February 12, 2020
iProov, the leading provider of biometric authentication technology and Dynamic Liveness, today announced that it has expanded its footprint in the U.S. market and opened a North American headquarters location in Catonsville, Maryland, at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park.
iProov is used for ID verification in applications such as onboarding, border control, and for Strong Customer Authentication in banking, healthcare, and enterprise access management. Flashmark is the company’s unique process for guaranteeing the liveness and authenticity of an individual. It uses controlled illumination to flash a sequence of colors onto a user’s face to authenticate them and allow access to secure services. iProov has been granted over 18 international patents related to Flashmark, its core, one-time biometric technology that enables presentation attack detection (PAD) and face-matching capabilities. The service has been conformance tested by the U.K. National Standards Laboratory.
iProov’s new Catonsville headquarters will serve a growing roster of North American customers, from initial contact through service deployment and support. Key executives joining iProov’s U.S. operations include Joe Palmer, President of iProov, Inc., and Simon Williamson, VP of Sales for iProov North America.
“It is exciting news that iProov is establishing its U.S. headquarters in Maryland to become part of our thriving cybersecurity community,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Our highly-educated workforce, proximity to many key federal agencies, and a critical mass of innovative companies make Maryland an outstanding location for global cyber companies looking to expand in the U.S. market. We are very excited that our outreach efforts resulted in attracting them here.”
Governor Hogan met with executives at iProov in 2017 during an economic development mission to the United Kingdom. As part of the mission, the Governor witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which established an exchange program with both U.K. and Maryland cyber companies to help them explore the market in each region. iProov’s decision to establish a presence in Maryland comes directly from this agreement.
“Our new U.S. headquarters is perfectly situated,” commented iProov Founder and CEO Andrew Bud. “Not only will we enjoy close proximity to our government customers, but we will also be able to more easily leverage Maryland’s outstanding resources – in the form of nearby intellectual capital, tech talent, and the vibrant cybersecurity community associated with the bwtech@UMBC Technology Park. Our new location and new executive hires are setting the stage for iProov’s next phase of rapid growth, and we’re excited about the way forward.”
Effortless to use, Flashmark detects presentation attacks, determines “liveness” of human users, and mitigates against even highly sophisticated digital and replay attacks. It is also uniquely effective against deepfakes. This core authentication technology is used in iProov’s complete range of solutions, including:
- Face Verifier – iProov’s flagship product, which enrolls and subsequently authenticates a user with any device on any platform
- ID Matcher – a solution that registers a photo from an ID document and then applies Face Verifier’s process to authenticate the document bearer
- Palm Verifier – a contactless mobile palm solution that offers an extremely simple yet highly secure means of authentication
Company Momentum: Unabated Customer and Revenue Growth
iProov’s U.S. expansion is built on a track record of growth, brought about by the company’s ability to deliver simple and secure authentication throughout the online ecosystem. With its genuine one-time biometric, iProov technology has been embraced by customers around the world. The company has increased revenue 10X and more than doubled headcount since 2018. Customers include ING, Rabobank, the U.K. Home Office, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“We have chosen to locate our U.S. headquarters in a great source of top cyber talent and close to the nation’s most sophisticated customers. Our plan is to work closely with them to protect U.S. citizens and stay ahead of growing threats like deepfakes,” said Joe Palmer, iProov president and head of the U.S. office. “More than 2.5 million people ‘iProoved’ themselves in 2019 to assert their identities safely and conveniently. We are very excited to build our presence here by further growing our team and safeguarding millions of Americans.”
UK Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss said: “Cybersecurity is a global issue. UK businesses are continuing to innovate, lead the sector and identify the solutions that will achieve global impact.
“iProov’s US expansion is evidence of the growing global demand for UK innovation. I’m delighted that my department has supported iProov’s scale-up as we work towards striking a trade deal with our partner across the pond.”
In December 2019, iProov CEO Andrew Bud was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty the Queen for services to export in science and technology.
