OUR STORY

In 2020 APPSCARD Group was founded by company CEO Tore Etholm-Idsøe. After 15 years CEO experience in the global fingerprint sensor industry he set out to integrate the first government grade biometric system in a fully decentralized end user carried device – a smart card.

While biometric smartcards existed, they were always, and still are, based on small sized fingerprint sensors not applicable in security sensitive markets. Organizations needed something different: a truly secure, portable, privacy-preserving authentication solution that could be made mandatory in governmental and corporate security sensitive contexts.

The challenges ahead were significant and included :

• Qualifying a fingerprint sensor, large enough to be government grade, thin enough to fit into a smart card and powersensitive enough to work with world legacy contactless devices.
• Creating a powerful, multifunctional, security centric  computer inside a smart card format
• Creating novel energy systems managing all related tasks
• Developing all related OS, FW and SW systems

A team was built – one with highly specialized experts, covering:

• Advanced fingerprint sensor systems
• Complex multipurpose smartcard designs
• Secure smartcard operating systems
• Embedded hardware and secure elements
• Identity lifecycle management and enrollment systems

Together, the team holds over 200 years of combined hands-on experience designing, implementing, and deploying mission-critical biometric systems worldwide. This unique concentration of knowledge enables APPSCARD to develop identity solutions that are:

• Highly secure and tamper-resistant
• Compliant with international standards
• Interoperable across systems and jurisdictions
• Trusted in both government and enterprise critical environments

Now, in 2025 the APPSCARD team has delivered on its promise to architect and manufacture its cards – its promise to REINVENT AUTHENTICATION.

THE WORLD NEED FOR TRUSTED USER AUTHENTICATION – FOR TRUSTED KEYS – TO OUR DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL WORLD IS TODAY GREATER THEN EVER..

OUR PURPOSE

The world is deeply challenged by massive levels of authentication related cybercrime. We believe identity should be:

• Trusted, multifunctional and decentralized
• Able to serve all users – at all doors – always
• Operational anywhere- anytime- online-offline

APPSCARD Group exists to make this a reality—bridging the security of government -grade biometrics with the usability and trust of the global smartcard ecosystem.