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 SINGAPORE – 2 November 2021 - Zwipe, a leading biometrics payment company, announced that it had appointed Claus Hansen as Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Mr Hansen will lead Zwipe's engagements with card manufacturers, issuers and technology partners to drive the adoption of biometric payment solutions in APAC.
With this appointment, Zwipe aims to strengthen its foothold in the APAC region. Mr Hansen will be accompanied with two existing colleagues at the newly-established Zwipe subsidiary in Singapore (Zwipe Singapore Pte. Ltd.) The new regional office strongly reinforces Zwipe’s long-term vision to support its partners and customers in the area.
Commenting on this latest Zwipe development in the APAC Region, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said, "Claus's appointment demonstrates our commitment to one of the world's largest and most rapidly growing regions within payments. We have significant customer relationships in the APAC region and are excited by the strong interest that our Zwipe Pay ONE platform has received. Claus's deep smart card industry knowledge and proven track record in successfully launching new payment solutions in APAC will help us accelerate the full potential of our platform.”
Claus Hansen, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, APAC, said, "The Zwipe Pay ONE platform with a Single Silicon Biometric System on Card is a game-changer for the payments industry. I am very excited to join this visionary team of passionate people. Convenience, security and safety are important for consumers' choice of payment option. Zwipe is perfectly positioned to provide innovative card-based solutions allowing our clients to respond to market needs, as well as become the strategic technology partner of choice".
Mr Hansen brings over 25 years of payment technology, cybersecurity, fintech and smart card experience to the role. He has held senior executive management positions across multiple countries in Asia in Entrust, NXP Semiconductors, Gemalto, dz card and Kona I.
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For further information, please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO,
+47 991 66 135
info@zwipe.com
Acceleration på flera fronter
Zwipe fortsätter det höga tempo som bolaget har hållit hittills under året och har presenterat många spännande nyheter senaste kvartalet. Kvartalet har inneburit ett antal nya partnerskap med en mängd olika aktörer i branschen. Mest noterbart är den allt starkare närvaron i Mellanöstern och Asien, med avtal med bland annat partnerskap med go-to-market aktörerna ICPS, Nymcard, QPS och CCM. Vidare har pilotavtal också slutits med MEPS för Levantregionen, Credit Libanais, en större aktör i Libanon, det norska fintech-bolaget Reltime samt en större global Tier-1 bank med pilotlanseringar i tre europeiska länder. Till följd av den allt starkare närvaron i regionen Mellanöstern, Asien och Afrika har en Claus Hansen tillsatts som VP Sales and Business Development för APAC-regionen. (Asien-Stilla-havsregionen). Bolaget har utöver detta tagit viktiga steg i Latinamerika och Karibien, genom ett avtal med det Chile-baserade fintechbolaget IC Payments.
Ytterligare kommersiell order
I vår förra uppdatering lyfte vi fram den stora nyheten att bolaget mottagit sin första order. Den kom från BCC i Taiwan och uppgick till totalt 17 miljoner norska kronor. Kort efter att analysen publicerades följde bolaget upp med att tillkännagiva att Inkript, en av de största betalkortsleverantörerna i Menaregionen (Mellanöstern och Nord-afrika) har lagt en order på totalt 3 miljoner norska kronor. Iochmed detta så stärks bolagets kommersiella momentum ytterligare och det är inte orimligt att tro i detta läge att ytterligare ordrar kan finnas i närtid. Totalt har bolaget idag skarpa ordrar på 20 miljoner norska kronor trots att de i stort fortsatt befinner sig i ett förkommersiellt stadie.
Genombrott med Tier-1 aktörer
Värt att också lyfta fram är de framgångar som Zwipe fortsätter att röna med större globala Tier-1 aktörer. Detta är anmärkningsvärt för flera anledningar, då detta inte nödvändigtvis varit ett fokusområde tidigare för bolaget. Utvärderingen av bolagets Zwipe Pay One plattform sker nu av en global Tier-1 smartkortsleverantör och ett positivt utfall på detta kan få stora effekter. Vidare har bolaget också adderat en europeisk Tier-1 bank som ger ut flera miljoner kort årligen globalt och som skall genomföra en pilot i tre europeiska länder i Q1 2022. Givet ett positivt utfall på detta så siktar banken på en större kommersiell lansering under sommaren 2022. Mycket pekar med andra ord för att 2022 kan bli ett spännande år där det kommersiella genombrottet för biometriska kort tar fart ordentligt.
Bibehållen positiv syn
Kvartalet innehöll inga överraskningar i siffrorna med en omsättning på 0,4 miljoner NOK och ett kassaflöde på -5,3 miljoner NOK per månad. Vi justerar ned våra prognoser på kort sikt men bibehåller den starka synen på lång sikt och upprepar vårt motiverade värde på 43–46 kronor på 12–18 månaders sikt. Bolaget befinner sig fortsatt i ett starkt momentum och vi väntar oss ett intensivt nyhetsflöde de kommande månaderna. Vi ser störst risk i eventuella förseningar i kommersialiseringsprocessen.
OSLO, NORWAY – 26 October 2021
During the third quarter, Zwipe has continued to strengthen its foundation for launching pilots and mass-volume roll out of biometric payment cards.
Mauritius-based ICPS, one of Africa’s leading card personalization and processing service providers, partnered with Zwipe to bring biometric payment cards to Africa and Asia.
A global Tier 1 smartcard manufacturer started the evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
Zwipe received an MNOK 17 (USD 1.9 million) commercial order from Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) in Taiwan, which produces around 520 million cards annually, of which around 20 million are EMV payment cards.
Middle East Payment Services (MEPS), a Jordan-based commercial issuer of payment cards, announced its decision to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE with executives at up to 20 Financial Institutions in the Levant region1.
Erik Selin invested MNOK 104 in Zwipe through a private placement to further accelerate development and commercialization of Zwipe.
A European-based Global Tier 1 Bank, with several millions of payment cards deployed globally, decided to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE-based Biometric Payment Cards in three European countries. The bank plans for a commercial launch in summer 2022, subject to positive pilot results.
Zwipe received a Commercial Order of MNOK 3 (USD 318,000) from Inkript, one of the largest payment card suppliers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
UAE-based card issuing and processing provider NymCard joined forces with Zwipe to accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards in the Middle East and Africa.
Zwipe and India-based Que Processing Services (QPS) announced collaboration to bring Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards in Asia and the Middle East.
Zwipe and Lebanon-based Credit Card Management (CCM), who delivers payment services to more than 25 banks in Lebanon, announced collaboration to launch biometric payment card pilots in the country.
Norwegian fintech Reltime selected the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to power its biometric payment card offering as part of its global financial services ecosystem, with the aim to launch pilots from Q1 2022.
Zwipe America Inc. received full forgiveness of the second bank loan of $248 000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which was granted and paid out in the first quarter of 2021.
Significant Events after the period
IC Payments, a Chile based fintech with offices in Uruguay and Argentina as well as a solid network of partners across Latin America, partnered with Zwipe to offer biometric payment solutions in the Latin American and Caribbean markets.
Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in Lebanon and a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, has chosen to pilot biometric payment card based on Zwipe Pay ONE.
Zwipe has hired Claus Hansen as VP Sales and Business Development in APAC. Claus is based in Singapore and has a long career working in the smart card industry with more than 30 years’ experience in APAC and a broad network in the region.
Comments from the CEO
The third quarter of 2021 has been momentous for Zwipe in many ways.
On the customer side, we received our first commercial orders for subsequent deployments of Zwipe Pay ONE) from BCC in Taiwan and Inkript in Lebanon with a combined value of MNOK 20 (USD 2.2 million). Both players have strong regional positions in Asia and the MENA region respectively.
We are also pleased that a global Tier 1 Smartcard Manufacturer decided to start a comprehensive evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE platform, reflecting the relevance and competitiveness of our technology and offering.
On the issuer side, the innovativeness of Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) to launch a large-scale, multi-bank pilot with Zwipe Pay ONE to bank executives across the Levant region1 was a great step forward and has inspired us to develop new concepts for accelerated piloting that reduces upfront preparation for the banks.
I was also thrilled that a European-based global Tier-1 bank decided to launch Zwipe Pay ONE pilots in three European countries with intentions to launch commercially during summer 2022 subject to positive pilot results. Attracting global tier-1 players, not only among processors and card manufacturers, but also among banks, is something we are very proud of at Zwipe.
In addition, Reltime decided to pilot and subsequently launch Zwipe Pay ONE enabled cards to bring world-class security in its decentralized financial services ecosystem.
In parallel with all this, we further strengthened our reach, market coverage, and implementation capabilities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East by finalizing key Go-to-market partnerships with ICPS (part of the HPS Group), NymCard, Que Processing Services and Credit Card Management. Partnerships such as these are vital in order to accelerate developments and maximise the Zwipe Pay ONE opportunity. I refer to this as “the Megaphone effect”.
To help quantify the business case for launching biometric payment cards for issuers and further drive the biometric payment card opportunity across the value chain, we have developed a comprehensive ROI (Return on Investment) Calculator. The calculator demonstrates the financial value of Zwipe Pay ONE to issuers and shows that, even without a card fee paid by the cardholder, Zwipe Pay ONE can deliver a $15m annual net benefit for an average US issuer with a 1 million credit card portfolio. The ROI model has been developed together with recognized external industry experts. We were delighted by the results and the reinforcement of the value that our offering can bring to card issuers. The ROI calculator is now an integral part of our value proposition to issuers to further accelerate the adoption of biometric payment cards.
All in all, I am happy to report that we continue to experience broad-based acknowledgement of Zwipe’s competitiveness and value add for the industry from all parts of the payment ecosystem.
Another significant highlight from the third quarter 2021 was the MNOK 104 investment from the prominent Swedish investor Erik Selin through a private placement of 4,000,000 new shares to further accelerate our ongoing development, commercialization and global expansion.
As previously communicated, Zwipe’s development efforts for Zwipe Pay ONE has passed almost all critical milestones and major risk points, with piloting and certification left before subsequent full commercialization and mass volumes. Together with development and manufacturing partners, we are progressing towards finalization of Zwipe Pay ONE, which will be followed by the formal certification process by our card manufacturing customers with the payment schemes. When verifying Zwipe Pay ONE, it is clear that we will have a very cost competitive offering and enable our customers to launch biometric payment cards with excellent performance resulting in a compelling user experience for cardholders. Similar to many other companies engaged in multinational development projects, the effects of COVID-19 have added complexity and extended lead times to the overall Zwipe Pay ONE development program, but I am pleased with how our organization continues to tackle and overcome challenges and is well positioned to bring a fully commercially available Zwipe Pay ONE offering to market as soon as we have completed the final steps.
Finally, I am very proud of the Zwipe organization. The passion, competence, agility, collaborativeness, responsiveness and winning culture that they live out every day is what fuels our mission and drives us forward on our path to market success, great customer satisfaction and creation of shareholder value.
Financial Update
Total revenues in Q3 2021 were 0.4 MNOK (MNOK 0.1).
Average monthly operational cash flow was MNOK -5.3 in Q3 2021 versus MNOK -4.4 in Q3 2020. The increase is a result of recruitments and higher activity in the company. During 2021, Zwipe has increased its staff in response to the increased number of customer engagements and growing demand for piloting and deployment of our payment solutions and services.
The closing cash balance at the end of Q3 2021 was MNOK 183.7 (MNOK 117.3). The development in cash balance since end of Q2 2021 (MNOK 94.9) is primarily a result of operational cash flow of MNOK -15.8 and the private placement to Erik Selin of MNOK 104 in August 2021.
As Zwipe received full forgiveness of the second PPP loan in August, Zwipe is again debt-free.
Footnote 1: The Levant region includes Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Turkey and Israel
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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 08:00 CEST on 26 October 2021.
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:
André Løvestam
+47 991 661 35
ir@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 21 October 2021 - Zwipe is proud to announce a pilot of the new generation of biometric payment card based on Zwipe Pay ONE, with Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in Lebanon. The bank is a principal member of Visa and Mastercard and has under its affiliation three other banks.
Across many markets globally, and especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Zwipe has experienced a strong and growing interest in biometric payment cards from banks and payment service providers. Biometric payment cards deliver world-class security and a completely touch-less user experience to cardholders, enabling improved loyalty and accelerated customer acquisition for the banks, creating a solid business case.
Speaking on this development, Randa Bdeir, Deputy General Manager at Credit Libanais said, “Post pandemic, we have seen a strong demand for touch-less checkout as they are safer and much more hygienic which this innovation will directly address; and that is why we have partnered with Zwipe, a global leader in biometric payment card technologies, to pilot a new generation of Biometric Payment Cards that will deliver a significantly improved user experience and security for our retail clients. We are truly proud to partner with Zwipe and be the pioneers to deploy such an important development in the entire region.”
Besides the core biometric payment card technology, Zwipe will also support Credit Libanais through all pilot stages, ensuring that all end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured and their impact on business case assessed.
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said: “The banking sector in Lebanon is demonstrating its appetite for innovation. We are thrilled that Zwipe Pay ONE technology has been chosen and looking forward to supporting the pilot and commercial launch by Credit Libanais.”
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About Credit Libanais
Since its establishment in 1961, Credit Libanais has developed technologically - advanced services to support its business. The Bank has one of the largest networks in Lebanon including local and international outreach in Cyprus, Bahrain and a subsidiary bank in Senegal. Year after year, Credit Libanais reaffirms its commitment to conducting business with high ethical standards and sustainability in mind.
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 and SANTIAGO, CHILE – 19 October 2021 – IC Payment is partnering with Zwipe, a Norway-based biometric fintech, to offer biometric payment solutions in the Latin American and Caribbean markets.
IC Payment is a Fintech, expert in the development of new technologies behind different payment methods. It is based in Santiago de Chile with offices in Uruguay and Argentina as well as a solid network of partners across Latin America. IC Payment offers a complete set of payment solutions for both in person and digital environments. Highlighting its instant issuance solution for financial cards through a self-service model, called "Instant CardPoint". Allowing to issue a card instantly ready to be used without limitations of designs, brands, or customer service hours.
Speaking on this collaboration, Mr. Christian Herrera, CEO of IC Payment, said "Biometric payment cards are attracting increased interest from issuers as they deliver a much better user experience through transaction security and safety. We are delighted that our partnership with Zwipe enables us to provide the ultimate next-generation payment experience in the market. This innovation will help our partners and customers to differentiate their offerings. Making them more competitive as a result, which in turn drives further growth”.
The two organizations will now align their product delivery and initiate joint sales efforts to bring biometric cards across key markets in Latin America.
"We are thrilled that IC Payment has selected Zwipe Pay ONE to enable their issuer, processor and card bureau clients to adopt biometric payment cards. We look forward to introducing the next generation of contactless payment cards in large and high growth payment markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. IC Payment is a well-recognized brand in the card payments space in these markets, and we look forward to mutual success in this region,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About IC Payment
IC Payment was born with the mission of bringing new payment method technologies to the financial sector through innovation and security. In its nine years of operation in Latin America, IC Payment has promoted and accompanied its clients in the early adoption of new payment technologies. IC Payment's current commitment is to take the instant issuance of financial cards beyond the scope of bank branches. Expanding its hourly service, physical presence and promoting financial inclusion. IC Payment consolidated a strategic alliance with the fintech of the French group be ys, to continue strengthening its research and development in an environment of continuous advancement of innovation and sustainability.
For further information please contact Sean McRostie, CCO of IC Payment at +(56) 9 3430 0695 - smcrostie@icpayment.net
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 - 29 september 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce that it has partnered with startup Reltime to provide a world-class security and user experience to the end-users of Reltime’s Decentralized Finance (DEFI) Ecosystem based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform. Reltime will issue Zwipe Pay ONE-based biometric payment cards to bring the next generation contactless security and user experience to its end users.
Reltime aims to revolutionize financial services for customers and users in Europe, Japan, India, Mexico, and Brazil from Q1 2022 and then target the global market from Q3 2022.
Headquartered in Oslo, Reltime offers ready-to-deploy financial services to users who will save and secure transactions with full control and flexibility. These services include banking, cross border money transfer, lending, card payments and digital wallets for instant use. When the users check out, it converts instantly to the local currency.
Speaking on the partnership, Cornelia Stensby van der Laak, Reltime’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are delighted to see such positive feedback from the market on Reltime’s DEFI Ecosystem. We already have several partner engagements from all over the world. Reltime has noted a strong interest in biometric payment cards, which deliver world-class security and convenience. Zwipe is a well-respected biometric payment technology brand, and we aim to launch the first pilots in Q1 2022, followed by commercial launches shortly after.”
More information on Reltime Biometric ID and Payment Cards can be found here.
Reltime will be the issuer of biometric payment cards, and first to launch this to a DEFI network globally. Zwipe and other partners will be working closely to ensure that the planned pilots are started from Q1 2022. Besides delivering its Zwipe Pay ONE platform, Zwipe will also support Reltime through all stages of pilots and the commercial launch of biometric payment cards.
“We are proud that a global innovator such as Reltime recognizes the value of biometric payment cards and has decided to use Zwipe as part of its next-generation financial services platform. Together we will help many telecom operators and issuers to bring significantly enhanced convenience and security in payments. We are excited about the planned pilots and launches next year,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About Reltime
Reltime is a decentralized financial ‘DEFI’ ecosystem that brings the next generation of economic and banking services to its audience worldwide. Headquartered in Oslo, it offers financial services for all users anywhere. Reltime enables its customers to start offering a broad range of services, such as banking, free cross border money transfer, lending with and without Collateral and earnings for the end-users, card payments and digital wallets. Reltime revolutionizing financial services bringing control to the end-users. Reltime has a partnership with several global financial institutions to provide seamless and secure transactions from anywhere in the world. To learn more, visit reltime.com.
For further details, please get in touch with Cornelia Stensby van der Laak, CCO, cornelia@reltime.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment card components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. 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 significant 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 and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 29 September 2021 – Biometric fintech company, Zwipe, and Credit Card Management (CCM), one of the leading card payment service providers in Lebanon are partnering to bring Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards to banks in Lebanon. Founded in 1994, CCM has grown to become a well-recognized brand in the card payments both in Lebanon and the Middle East.
CCM delivers issuing, acquiring and card personalization services to more than 25 banks. The company provides payment processing for financial institutions as well as telecom operators and it is a subsidiary of Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in the country.
“We are always eager to bring state-of-the-art payment products that enhance customers’ experience. Zwipe Pay ONE is a disruptive (Gen3) biometric payment platform that will enable issuer clients to deliver a completely contact-free checkout experience and payment security. We are proud to partner with Zwipe,” says Johnny Torbey, Deputy General Manager at CCM.
As part of this partnership, Zwipe will support CCM in delivering Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards to banks in Lebanon. Both organizations aim to help multiple banks with pilots and ultimately commercial launches.
“The collaboration with CCM further accelerates our issuer engagements and is a strategic move for Zwipe in Lebanon and MENA where innovations such as biometric payment cards are in great demand from banks, governments and citizen programs including financial inclusions and the move to cashless societies,” says Ramzi Saboury, General Manager for Zwipe for the MENA region.
For further information, please contact Mr. André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
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About CCM
Founded in 1994, CCM has grown to become one of the most dynamic leaders of the card industry in Lebanon and the Middle East, delivering quality service and ensuring high standards of value and security, for banks, institutions, and merchants across the country while handling the full range of card business activities: strategic planning, issuing, account processing, authorization of payments, innovation of loyalty programs and co-branding schemes in various set ups and telecommunication environments.
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
OSLO, NORWAY – 27 September 2021- The share capital increase of 4,000,000 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 30 August 2021, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,698,268.50, and the new number of shares and votes is 36,982,685.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment card 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 more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
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 below, at 13:15 CEST on 27 September 2021.
OSLO, NORWAY and ABU DHABI, UAE – 13 September 2021 – Zwipe and NymCard are joining forces to launch biometric payment cards in the Middle East and Africa. With the rapidly growing demand for safer and more secure payment solutions from fintechs and modern payment innovators, this collaboration will ensure a faster deployment of biometric payment cards in the region.
Based in Abu Dhabi, NymCard delivers a state-of-the-art payment card issuing and processing platform based on three key focus areas: Frictionless, Transparent and Agile. Recognized as a leading Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider in the region, NymCard enables fintechs and innovative payment players to deliver a seamless payment experience to their customers with easy, secure, and faster channels. Using Open APIs and modern technologies, NymCard is known for delivering exceptionally fast implementations. It powers payment innovators in multiple industries from the Gig Economy, Buy Now Pay Later, Youth banking, and Corporate expense cards across the MEA region. NymCard is now expanding to Asia and Europe.
Speaking on the partnership, Omar Onsi, CEO and Founder at NymCard said: “In our region, consumers, fintechs, and payment providers always seek more secure and user-friendly financial services. We are now seeing increasing interest in biometric payment cards as they combine world-class security with world-class convenience. Zwipe is a highly respected fintech in the biometric payments marketplace and Zwipe Pay ONE based cards will add considerable value for our customers in MEA”.
Zwipe will provide commercialization support, expertise, and technical guidance to help NymCard integrate biometric payment cards in its portfolio. Zwipe Pay ONE based cards will be delivered by one or more of Zwipe's certified smart card manufacturers in the region. NymCard and Zwipe will start joint issuer engagements already from this month.
“The interest in adopting biometric payment cards is phenomenal in the Middle East and Africa. We are happy to partner with NymCard, a well-recognized Banking-as-a-Service provider for payment innovators and fintechs. Zwipe's biometric payment platform supports contactless payments ensuring 100% touch-free and PIN-free transactions. We are confident that this alliance will further accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards,” said Ramzi Saboury, General Manager for Zwipe in the MENA region.
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 Info@zwipe.com
About NymCard
NymCard is a MEA-based BaaS provider and modern card issuer processor. The company offers a cloud-agnostic modern payment issuing and processing platform called nCore that allows fintechs in the MENA region to instantly create, control, and distribute highly customizable virtual or physical payment cards.
NymCard’s mission is to enable companies to launch frictionless payment card programs at speed in any market in MENA and now in Asia as well. As a payment enabler, NymCard is removing the friction associated with legacy systems enabling fintechs to focus on building their product proposition rather than deal with complex payment processes.
NymCard developed its own processing technology from the ground up, where we own our whole tech stack. We published our APIs and are the only MENA-based issuer processor with a live Sandbox where fintechs can get access and start building in no time.
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 and 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
OSLO, NORWAY – 3 September 2021 – The primary insider Johan Biehl, a board member of Zwipe, has today sold a total of 92,883 shares at an average at SEK 37.03. Johan Biehl’s shareholding after the transaction is 120,000 shares. Feat Invest AB, where Johan Biehl is a board member, has sold 57,301 shares at an average price at SEK 36.86. Feat Invest AB’s shareholding after the transaction is 262,479 shares.
Attached is a copy of the forms submitted to the Norwegian FSA, Finanstilsynet, reporting the transactions as listed above:
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
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
OSLO, NORWAY AND BEIRUT, LEBANON – 03 September 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce further orders for its Zwipe Pay ONE flagship product. The latest order was placed by Inkript, a digital security provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and a subsidiary of Resource Group, and one of Zwipe’s long established partners.
The order of USD 318,000 for Zwipe Pay ONE comes after significant technical assessment and intensive business development activity across the Middle East and Africa region. Zwipe Pay One is the world’s first single silicon based biometric payment platform offered to card manufacturers globally and will be delivered in 2021 and 2022. This order has been placed at a time when both Inkript and Zwipe are experiencing strong interest from issuers aiming for pilots this year and planning for commercial rollouts in 2022.
Inkript initially placed a small-scale order in 2020 to begin the technical and commercial evaluation of Zwipe Pay ONE. Following a successful evaluation period, the company has quickly moved to reinforce its leadership position in the MEA region by guaranteeing priority deliveries to its customers upon conclusion of planned pilot cases.
“There is a growing need for sustainable, secure and user-friendly payment solutions in the MEA region, addressing the concerns of both customers and financial institutions. As a result, Inkript remains determined to support the market needs not only through our expertise but also through solid and promising partnerships. Together with Zwipe, we are investing our efforts into securing several pilots in the region to widely introduce and develop the best-in-class Zwipe Pay ONE platform in the region. Our aim is to build market awareness of the benefits of the product and ultimately to secure our first pilot commitments,” says Riad Itani, Managing Director at Inkript.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, added: “It is encouraging that the early interest shown in Zwipe Pay ONE in the Middle East has now been converted into our first, sizeable order for our product from Inkript. Their willingness to be one of the first smart card manufacturers to bring Zwipe Pay ONE powered biometric cards to issuers and card personalization bureaus in the MEA region demonstrates their leadership in this area. We look forward to supporting Inkript on this journey and to our continued mutual success within the region”.
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
About Inkript
Inkript is a digital security solutions provider catering to governments, telecom operators and financial institutions in the MEA region. The company’s growth is driven by an extensive R&D and continuous investments in emerging technologies. Inkript is distinguished by its state-of-the-art factories, technology competence centers, customized integrated solutions and international certifications covering processes, quality and security.
Media Contact for Inkript: Ms. Ghina Ramadan, +9611412000 ext. 2931, gramadan@resource.group
Når en första kommersiell order
Det första halvåret och perioden efter har minst sagt varit händelserikt för Zwipe med ett antal större nya partnerskap, piloter, samarbetsavtal samt en första större kommersiell order. Den 11e maj tillkännagav bolaget ett samarbetsavtal med Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) för att leverera bolagets biometriska kortlösningar till den asiatiska marknaden. BCC producerar kring 520 miljoner kort årligen, varav cirka 20 miljoner av dessa är betalkort. Kort efter halvårets utgång meddelande Zwipe att en första kommersiell order nåtts med BCC till ett värde av 1,9 miljoner USD, motsvarande nästan 17 miljoner kronor. Ordern kommer levereras under 2022, med möjlighet att skjuta på leverans om marknaden inte utvecklats snabbt nog. Detta utgör inte bara en av de större beställningarna för biometriska kort hittills utan innebär också att Zwipe nu tar första stegen in i den kommersiella resan, vilket bekräftar bolagets starka position i den begynnande marknaden.
Pilotavtal med stor global bank
Första halvåret har inneburit ett kraftigt växande nätverk av både partners och kunder. Dessa utgör en blandning av både kortutgivare och betaltjänstleverantörer vilket innebär att marknaden bearbetas från flera olika håll. Särskilt intressant är nyheten som släpptes i början av september där bolaget tillkännagav en pilot med en global Tier-1 bank. Piloten innebär att bolagets Zwipe Pay ONE plattform kommer att testas skarpt i tre europeiska länder i början av 2022 men potential för en kommersiell lansering i mitten av året. Detta kan utgöra en av bolagets största milstolpar hittills och potentialen är stor. Banken, som ännu inte tillkännagivits, har bas i Europa, agerar globalt på flera kontinenter och den potentiella långsiktiga volymen från avtalet är troligt i tiotals miljoner.
Tidigare i år har bolaget bland annat slutit avtal med KL HI-TECH för Indien, Be ys Pay för biometriska kort i Frankrike och Benelux-regionen, FSS för global utrullning, BCC som nämnt ovan, MEPS med fokus på MENA-regionen och Silkways Card & Printing Ltd med fokus på Bangladesh. Efter andra kvartalet har även avtal slutits med ICPS, med fokus på Afrika och Asien, samt ett avtal med MEPS där nyckelpersoner på ett tjugotal banker i Levant-regionen kommer få genomföra en pilot med bolagets Zwipe Pay ONE plattform. Det blir allt tydligare att en begynnande massmarknad tar form och intresset är större än någonsin från banker och kortutgivare.
Utvärderas av global Tier-1 korttillverkare
Utöver dessa avtal har därtill bolaget tillkännagivit att Zwipe Pay ONE plattformen utvärderas av en global smartcard-utgivare inom kategorin Tier 1. Tier 1 utgör världens tre största utgivare, alla med volymer över en halv miljard kort om året, och är en kundkategori vi tidigare inte beräknat som ett fokusområde för bolagets marknadsbearbetning. Det faktum att Zwipe nu utvärderas av allt större aktörer är en indikation på den attraktiva, konkurrenskraftiga ställning bolaget etablerar på denna begynnande marknad. Ett avtal med en kund i denna kaliber skulle innebära en större adresserbar marknad och hade accelererat adoptionen av biometriska kort givet dessa aktörers etablerade kundrelationer med några av världens största banker.
Milstolpe efter milstolpe
Halvåret innehöll inga överraskningar i siffrorna med en omsättning på 1,4 miljon norska kronor (0,9), ett resultat kring -26,9 miljoner norska kronor (-31,6) och en burnrate kring 5 miljoner norska kronor per månad. Trots detta har sommaren inneburit ett stort antal stora milstolpar för bolaget vilket gör att risken minskar samtidigt som långsiktiga potentialen stärks. Alltmer talar för att vi står inför större kommersiellt genombrott under 2022 och vi väntar oss ett fortsatt spännande år för bolaget. Till följd av sänkt diskonteringsränta och mindre förändringar i våra prognoser höjer vi bolagets motiverade värde till 43–46 kronor (34–37), på 12–18 månaders sikt.
OSLO, NORWAY – 2 SEPTEMBER 2021 - Zwipe is proud to announce a biometric payment cards pilot with a Global Tier-1 bank. The bank, which is headquartered in Europe, has a strong presence in retail banking and serves many millions of customers across several continents. The pilot will take place in three European countries using biometric payment cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
Across many global markets, Zwipe and its card manufacturing partners are experiencing growing interest in biometric payment cards from banks. These cards will deliver world class transaction security, uplifted user experience, improved loyalty and drive new customer acquisition. Delivering a completely touch-free check-out experience above and below the current contactless limits, biometric payment cards will address elevated consumer concerns about touching the point-of-sale terminals.
Together with its card manufacturing and personalization partners, who will deliver the Zwipe Pay ONE Biometric Cards, Zwipe will commence working with the Global Tier-1 Bank later this month with the aim to launch a pilot of a few hundred cardholders across three European countries in Q1 2022. The bank also plans for a commercial launch of Zwipe Pay ONE based biometric payment cards later in the summer 2022, subject to positive results in the pilot.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, said: “We are thrilled that a Global Tier 1 bank has chosen Zwipe Pay ONE-based biometric payment cards for their pilot and, potentially, for a commercial launch where the long-term potential could be significant. Besides the technology, Zwipe will also support the bank through all stages of the pilot, ensuring that all end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured. This Zwipe Pay ONE pilot is a significant milestone and a testament to our world-class technology and excellent collaboration with strong partners in all parts of the payments ecosystem”.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 12:45 CEST on 2 September 2021.
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@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
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE.
OSLO, NORWAY – 30 August 2021 – Zwipe AS (“Zwipe” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has raised approximately NOK 104 million in gross proceeds through a private placement of 4,000,000 new shares (the “New Shares”), directed towards Erik Selin Fastigheter AB (the "Private Placement"). The Company has prior to the resolution received an indication of interest from Erik Selin Fastigheter AB covering the transaction size.
The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund further development and commercialization of the Company, general operating costs and strategic investments. After completion of this private placement, Zwipe is funded through commercial launches in 2022 and beyond based on the current business plan and market assumptions.
The subscription price in the Private Placement will be NOK 26.10 per share, corresponding to today's closing price on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. As no discount has been provided, the board does not plan to execute a repair issue.
The new Shares will be issued and tradable on Euronext Growth Oslo and Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm following the registration of the share capital increase in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises expected to take place on or about 30 September 2021.
The Board has found the Private Placement to be in compliance with the applicable equal treatment requirements, ref. Euronext Growth Oslo Rule Book, Part II, section 3.1. The Private Placement allows the Company to raise capital faster, with lower risk and significantly lower transaction costs than in a rights issue. Further, no discount is given from market price. The Board also shows to that no discrimination among the existing shareholders is taking place since Erik Selin Fastigheter AB is not a shareholder. Finally, the Board emphasizes that Erik Selin Fastigheter AB is generally considered a strong and long term investor who the Company and the joint shareholders will gain from including as a shareholder.
The Private Placement is exempted from relevant prospectus requirements (i) outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “US Securities Act”) and (ii) in the United States to "accredited investors" as defined in the US Securities Act Rule 501(a), acquiring the New Shares for investment purposes for its own account, or pursuant to another exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act.
Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS is acting as legal advisor to Zwipe.
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
This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Euronext Growth Market Oslo Rule Book Part II, Section 3.10 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 19:30 CEST on 30 August 2021.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.
The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release.
Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
OSLO, NORWAY – 26 August 2021 – Zwipe AS today publishes its first half-year 2021 report.
Summary Financial development
Second-quarter 2021
First half-year 2021
Significant events during the period
Significant events after the period
Message from the CEO
Continued strong progress
During the first half of the year, Zwipe Pay ONE and our compelling end-to-end offering continued to drive interest from all stakeholders in the payment ecosystem. Thanks to continued strong and growing global interest in biometric payment cards among Smart Card Manufacturers, Personalization Bureaus, Payment Processors, and Financial Institutions, we have expanded our ecosystem in all these categories and will continue to further strengthen our foundation for future market success. During the period, we announced important new events and milestones:
To proactively support our new customers and partners, we’ve taken many steps to strengthen our organization, including:
In April 2021, we demonstrated the Zwipe Pay ONE platform with a demo card and a home enrollment solution. We successfully carried out EMV authenticated transaction at Point-of-Sale terminals in a test environment. The feedback from the market was highly positive as we were able to demonstrate that transactions could be executed quickly and reliably, providing a considerable improvement to user experience, security, safety, and hygiene.
We have now passed almost all critical milestones and major risk points, with piloting and certification left before full commercialization and mass volumes.
Several of Zwipe’s smart card manufacturing partners have completed their internal testing processes and have begun small-scale manufacturing trials. In August 2021, we received our first commercial order for the Zwipe Pay ONE platform from Beautiful Card Corporation (in Taiwan). The net contract value is $1.9 million, marking the transition to a new phase on a very exciting journey for Zwipe. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2022. The order is a testament to how Zwipe Pay ONE is getting closer to a mass-market launch and how our global delivery set-up is getting ready to bring the next generation of payment cards to issuers, smart card manufacturers and payment processors across multiple markets.
At the same time, and as part of our global expansion plan, we have established wholly owned subsidiaries in the UK and Germany to support the global mass-market deployment of Zwipe Pay ONE powered payment cards.
Adding value through our unique and highly differentiated offer
The offer Zwipe brings to the market has proven highly attractive. It consists of the industry’s most integrated secure element, offering superior energy efficiency and biometric performance at highly competitive manufacturing cost. Together with partners we manufacture our internally developed ISO module which integrates our secure element with our ISO contact plate and ultimately with our passive inlay. We provide methods and solutions for our customers to embed the fingerprint sensor during manufacturing of the biometric payment cards. Since our secure element is so advanced in its integration of capabilities that are otherwise provided by external components, our passive inlay allows for our customers to manufacture the complete biometric card at industry-leading cost. In addition to our turn-key technology offering, we offer value-added services and insights in our end-to-end approach. The number of customers that have selected Zwipe Pay ONE is the best testament to the competitive nature of our unique and highly differentiated offer.
With strong market traction and a welcoming reaction from major industry players worldwide, Zwipe is on track to deliver on our ambitions and bring the next generation payment experience powered by biometrics to consumers globally.
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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 08:00 CEST on 26 August 2021.
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:
André Løvestam, +47 991 661 35, ir@zwipe.com
[1] Comparative figures in brackets are for Q2 2020
[2] Comparative figures in brackets are for H1 2020
OSLO, NORWAY and AMMAN, JORDAN – 16 August 2021 – Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) and Zwipe are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot of Biometric Payment Cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to top-level executives and key decision makers at up to 20 banks and issuers in the Levant region. MEPS is a key regional player in card issuing, payment processing and merchant acquiring services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Zwipe is a biometric fintech pioneering next generation contactless payment globally.
In June, MEPS and Zwipe announced their partnership to bring Biometric Payment Cards to banks and consumers in MENA. Both organizations have noted a strong interest in biometric payment cards in the region.
Highlighting this development, Ali Abdel Jabbar, Chief Executive Officer at MEPS shared, “Nothing brings more trust in Biometric Payment Cards than the first-hand experience of using them. With this pilot, MEPS will offer the top-ranking officers and key decision makers at up to 20 banks and issuers a chance to gain such first-hand experience by trying these state-of-the-art payment cards in a live environment, making it the largest multi-bank trial of these cards globally. The pilot will be concluded in Q4 2021 with Zwipe Pay ONE Cards delivered from Inkript. We are confident that after these trials, most banks will launch pilots leading to multiple commercial launches.”
The General Manager of Zwipe MENA, Ramzi Saboury commented, “We are proud that our partner MEPS is amongst the global pioneers and first in MENA to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE, paving the way for issuers to try and ultimately launch this great technology”.
As part of the collaboration, Inkript will deliver Zwipe Pay ONE-based cards to MEPS. Inkript supplies 100 million smart cards annually across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In 2020, it selected Zwipe for its next-generation contactless cards.
“We are impressed with the innovativeness and boldness of MEPS to launch such a large-scale, multi-bank pilot of Zwipe Pay ONE cards across the Levant region. This is a completely new approach to piloting our technology, providing a unique opportunity for top bankers and decision makers in up to 20 individual banks to experience first-hand the enhanced convenience, security and hygiene benefits of biometric payment cards. We are extremely happy and excited that our collaboration with MEPS is proceeding at such great pace,” added André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 08:45 CEST on 16 August 2021.
About MEPS
Middle East Payment Services (MEPS), founded in 2009, is a Principal Issuer and Acquirer of Visa, MasterCard, and UnionPay, with presence in Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine. The company offers financial institutions, merchants, and corporations, a complete range of secure payment solutions in card issuance / hosting, payment processing, alternative payments, ecommerce acquiring, point-of-sale (POS) acquiring, ATM driving and management, and customized value-added services adhering to PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). MEPS is owned by 10 Jordanian and regional banks.
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 TAOYUAN, TAIWAN – 3 August 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce a substantial order of USD 1.9m (net) for its flagship Zwipe Pay ONE product. The order was placed by Taiwan’s Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) and covers the supply of modules, sensors and inlays, enabling BCC to be one of the first manufacturers to bring significant volumes of this next generation of biometric payment cards to market. This order for Zwipe Pay ONE, the world’s first single silicon based biometric payment platform offered to card manufacturers globally, will be delivered in 2022, with the option to extend delivery beyond that date if market take off is slower than anticipated, leaving any remaining unfulfilled quantities.
With around 520 million cards produced annually, of which around 20 million are EMV payment cards, BCC is listed as the largest scratch card manufacturer in Taiwan, the 2nd largest in Asia and 7th in the world.
This order follows on from the agreement between the two companies that was announced in May 2021 after an extensive period of evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE solution. With BCC’s volume manufacturing facility now ready, and demand for the product intensifying across the globe, the timing is right for manufacturers to begin to commit to orders, thereby securing access to and delivery priority for this innovative product at scale.
“Driven by the rapidly growing sales pipeline of new opportunities identified for NextGen Payment Cards, BCC wishes to ensure production capacity and placing this order to Zwipe is part of that commitment to our customers. We are working on bringing a disruptive new product to market and are excited by the opportunities that this will create,” commented Peggy Wu, CEO and Chairman of BCC.
“We are delighted and grateful that BCC has made this commitment to Zwipe and Zwipe Pay ONE. The partnership with BCC has been exceptional and we continue to work closely in advancing both technical and commercial activities. BCC’s investment of human and financial resources to manufacture the Zwipe Pay ONE product has demonstrated their ability to bring an outstanding product to market at scale. We look forward to be working even closer with BCC through certification and volume ramp-up,” added André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 CEST on 3 August 2021.
About Beautiful Card Corporation
Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) was founded in October 1991. BCC has state-of-the-art equipment and professional specialists to fulfil their consistent management policy of providing high-quality products with competitive price. Since BCC’s founding, they have been developing new technology in card industry as well as continuously putting efforts to the innovation and improvement of all sorts of cards. Thanks to their continuous efforts, BCC’s capacity was recognized and approved by customers all over the world. BCC’s annual capacity now reaches 200 million Scratch cards, 300 million GSM SIM cards, 20 million EMV cards. BCC has obtained ISO 9001 / IS27001/ ISO14001/ ISO 45001/ ISO14298/MasterCard CQM / Visa / MasterCard / JCB / GSM SAS certifications.
Media Contact for Beautiful Card Corporation: shellen@beautifulcard.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing technology to 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 info@zwipe.com
