Zwipe launches industry-first power management chip for biometric payment
OSLO, NORWAY – 14 OCTOBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe is pleased to announce the prototype manufacturing and successful power-on of its Z5 chip, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) developed by Zwipe and supported by proprietary energy harvesting IP.
The Zwipe Z5 consolidates components required for contactless energy harvesting and power management in one chip, reducing cost and improving the power efficiency and the manufacturability of embedded biometric solutions. This proprietary embedded chip will be a key commercial element for Zwipe’s biometric products for payment and beyond.
Commenting on this important breakthrough, André Løvestam CEO of Zwipe said, “this is an important milestone for the company, and a key part of Zwipe’s Generation NxT initiative focusing on cost reduction and supply-chain readiness to improve our competitiveness and facilitate our go-to-market and scale-up capacity. Over the coming months, Zwipe will complete verification and qualification. Commercial samples are planned for release mid-2020, at that stage mass production can start.”
The Zwipe Z5 chip will be sold as a single component and as part of Zwipe’s embedded system, the biometric inlay. Target customers are smart card and wearables manufacturers as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the emerging biometric payment market and in other verticals.
The development of this component is partially funded through a EUR 2.3 million (NOK 23 million) grant from the European Commission as part of Horizon 2020.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe is a technology company enabling battery-less, ultra-low-power, self-contained biometric authentication solutions for payment cards and wearable devices. With an ecosystem of customers including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is “making convenience secure” for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe’s intellectual property portfolio enables the heightened security offered by biometrics, without impeding the convenience of contactless. By protecting the user’s personal information and right to privacy Zwipe is directly addressing the data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
Media Contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47930 44040 info@zwipe.com
