OSLO, NORWAY and HYDERABAD, INDIA – 6 April 2021 – KL HI-TECH, one of India’s largest payment card manufacturers, has selected the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to deliver biometric payment cards to its clients in India and key international markets. Zwipe is a FinTech that has pioneered the development of biometric payment cards and delivered many successful pilots globally.
Founded in 1988, KL HI-TECH currently delivers a total of 128 million cards per year, of which approximately 30 million are payment cards, serving some of the largest banks in India and abroad. As per the recent Nilson Report (2020) KL HI-TECH is the 2nd largest payment card manufacturer in India and the 31st largest in the world.
KL-HI TECH engaged with Zwipe in early 2021 and after extensive evaluation of available alternatives selected Zwipe Pay ONE as the preferred biometric card platform for its next generation payment cards.
"KL HI-TECH has over three decades of experience in helping drive our clients’ growth through differentiation and innovation in payments. We are constantly seeking new technologies & innovations to enhance the payment experience to people in India and across the globe.
With the impact of the pandemic still being felt across India, consumers’ focus on safety and hygiene has increased significantly. In collaboration with Zwipe, we will deliver physical 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 P. Srinivas Rao, Chairman & CEO of KL HI-TECH.
As part of this agreement, Zwipe will provide biometric technology and technical services to enable KL HI-TECH to manufacture Zwipe Pay ONE test cards from Q2 2021. The partners are already jointly engaging with issuers in India with the aim of launching pilots from Q3 2021 and supporting the first full market launches towards the end of this year.
"We are extremely pleased that KL HI-TECH has selected Zwipe Pay ONE as their biometric payment card platform. India is one of the world’s most attractive payment markets in size, growth rates and business potential. Complementing each other, Zwipe and KL HI-TECH will leverage each other’s unique technology, product and market assets, including KL HI-TECH’s extensive relationships with the leading banks in India, the Middle East and Africa, to offer innovative biometric payment solutions,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About KL HI-Tech
KL HI-TECH Secure Print Limited (KLHT) is a leading provider of secure print products and printing solutions. Commencing its operations in 1988, KLHT has played a pioneering role in enabling secure payment transactions, banking services and facilitating tele communications in India through its secure print products.
At its sprawling state-of-the-art highly secure manufacturing facility located in Hyderabad, the company operates using stringent global standards that are required to manufacture a range of security printing products.
The company is certified by Visa, Mastercard & RuPay (National Payments Corporation of India). As per the Nilson Report (2020) KL HI-TECH is the 2nd largest banking card manufacturer in India and 31st largest banking card manufacturer in the world.
KLHT’s business ideology revolves around the prime objective of providing comprehensive, fool-proof security in critical secure print products. KLHT plays a pivotal role by manufacturing products for the following sectors:
Exporting to over 52 countries across the Globe, KLHT aims to become one of the leading suppliers of secure print products globally, whilst also pioneering innovation and change to the way payments are made in India and across the globe.
For further information please contact Kartik Shekar, VP – Projects, kartik@klhitech.com, +91 8008 188 466
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: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 18 March 2021 – The primary insider Energetic AS, owned by André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe AS, has yesterday and today acquired a total of 416,000 shares. Energetic AS’ shareholding after the transaction is 916,000 shares.
The shares have been acquired as follows:
Euronext Growth Market in Oslo:
First North Growth Market in Stockholm:
Attached is a copy of the form submitted to the Norwegian FSA, Finanstilsynet, reporting the transactions as listed above.
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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 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 more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
lars.kristian@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 2 March 2021 – Tag Systems, a leading provider of payment cards (and part of AUSTRIACARD Group) has decided to step up its collaboration with Zwipe on biometric payment cards. The parties have been working together since 2019 and as the biometric payment cards marketplace has evolved, they are now stepping up their collaboration to bring the most advanced new biometric payment cards to issuers in Europe and North America. Tag Systems also placed a small order for Zwipe Pay ONE.
Since establishing its first card production and personalization facilities in 1999, Tag Systems has grown rapidly and joined forces with AUSTRIACARD Group. Together the group delivers 100 million payment cards each year across Europe, the Middle East and the US. While serving many large European banks, Tag Systems has also grown rapidly in the challenger bank segment, including the establishment of Tag Nitecrest in the United Kingdom and expanded reach by opening a US-based card bureau servicing the North American market.
Speaking on the partnership Jon Neeraas, CEO of Tag Systems, said “After almost two years of technology partnership, our collaboration with Zwipe has never been stronger. We are excited about the interest we see for our new biometric payment cards built on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform, which delivers the highest level of integration and performance. With increasing interest for these cards from our issuer clients, time is right to expand our collaboration and proactively develop the market and accelerate commercialization”.
As part of the new agreement, Tag Systems will proactively promote Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards towards issuers and partner bureaus in Europe and the USA. The two parties have also agreed to execute a go-to-market plan to jointly sell and market these next generation payment cards.
“We are delighted with the renewed and uplifted agreement with Tag Systems, one of our long-standing partners. This will accelerate activities with issuers in Europe and the USA. Our collaboration is now entering the commercial phase where we will scale our businesses through pilots from late summer 2021 and market launches towards the end of the year. I thank Tag Systems for their continued trust in Zwipe, and look forward to a mutually rewarding partnership,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
To learn more, visit www.zwipe.comFor further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
About Tag Systems
Tag Systems, part of Austria Card Group, is evolving the way the payment industry moves, by seamless supply of ready-made payment cards throughout all European countries and more. Our fast-growing Group with more than 900 employees make sure we deliver high quality products and services to financial institutions.
Media Contact: Olga Baro, +376 358 321 obaro@tagsystems.net
OSLO, NORWAY – 25 February 2021 – Zwipe AS today publishes its annual report 2020.
Highlights for 2020 include:
Financials
Revenues increased to MNOK 1.8 (MNOK 1.5).
Operating expenditures were reduced to MNOK 63.7 (MNOK 96.8). In constant currency, this represents a 38% reduction. The savings resulted from the streamlining program as announced in November 2019.
EBITDA improved to MNOK -59.9 (MNOK -92.0), mainly due to the implementation of the streamlining program.
Results before tax was MNOK – 61.9 (MNOK -94.9), and earnings per share improved to NOK -1.89 (-5.98).
Cash flow from operations before financing improved to MNOK –62.1 (-85.0). The cash flow in 2020 included co-investments with Idemia of MNOK 19.7, compared to MNOK 9.3 in 2019. Adjusted for these elements, the operating cash flow was improved by 39% compared to 2019.
The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be paid for 2020.
Significant events 2020
Zwipe listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm, Sweden.
Zwipe expanded its growing network of industry partnerships covering Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa during 2020 including the 5 new customer partnerships announced; Masria Digital Payments, Watchdata Technologies, Toppan Forms Card Technologies, Asia Credit Card and Publicenter.
Zwipe also partnered with Liveo Research, Smart Technology Services, Wisecard and CardMatix, expanding our ecosystem to enable cost-efficient mass-volume manufacturing of biometric payment cards based on Zwipe Pay ONE.
Zwipe and Idex entered a collaboration framework for Zwipe Pay ONE. Idemia, Zwipe and Idex achieved several key milestones towards the next generation biometric card platform.
Zwipe and TietoEVRY joined forces with a landmark agreement to deliver biometric payment solutions based on the Zwipe Pay ONE solution to banks in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The agreement significantly increases our market reach as TietoEVRY is the leading provider of payment cards to issuers in these regions.
Zwipe secured a strong foothold in the Middle East through go-to-market partnerships with three leading players in card payments: areeba, Inkript and VeriTech.
Zwipe successfully completed a private placement, followed by a subsequent repair offering, issuing 7,381,315 new shares and raising approximately NOK 111 million in gross proceeds in total.
Zwipe placed an order for 300,000 units of Idex’s next generation fingerprint sensors to support the rollout of Zwipe Pay ONE.
Zwipe conducted several cardholder insight studies including some with our partners. Insights from the Nordics, UK and the United States show strong consumer interest for safer and more secure payments.
In partnership with TietoEVRY, Zwipe secured the first pilot program with Zwipe Pay ONE with OP Financial Group, the largest Financial Services Group in Finland.
Zwipe’s next-generation chip for biometric payment cards, in which Zwipe has co-invested with Idemia, obtained the ICCN security certification from EMVCo.
Significant Events after the period
Swedish fintech Vopy chose Zwipe’s biometric payment platform, Zwipe Pay ONE, for its biometric payment cards. Vopy’s partner network consists of telecom providers and financial institutions that reach millions of consumers.
Announced agreements with 4 new smart card manufacturers.
André Løvestam, CEO comments
"2020 was a landmark year for Zwipe. In 2020 we positioned the company for growth through significant expansion in our customer and partnership engagements, advances in our technology leadership, and by strengthening our organization. We have seen increased public awareness of the importance of contactless payment and a sharp rise in demand for safe and secure payment solutions. The Zwipe Pay ONE development project has now passed its most critical milestones and the first pilots incorporating Zwipe Pay ONE have already been announced. The next steps, in addition to full completion of our internal development, are to prepare our smart card manufacturers and issuers for pilots, certification and volume production, after which fully certified biometric payment cards will be available from our customers to issuers for full commercial launch,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
He added, “While COVID-19 has created and continues to create challenges to project execution, the elevated focus on safety following the pandemic has dramatically increased the growth of contactless transactions and transaction caps have been raised all over the world. Hygiene and safety are likely to become accelerators and game-changers for biometric payments for years to come. We experienced an unprecedented acceleration in our engagements with issuers and card manufacturers throughout 2020. We are engaging with more than 250 banks and over 40 of the world’s top 50 smart card manufacturers and our pipeline in both these segments has never been stronger. We are confident that our strategic partnerships, global technology excellence, focused engagements with issuers, as well as our end-to-end trusted advisor approach and unique one-stop-shop offering, are laying the foundation for many commercial wins ahead”.
“By bringing together leading suppliers of technology, payment cards, personalization, fulfilment services, and processing services, as well as issuers with a strong end-user focus, we have created an end-to-end ecosystem to deliver Biometric Payment Cards in key markets. We are well prepared to address a global market with strong long-term growth and value creation potential,” Løvestam concluded.
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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 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 below, at 08:02 CET on 25 February 2021.
OSLO, NORWAY – 25 February 2021 – Zwipe AS today publishes its second half-year 2020 report.
Summary Financial development for second half-year:
Revenues of MNOK 1.0 (MNOK 1.2).
Operating expenditures were reduced to MNOK 31.3 (MNOK 60.2). In constant currency, this represents a 49% reduction. The reduction is due to cost of MNOK 19 in H2 2019 related to the jointly funded development collaboration with Idemia, as well as savings as a result of the streamlining program announced in November 2019.
EBITDA improved to MNOK -29.1 (MNOK -56.6) mainly due to the implementation of the streamlining program.
Results before tax was MNOK -30.4 (MNOK -58.8), and earnings per share of NOK -0.93 (NOK -3.69).
Cash flow from operations for the second half-year of MNOK -20.1 (MNOK -51).
The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be paid for 2020.
The annual report 2020 will be released through a separate stock exchange announcement shortly after this announcement.
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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 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 below, at 08:00 CET on 25 February 2021.
OSLO, NORWAY – 18 February 2021- The share capital increase of 21,832 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 19 January 2021, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,292,840.80, and the new number of shares and votes is 32,928,408.
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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 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 Oslo Børs Merkur Market and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market.
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 21:10 CET on 18 February 2021.
OSLO, NORWAY – February 10, 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe is pleased to announce that over the recent months it has finalized four new partnerships with prominent card manufacturers in Asia-Pacific and Europe. The combined annual card shipment from these new customers is in excess of 1 billion, of which payment cards constitute more than 150 million.
The new card manufacturers are working with Zwipe to develop and exploit the new market opportunities for biometric payments. As part of their engagement with Zwipe, these customers have chosen the Zwipe Pay ONE platform for delivering biometric payment cards to the issuers, targeting pilots before the end of 2021. Subject to positive pilot results, mass-market rollout will follow.
Commenting on these partnerships, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “We continue to see strong traction from card manufacturers all over the world to engage with Zwipe on biometric payment cards based on our Zwipe Pay ONE platform. This is well matched by interest from issuers who are keen to deliver the next generation contactless payments experience to consumers, combining the convenience and safety of truly contact-free with the security of strong biometric authentication.”
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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 André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – 3 February 2021 – Biometric technology company Zwipe is pleased to announce that its biometric payment platform, Zwipe Pay ONE, has been selected by Swedish fintech Vopy, a provider of embedded financial services for telecom and financial institutions. Vopy is headquartered in Stockholm and has its R&D in Oslo.
As a commercial issuer, Vopy will issue biometric payment cards powered by Zwipe Pay ONE and delivered by card suppliers in Zwipe’s network. Vopy’s partner network consists of telecom providers and financial institutions that reach millions of consumers. In the first phase of collaboration, Vopy aims to launch a pilot in Q3 2021. Subject to a positive outcome from the pilot, Vopy aims for an initial rollout from Q4 2021, starting with 100.000 biometric payment cards by the end of this year and 500.000 cards in 2022.
Vopy is an innovative fintech specializing in embedding cross-border transfers, payments, insurance and banking services through selected social media platforms and mobile apps. This enables Vopy’s partners to quickly scale their financial services globally with efficiency, lower costs and great agility.
“As a disruptive financial services platform provider, it is crucial for Vopy to deliver a payment solution built on world-class security and user experience. Having closely followed Zwipe’s innovations in biometric payments and their global delivery network of card suppliers, our decision to go for Zwipe Pay ONE was a natural one. We are very excited about our collaboration with Zwipe and we aim to bring our strengthened financial services portfolio to partners in Asia, USA and Europe”, says Håkan Tollefsen, CEO, at Vopy AB.
Based on a unique single silicon design, Zwipe Pay ONE is the most integrated, energy efficient and mass-market viable platform for biometric payment cards. An on-card fingerprint authentication of the cardholder eliminates the need to touch a payment terminal, even for high-value transactions, ensuring a safer, more secure and hygienic in-store payment experience.
“The decision by Vopy to pilot and rollout biometric payment cards in 2021 based on Zwipe Pay ONE is a testament to our advanced and competitive technology and global delivery capabilities thanks to our card supplier network. We are grateful for Vopy’s confidence and ready to support them with biometric payment cards on their ambitious expansion journey,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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Vopy is enabling Embedded Finance solutions for consumer brands, Tech providers and Financial Institutions through open APIs. The business is to embed innovative Financial Services into existing user experiences like social media and apps for mobile subscribers. Vopy also provide a fully digital bank solution within a
multitenant system to host multiple Brands in one environment. Vopy Technology AS was established in Norway in 2014 and is since November 2020 a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vopy AB (publ). Their headquarter is in Stockholm and with an R&D centre in Oslo. www.vopy.com
For further information please contact: Håkan Tollefsen, CEO, +47 99050011 hello@vopy.com
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: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY– 28 January 2021 – The Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Zwipe AS was held today. All proposed resolutions were approved unanimously in accordance with the call for the meeting. The minutes of the EGM are included as an attachment. The complete proposal, which was approved by the EGM, is available on www.zwipe.com for further reference. The attendants of the EGM represented 24.57 % of the votes in the company.
The following resolutions were made:
Election of members to the nomination committee
In accordance with the proposal from the nomination committee and the support from the board of directors, the EGM resolved to approve the following new nomination committee:
Further, the general meeting resolved to approve that Lars Windfeldt was appointed as the chair of the nomination committee.
“We are pleased to be a long-term investor in Zwipe, and we have since our first investment in Zwipe in September last year increased our shareholdings considerably. We believe the company is well positioned for success in a global market with fast-growing demand for truly contact free card payments. As part of this journey, I am happy that the general meeting approved the proposal from the current nomination committee and the board. I am looking forward to contribute in the new nomination committee and ensure Zwipe shareholders’ interests are optimized,” Niclas Eriksson of Vasastaden said.
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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 Market in Oslo and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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, on 28 January 2021 at 11:30 CET
Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 528 00 399
For more information contact: Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.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
OSLO, NORWAY, BAGHDAD, IRAQ and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 17 MARCH 2022 – Zwipe, Al Mansour Bank and areeba have confirmed that they will pilot Biometric Payment Cards built on the Zwipe Pay platform in Iraq. This will be one of the earliest pilots of next generation contactless payment cards in the country.
Al Mansour Bank is a private bank with Qatar National Bank (QNB) as its majority owner. The bank was established in 2005 and today it has more than 10 branches across Iraq. The bank is always seeking innovative products to introduce to the Iraqi market.
Speaking on this development, Mr. Roger Abboud, Head of Retail, AI Mansour Bank said, “Post pandemic, we have seen strong demand for PIN-free and touch-less payment solutions as they are safer and much more secure. We are delighted to partner with Zwipe, a leading provider of biometric payment technologies and areeba, a respected leader in innovative payment services. Biometric Payment Cards will uplift our payment portfolio and enable us to deliver excellent service quality to our customers. We are now working with both partners to launch pilots in the coming months.”
Mr. Issam Adra, General Manager of areeba Iraq said: “We are excited to be part of Al Mansour Bank’s biometric payment cards initiative and confident to deliver a world-class experience and security to the bank’s customers. areeba has for a long-time pioneered payment innovations that uplift customer loyalty, create unique differentiation and strong business cases for banks. Biometric payment cards will be instrumental in continuing this effort.”
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region added, “The banking sector in Iraq is demonstrating a great appetite for innovation. We are thrilled with our collaboration with Al Mansour Bank on biometric payment cards together with areeba, one of our key partners in the region.”
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52 info@zwipe.com
About Al Mansour Bank
Al Mansour Bank is a private bank with Qatar National Bank (QNB) as its majority owner. The bank was established in 2005 and today it has more than 10 branches across Iraq. The bank is always seeking innovative products to introduce to the Iraqi market.
For more information, visit www.mbi.iq
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.
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 ID 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 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
