankcards. Modular has a dedicated team of IT professionals with domain expertise in Banking and Finance, Insurance, Telecommunications and Healthcare. Modularsoft Sdn Bhd was established to provide both IT and consulting services to its current array of banking customers.
For more information, please contact us at enquiry@modular-corp.com or visit modularsoft.com.my or call +603-2711 1280.
About Zwipe
Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future. We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries and cultures to make convenience safe and secure. We are pioneering next-generation biometric card and wearables technology for payment and physical & logical access control and identification solutions. We promise our customers and partners deep insight and frictionless solutions, ensuring a seamless user experience with our innovative biometric products and services. Zwipe is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 934 36 952, info@zwipe.com
