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OSLO, NORWAY - 19 April 2022 - The share capital increase of 150,000 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 24 March 2022, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,751,668.50, and the new number of shares and votes is 37,516,685

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 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 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 11:30 CET on 19 April 2022.

OSLO, NORWAY and ZURICH, SWITZERLAND –  14 April 2022 – Zwipe, a leading provider of on-card biometric solutions, has partnered with LEGIC Identsystems, one of the leading experts in end-to-end security for smartphone and smartcard-based access and mobility solutions. The partnership will provide end-to-end biometric access control solutions using LEGIC’s Security Platform.

On the backdrop of increasing requirements for security, data privacy and GDPR compliance, Zwipe and LEGIC Identsystems have successfully combined their respective high performance and innovative technologies for a next generation biometric system-on-card for access control. This solution provides highly secure multi-factor authentication integrated in an ID-Card form factor.

Speaking on the partnership, John Harvey, Head of BU Access Control at LEGIC said, “Zwipe’s embedded biometric verification in batteryless smartcards adds a revolutionary new layer of security to the huge installed base of LEGIC card-based access control systems worldwide. This innovation brings benefits that were formerly only available on smartphone solutions, while preserving existing infrastructure and drastically reducing time-to-market ”.

“We are very excited with our cooperation with LEGIC, one of the leading global providers of end-to-end security platforms for smartphone- and smartcard-based access, mobility, shared resource and industrial IoT applications. We are already working on several sharp customer cases based on LEGIC’s Security Platform. We are confident this is only the start of a long series of opportunities with LEGIC”, said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

Zwipe Access adds two-factor authentication to existing contactless card-based access control systems without the need to upgrade any of the existing infrastructures, meaning that no new readers, pin pads or cameras need be installed at the doors, gates, or turnstiles. The authorized user’s fingerprints data are captured, using the card’s integrated fingerprint sensor, encrypted, and then stored in the card's secure element.

The biometric data are not shared with anyone, and no database is needed which ensures privacy and simplifies the path towards GDPR’s compliance. The biometric verification on card ensures that only the legitimate cardholder is granted access.  Zwipe Access is contactless, batteryless and easy to use, with significantly shorter transaction time than conventional biometric access control systems.

To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52  info@zwipe.com
 

About LEGIC
For over 25 years, Swiss-based LEGIC Identsystems has enabled companies from around the world to deploy solutions with demanding security requirements. Based on key management, trusted services, and secure, contactless semiconductors, the LEGIC Security Platform provides end-to-end security for smartphone- and smartcard-based access, mobility, shared resource and industrial IoT applications.

For more information, please contact Natascha Marty, Corporate Communications Manager, LEGIC Identsystems Ltd. at + 41 44 933 64 64 or natascha.marty@legic.co

OSLO, NORWAY and AMMAN, JORDAN – 12 April 2022 – Zwipe and CSC-Jordan are pleased to announce their collaboration to pilot Biometric Payment Cards built on the Zwipe Pay platform. This pilot will be deployed with CSC-Jordan's own issued cards, paving the way for CSC-Jordan's client banks to also launch their new card products powered by biometrics from Zwipe. 

CSC-Jordan is an issuer, acquirer and processor, servicing many banks in Jordan and expanding into many other territories in the region. The company offers a bouquet of services and secure payment technologies in the management and operation of electronic payment systems, including processing and authorizing financial transactions, as well as connecting ATMs and point of sale (POS) networks. CSC-Jordan is licensed by both Visa and MasterCard for which they currently issue cards.

Speaking on this development, Mr. Basem Dweik, General Manager at CSC-Jordan said, “We are pleased to partner with Zwipe, a global technology brand in biometric payment cards, to bring next generation contactless payment experience – ensuring top-class security and user experience for customers. We are aiming for the pilot to commence in the early summer of 2022.”

As part of this partnership, Zwipe will support CSC-Jordan through all stages of issuing the next generation payment cards and also offer them to other issuers in Jordan. 

Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said, “We are excited to partner with CSC-Jordan. Being a leading and multi-faceted payment company, combining its roles as issuer, acquirer and processor, CSC-Jordan is able to expand the partnership and will enable all the clients of CSC-Jordan who are interested in the next gen biometric payment cards to pilot and launch the product.”

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52  info@zwipe.com

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About CSC-Jordan

At CSC-Jordan, we are proud of our role in creating the future through providing the best and latest technological solutions across all forms of electronic payments, as well as our ATM management services. We provide banks, financial institutions, retailers, companies a road to success, offering innovative solutions that are defined by their flexibility and security.

CSC-Jordan offers a bouquet of services and secure payment technologies in the management and operation of electronic payment systems. Our services include processing and authorizing financial transactions, as well as connecting ATMs and point of sale (POS) networks, along with

managing and organizing clearing and settlement procedures for financial operations. In addition, CSC is a payment services provider that exclusively issues all types of payment cards depending on our clients’ needs. We are also the proud owners and providers of the Islamic Visa credit card – Arabex. All our services respond to the developments in Jordan’s electronic payment market.

To learn more, visit www.cscjordan.com

OSLO, NORWAY and BAGHDAD, IRAQ – 4 April 2022 – Zwipe and the National Bank of Iraq are pleased to confirm that they will pilot Biometric Payment Cards built on the Zwipe Pay platform, making it one of the first pilots of the next generation contactless payment cards in Iraq.

The National Bank of Iraq (NBI) is one of the largest private banks in the country. Its majority ownership and management has been under Jordan's Capital Bank Group since 2005. The bank provides a comprehensive range of banking services to corporates and consumers. Today, NBI has 19 branches in all major cities in Iraq, a key emerging market in the Middle East seeking innovation in its payment ecosystem to minimize fraud and corruption and deliver an excellent user experience.

Speaking on this development, Mr. Ayman Abu Dhaim, CEO at the National Bank of Iraq said, “We are very pleased to partner with Zwipe, a leading technology brand in biometric payment cards globally, and areeba, a leading payment service provider in the region. We are keen to be amongst the first banks in the region to introduce this world-class innovation, ensuring that our customers are extremely well protected when using payment cards while enjoying a great user experience. We are aiming for the pilot to commence in the summer of 2022.”

Mr. Issam Adra, General Manager of areeba Iraq, added: “Biometric payment cards will make the lives of NBI’s customers frictionless, safer, and more secure. areeba is a well-known frontrunner in bringing wide-ranging payment innovations to markets. Zwipe is our well-established partner for biometric payment cards, and we are very pleased about extending our collaboration to Iraq.” 

Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said, “We are excited to partner with the National Bank of Iraq. I am pleased that our collaboration with the Central Bank of Iraq has encouraged leading Iraqi issuers such as NBI to embrace next-generation payment cards. With 40 million inhabitants and 7 million payment cards, expected to grow to more than 10 million over the next 4 years according to the World Bank, Iraq represents a significant growth opportunity for Zwipe in the Middle East.”

About NBI

National Bank of Iraq, owned by Jordan's Capital Bank Group since 2005, provides a comprehensive range of innovative banking services to corporates and individuals in Iraq. With its extensive network of correspondent banks, Capital Bank stands as National Bank of Iraq’s gateway to global economies, as it facilitates sending and receiving internal and external transfers, granting credit facilities, and providing trade finance services. National Bank of Iraq can trade on behalf of its clients in the Jordanian market and in global markets through Capital Investments, Capital Bank’s investment arm- as well as providing trading services in the Iraq Stock Exchange through its wholly owned subsidiary.

The acquisition that Capital Bank Group undertook towards the end of 2020 of the Lebanese Bank Audi business in Jordan and Iraq reinforced the group’s expansion and presence in these two markets, as the branches of the National Bank of Iraq increased from 13 to 19 branches in all major cities.

In addition, the National Bank of Iraq is furthering its regional expansion with the recently established operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

About areeba

AREEBA IRAQ FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND ELECTRONIC PAYMENT LLC (PRIVATE COMPANY) is an Iraqi entity fully regulated and licensed by the Central Bank of Iraq for issuing, processing and acquiring services under CBI license number 12, provides smarter, faster, and seamless payment solutions for banks, financial institutions, merchants, governments and individuals. Areeba-Iraq takes the business further by introducing new technologies to facilitate cashless payment in Iraq. Areeba-Iraq is ultimately owned by Areeba Holding Limited, the leading operating firm in the region; and is a principal member at Mastercard and Visa, as well as it has a strategic partnership with American Express.

For further information please contact: Issam Adra, General Manager , +9647803988098, www.areeba.iq or e-mail: iraq@areeba.iq

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 

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52  info@zwipe.com

OSLO, NORWAY – 1 April 2022 – Zwipe, a leading biometric fintech company, is delighted to announce that Mr. Patrice Meilland is appointed as Chief Strategy and Product Officer effective today. Mr. Meilland’s main focus areas will be strategy, strategic partnerships and Zwipe’s product portfolio and roadmap. The product management team is placed under his leadership. 

Mr. Meilland joins Zwipe from the position as SVP of Advanced Cards at Idemia, where he was responsible for Idemia’s biometric cards roadmap, including the BioSE project, as well as product lines such as eco-friendly cards, dynamic CVV cards, transport and urban mobility cards.

Mr. Meilland’s extensive business and technical experience in the semiconductor, mobile, and payment card industries include 7 years at Idemia and 26 years at STMicroelectronics and ST-Ericsson. Mr. Meilland has had P&L responsibility for businesses of over $500m and 400 persons and has acquired deep experience in strategy, business development, supply chain management, product management and more.

I am delighted and proud to welcome Patrice to Zwipe. He is a transformative leader with a global perspective and deep industry insights gathered over more than 30 years in the industry. He is highly respected, knowledgeable and connected. As Zwipe’s Chief Strategy and Product Officer, Patrice will help defining our strategy and driving our future growth with our strategic partners and the product team, enabling Zwipe to remain one of the most competitive and dynamic companies in the industry”, said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

Mr. Meilland will be a member of Zwipe’s senior management team and report to the CEO.

I am honored to join Zwipe and am looking forward to helping grow the company and its business, as well as working with the industry and ecosystem to foster adoption of biometric cards across various segments. I am also deeply convinced that, as a leading biometric fintech company, Zwipe has an important role to play in the evolution of payments and access towards biometry, and I see great potential ahead for development and growth”, said Patrice Meilland, Zwipe’s new Chief Strategy and Product Officer.

For further information, please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52  info@zwipe.com

About Zwipe

Zwipe believes the inherent uniqueness of every person is the key to a safer future.  We work with great passion across networks of international organizations, industries & cultures to make convenience safe & secure.  We are pioneering 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 - 29 March 2022 - Tag Systems, a leading provider of payment cards (and part of the AUSTRIACARD Group) has obtained the Letter of Approval (LoA) from VISA that enables the production of certified biometric payment cards using the Zwipe Pay platform.

This development confirms that Zwipe's complete solution is ready for full scale production by Tag Systems for adoption by issuers globally. Zwipe obtained its VISA Letter of Approval (LoA) for its Zwipe Pay platform on 24 March 2022, enabling smart card manufacturers working with Zwipe to swiftly obtain VISA certification for their own biometric payment card designs.

We are pleased to see the second certification granted to our customers for biometric cards based on Zwipe Pay. On behalf of everyone at Zwipe, I would like to congratulate the team at Tag Systems and Austria Card Group on this achievement. We are ready to support your deployments,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

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

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52 info@zwipe.com

OSLO, NORWAY – 28 March 2022 – Zwipe, a leading provider of on-card biometric solutions, confirms that its biometric access control solution, Zwipe Access, has been selected by Fraport AG as one of two partners in Fraport’s “Biometrics@Controllane” project.

Fraport AG – which ranks among the world’s leading companies in the global airport business – offers a full range of integrated airport management services and boasts subsidiaries and investments around the globe. It operates within 31 airports globally, including the main airports in Frankfurt (FRA), New York (JFK), New Jersey (EWR), Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Cleveland (CLE), Nashville (BNA), Pittsburgh (PIT) and Delhi, India (DEL). Fraport has recently launched a project within its Digital Factory to identify the optimal solution for performing a biometric comparison between the airport ID card and the person requesting access. The technology is planned to be used on a few selected security checkpoints first.

Zwipe Access is a new, highly secure and at the same time easy to handle biometric smart card solution for access control. It is battery-less and fully compatible with market-leading card-based access control infrastructures. Zwipe Access adds two-factor authentication to existing contactless card-based access control systems without the need to upgrade any of the existing infrastructures, meaning that no new readers, pin pads or cameras need be installed at the doors, gates, or turnstiles. The biometric authentication provides assurance that only the legitimate person is granted access.

We are delighted to be selected as finalists in this MVP process for Fraport AG, a lighthouse and leading innovator in the global airport industry. We look forward to demonstrating the security and excellent user experience of Zwipe Access in this MVP over the course of this summer. Authenticating legitimate access card holders, Zwipe Access provides a step change in security and control without changing the existing backend infrastructures and thereby saving cost and time,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

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 www.zwipe.com

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52 info@zwipe.com

OSLO, NORWAY - 25th March 2022 - Zwipe is pleased to confirm that Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC), a prominent Taiwanese card manufacturer with global deliveries, has obtained the Letter of Approval from VISA for its biometric payment cards based on the Zwipe Pay platform. 

This development confirms that Zwipe's complete solution is now ready for full scale production by BCC for adoption by issuers globally. Zwipe obtained its VISA Letter of Approval (LoA) for its Zwipe Pay platform on 24th March 2022, enabling smart card manufacturers working with Zwipe to leverage Zwipe’s certification results to swiftly obtain VISA certification for their own biometric payment card designs.

“It is great to see the first confirmation of certification of biometric cards based on Zwipe Pay from one of our valued customers. We congratulate BCC on their achievement and look forward to supporting them on their growth journey powered by biometrics from Zwipe,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

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

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52 info@zwipe.com

OSLO, NORWAY – 24 March 2022 Zwipe, a leading provider of biometric payment card solutions, is proud to announce that it has obtained the Letter of Approval (LoA) from Visa for the Zwipe Pay platform, the most advanced biometric card solution available to all smart card manufacturers in the market today. This LoA enables Zwipe’s customers (smart card manufacturers) to leverage Zwipe’s certification results to obtain Visa certification for their own biometric payment card designs.

Zwipe Pay passed all tests required to obtain the Visa Letter of Approval. This confirms that the Zwipe Pay biometric payment card platform meets the security and performance standards required by Visa. Zwipe’s complete end-to-end solution is now ready for full scale production by smart card manufacturers and adoption by issuers. The product is approved for issuance anywhere in the world.

Issuers can now leverage Visa’s global network and start to deliver biometric payment cards, built on Zwipe Pay technology.

“Having the Zwipe Pay platform certified by Visa is a historic milestone for Zwipe and our customers. Consumers will benefit from more convenient, safe, and secure ways to pay. Issuers will have the opportunity to create differentiation, accelerate customer acquisition, uplift loyalty and create new revenue streams. The pathway is now open for smart card manufacturers and issuers all over the world to certify, produce and deploy biometric Visa cards based on Zwipe Pay,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.

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 

For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 93 43 69 52  info@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 09:45 CET on 24 March 2022.

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OSLO, NORWAY– 25 JUNE 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe has entered into a partnership with XH Smart, a global smart card manufacturer, focused on commercializing end to end biometric payment offerings to XH Smart customers in China and beyond.

XH Smart is a global solutions provider offering end-to-end digital security solutions to banks and telecom operators in more than 70 countries across the world.  A fully accredited Visa, Mastercard and China UnionPay card manufacturer, the company has grown rapidly since its founding in 2011, becoming a global player in the payment card marketplace, marked by several large industry acquisitions both inside and outside of China. In 2018 the company manufactured in excess of 44 million payment cards.

Speaking on the agreement with Zwipe, Mr Eehou Lim, XH Smart Group SVP, said “We are convinced that biometric payment cards is becoming one of the new standards in payments going forward and that is why we have partnered with Zwipe, the only company that can assist us in offering an end to end solution to our customers.  We are confident that we have the right pieces in place to seize this exciting opportunity.”

Zwipe’s end to end offering buoyed by its strong intellectual property portfolio provides card manufacturers physical components and manufacturing support. Additionally, the comprehensive package covers advisory services that will enable card manufacturers to provide a more complete offering to banks and issuers, by directly supporting product integration, customer enrolment and onboarding on multiple platforms.

Commenting on this partnership, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “We are excited to partner with XH Smart and to contribute to their capacity to deliver not just an innovative new product but a complete experience to their discerning customers, driven by our shared commitment to making convenience secure.”

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Munich, Germany, and Oslo, Norway – 18 June 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe and the world’s leading provider of semiconductor solutions in the payments market, Infineon Technologies AG, have extended their non-exclusive partnership through a long-term agreement. This settlement outlines both technical and commercial collaboration between the two companies. The two parties will co-define and develop advanced system-on-chip solutions and related system designs for mass deployment of biometric smart devices, including payment cards and wearables.

Tap and go payments with biometric cards are gaining considerable market traction as they significantly improve the user experience without compromising on security, supporting the strong customer authentication (SCA) requirements demanded by the second Payment Service Directive (PSD2) in Europe.

Zwipe and Infineon have a long-standing relationship. Infineon’s Secure Element is currently deployed in all pilot projects featuring Zwipe’s biometric payment platform, currently supporting multiple leading payment networks run by 12 major banks in various countries across Europe and the Middle East. Card manufacturers plan to certify fully biometric payment cards and make them commercially available this year.

Commenting on this partnership, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, said “We are proud to strengthen our long-standing partnership with a global technology leader such as Infineon. This collaboration further enhances our ability to commercialize our technology and IP through competitive solutions for mass-volume deployment.”

Bjoern Scharfen, Head of Payment & Wearables at Infineon had the following to say: “Our collaboration and joint offering with Zwipe is a key accelerator of mass deployment in the biometric payment market.”

Working together, the two technology companies will seek to develop advanced integrated solutions optimized to the volume requirements of biometric dual-interface payment cards. The platforms being developed combine simplified card design with reduced bills of material.

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*Secure Element (SE) is a microprocessor chip which can store sensitive data and run secure apps such as payment. It acts as a vault, protecting the information inside the SE (applications and data) against malware attacks that can be typical launched against the host (i.e. device operating system).

 

OSLO, NORWAY– 3 JUNE 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe and Goldpac, China’s largest secure payment solution provider are partnering to launch biometric payment cards, enrolment offerings and related services to Goldpac’s extensive customer network, including some of the largest financial organizations in the world.

Goldpac is fully certified by VISA, MasterCard, China Union Pay, American Express, JCB and Diners. As one of the top payment card producers in the world and the largest in the Asia Pacific region, Goldpac supplies payment smartcard chips, instant issuance card kiosks and card personalization /issuance solutions.

Speaking on this partnership, Oliver Hui, Senior Vice President of Goldpac Group, said “At Goldpac, we focus on supplying our customers with state-of-the-art fintech solutions that help them succeed in today’s dynamic payment ecosystem, and doing so innovatively and securely.  Biometric cards enable our card issuance customers to in turn provide their end users with cards that are secure and convenient to use, such as for payments or for identification, and we are excited to work with Zwipe to qualify and then introduce their biometric technology to our customer base, in the process providing a winning solution to our customers.”

The complete collaboration will include licensing of Zwipe intellectual property, technical integration of Zwipe components and hardware, adoption of Zwipe’s suite of enrolment solutions and advisory services, targeting biometric payment card pilots with various issuers before the end of 2019.

Commenting on this milestone agreement, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “ Goldpac is one of the largest, and fastest growing innovators in the global payment card market and we are excited to support their efforts in commercializing biometric payment solutions globally.”

 

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OSLO, NORWAY – 3 JUNE 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe today announced that Lisbeth Breum has notified the company that she is resigning from her position as chief financial officer effective 31 August 2019 to assume a CFO role in a company unrelated to biometrics, smart cards or payments.

“On behalf of the Zwipe team, I want to thank Lisbeth for her contributions during formative years for Zwipe. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors,” said André Løvestam, Zwipe CEO.  The company is in the process of finding a new CFO and will announce this when concluded. “We have added new capacities to both our technology and operations teams during the last year. The new CFO will join a team built to drive the next part of our journey towards international commercialization of Zwipe’s leading solutions”, Løvestam added.

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OSLO, NORWAY- 14 May 2019 - The Annual General Meeting in Zwipe was held today. Enclosed are the Minutes of Meeting from the Annual General Meeting.

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BEIRUT, LEBANON – 09 MAY 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe and Inkript, a digital security provider and a subsidiary of Resource Group, have partnered to launch biometric payment cards.

Inkript’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are certified by Visa and Mastercard for EMV cards production. The company caters for customers across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, and has shipped over 70 million smartcards in 2018, making it one of the largest card manufacturers in the region.

Speaking of this partnership, Hisham Itani, Chairman and CEO of Resource Group said “we are pleased to launch our partnership with Zwipe to cater to the growing demand of secure banking cards in the region. Biometric payment cards add a valuable layer for secure payments and banks are keen to have this innovative product. He added “Our partnership with Zwipe, a proven technology leader in this emerging market, is introducing a cutting-edge biometric solution to financial institutions in the region and we are happy to be among the first movers.”

Zwipe and Inkript will collaborate technically and commercially to bring biometric payment cards to market. Several banks have expressed interest to pilot the offering, with the first pilots expected to launch before the end of 2019.

Commenting on this important partnership, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “we are excited to partner with Inkript to introduce and deploy our technology with their customers. Based on the positive feedback from the successful pilots in the region, we are confident that the market is primed for growth.”

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OSLO, NORWAY- 23 April 2019 - The board of directors of Zwipe AS (the “Company”) calls for the annual

general meeting to be held at the premises of Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS at Filipstad Brygge 1, 0252 Oslo, Norway on 14 May 2019 at 13:00 CET.

Please find enclosed the notice of the annual general meeting. The notice and the Company’s annual report for 2018 is available on the Company’s website www.zwipe.com.

Notice of attendance, in person or by proxy, shall be given no later than 13 May 2019 at 16:00 CET. Shareholders are encouraged to register this electronically through the company’s website www.zwipe.com. Alternatively, the attached form may be sent by e-mail to genf@dnb.no, or regular post to DNB Bank ASA, Verdipapirservice, NO-0021 Oslo.

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Q1 2019 highlights and recent developments

  • Continued focus on securing a leading position within biometric payment cards through partnerships with stakeholders covering the biometric payment card value chain, including card manufacturers, global payment schemes, issuers and financial institutions
  • Participation in the majority of ongoing biometric payment card pilots in collaboration with partners in Europe and the Middle East
  • New partnerships secured in Europe and Latin America, expanding technology reach and commercialisation potential within biometric payment card market
  • NOK 120 million capital raise and subsequent admission to trading on Oslo Stock Exchange’s Merkur Market completed in January 2019
  • Organizational development with new CTO and opening of a European Tech Hub based out of Munich, Germany

Status and outlook

  • Zwipe is at the forefront of a global shift towards more secure and convenient contactless payments and the market is primed for growth. The company’s ambition is that Zwipe’s industry leading technology and partnerships will secure a strong market position.
  • On 21 January 2019, Zwipe announced the successful completion of a NOK 120 million capital raise from an offering of new shares.  The offering was substantially over-subscribed, attracting strong interest from institutional and professional investors as well as retail investors in Sweden and Norway. The capital raise was conducted to strengthen the company’s financial position and fund the further development and commercialization of the company's technology. On 28 January 2019, Zwipe was admitted to trading on Oslo Stock Exchange’s Merkur Market under the ticker symbol ZWIPE-ME. These were important milestones for Zwipe, as the company seeks to capitalise on its first mover position in the biometric payment marketplace and as the payment industry moves towards bringing biometric payment cards to consumers.
  • Payment card pilots remain an integral part of Zwipe’s go-to-market strategy and a vehicle to verify and showcase Zwipe’s competitive position. Zwipe’s technology was featured in 12 out of 17 biometric payment card pilots announced during 2018, with positive preliminary feedback from pilot stakeholders. There are currently 11 biometric payment card pilots featuring Zwipe’s technology: Intesa Sanpaolo pilot in Italy with Gemalto and Mastercard; and pilots with 10 banks across the Middle East with Areeba, Gemalto and Visa.
  • As the market for biometric payment cards matures, new and existing players are scaling up their operations in anticipation of large-scale commercialization of biometric payment cards. Zwipe regards this trend as positive because it accelerates market development and opens a host of new opportunities for Zwipe. Furthermore, Zwipe believes that the availability of multiple credible suppliers is a prerequisite for the market to take off.
  • Zwipe partnered with TAG Systems to target European-based challenger banks that are expected to be among the first movers in the market for biometric payment cards. Zwipe also partnered with Thomas Greg & Son do Brasil, one of Latin America’s largest card manufacturers, to co-develop and launch biometric payment cards in the Latin American markets.
  • Late February, VP Program and Supply Chain Management, Eric Mercer, was appointed CEO of Zwipe America Inc and part of Zwipe’s management team.
  • In April, Zwipe announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Mueller as its Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Mueller joins Zwipe with over 20 years’ experience in senior technical development positions focusing on biometrics and smart card technology at leading companies such as Siemens, Giesecke+Devrient and BMW. His most recent role was serving as Chief Technology Officer at Next Biometrics.
  • Zwipe also established a European tech hub, which will complement the company’s existing research and development center in Colorado Springs, USA. Based out of Munich, the new hub will add further expertise to Zwipe on biometrics, algorithms, payment card integration, enrolment solutions and product management.
  • A new solution for the JavaCard-based operating system was announced in April, further broadening the company’s scope in meeting various customer preferences and needs in the biometric payment card marketplace. With a broader product portfolio, Zwipe is uniquely positioned to be able to offer products that address both Multos and Java.  
  • A pilot featuring Zwipe’s at-home enrolment for the first time is planned to start late Q2 2019. Ensuring simple, effective consumer enrolment and activation of biometric payment cards will be key to driving commercialization.
  • Zwipe contributed to the Wearable Summit at World Mobile Congress in March, arranged by Zwipe partner Tappy Tech, highlighting that Zwipe also aims to develop a range of solutions for banks, including biometric wearables and digital services (card not present).
  • Zwipe’s revenues in Q1 2019 were negligible. Average monthly operational cash burn throughout Q1 2019 was NOK 5.3m for a total in Q1 2019 of NOK 15.9m, primarily related to personnel expenses and IP protection. Total cash burn in the quarter, including extraordinary expenses related to fundraising activities and debt repayment, was NOK 46.4m. Total cash balance as at 31.03.2019 was NOK 82.8m.
  • In April, Zwipe received NOK 10m out of a total NOK 23m grant awarded through EU’s Horizon 2020 program. Another NOK ~1.5m is expected to be paid out in 2019, with the residual expected to be paid out in 2020. Zwipe expects to receive a NOK 5m grant from the Norwegian government in Q4 2019 as a result of the approval of Zwipe’s grant application (“Skattefunn”) in Q4 2018.
  • Monthly operational cash burn is expected to increase going forward as Zwipe continues to execute on its Generation NxT program, developing its organization and supply chain in preparation for biometric payment card commercialization. Zwipe expects to remain fully funded through 2019 and into 2020.

André Løvestam, Chief Executive Officer at Zwipe, said:

“Throughout the first quarter, we have continued to execute on our Generation NxT program, focusing on technological and supply chain advancements and cost reductions, making sure we have a competitive offering available as the industry is moving forward towards making biometric payment cards an offering to paying consumers. We have also made progress in ongoing pilots and continuously gained valuable feedback, enabling us to develop our products’ performance and functionality to even better meet the needs of the marketplace. We remain dedicated to ensuring continuous organizational improvements, which will be a vital differentiating factor as we move towards the large-scale, commercial adoption of biometric payment technology.

A strong and diverse partner ecosystem will also be increasingly important going forward. We see a trend that stakeholders across the value chain are branching out to multiple partners to reduce dependency on single partners or technologies, and we expect banks, payment networks and card manufacturers alike to secure at least dual-sourcing of their solutions for continuity of supply and general risk mitigation.

The feedback we have received and the experiences we have gained as supplier of inlays to the absolute majority of battery-less contactless biometric payment cards pilots to date, as well as the improvements we have achieved in both improving performance and reducing manufacturing cost for our Generation NxT-based inlay, which is our solution for the certification process and the anticipated subsequent roll-out of commercial biometric payment cards, make us confident that we remain well-placed to be a leading supplier of inlays in this phase.

Throughout the first quarter, we continued to strengthen our market position by building new important strategic partnerships, supporting our long-term ambition of catering to the unique needs of different regions.

The scale and scope of the opportunity we face is continually confirmed with increasing interest from stakeholders globally and we remain confident in Zwipe’s strong position in the biometric payment card value chain as we continue on our mission of making convenience secure.”

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OSLO, NORWAY – 16 APRIL 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe announces a proprietary JavaCard operating system (OS) solution compatible with multiple global payment network applets. The solution is integrated with Zwipe’s biometric engine and is relevant for biometric payment cards, wearables and other ultra-low power payment and biometric applications.

In the biometric payment card marketplace, the primary operating systems in use are Multos and Java. Speaking on the JavaCard OS solutions development, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, said “With this announcement, Zwipe is uniquely positioned to be able to offer products that address both Multos and Java, further broadening the company’s scope in meeting various customer preferences and needs in the biometric payment card marketplace” adding “several of our already announced partners will use our JavaCard enabled biometric payment solution and we have received interest from multiple other card manufacturers to integrate it into their payment card offerings”.

Zwipe’s biometric payment platform features the company’s biometric engine and power management systems located on a flexible inlay which is integrated inside a traditional payment card by card manufacturing partners. This platform is seamlessly integrated with JavaCard OS and multiple payment applets found on the card’s secure element. 

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