IDEX Biometrics said it has secured a NOK 90 million private placement from ID Centric and signed an exclusive technology partnership aimed at government and institutional biometric ID card programs across Asia-Pacific.
Under the term sheet, ID Centric will take an approximately 20 percent post-investment stake in IDEX and has already submitted an initial binding purchase order worth USD 1.75 million for IDEX biometric sensors. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in April 2026. The agreement also gives ID Centric an option for up to an additional 5 percent of IDEX share capital if cumulative purchases pass 10 million units by the end of 2027, tying future ownership to commercial performance.
IDEX said the deal is meant to expand its reach into national and government-issued biometric identity cards, with ID Centric bringing existing contracts in several Asia-Pacific markets. The company also said ID Centric will use IDEX sensors exclusively across its biometric ID card offering and will act as an authorized reseller for IDEX Access and Payment Cards. That makes the transaction more than a capital raise. It is also a route to channel access, program delivery and product lock-in.
The background matters. Last year IDEX secured a 45,000-sensor order for a U.S. access control rollout, showing traction outside card programs. The ID Centric partnership pushes IDEX deeper into the government card segment, where procurement cycles are longer but deployment volumes can be far larger.
Biometric card companies are still pursuing institutional scale. Payments remains one route to volume, but the IDEX transaction shows how vendors are also looking to public-sector identity programs and regulated credential issuance to support sensor demand. That combination of financing, exclusivity and initial purchase commitment makes the announcement more consequential than a routine customer order.
The structure of the transaction also suggests a long-term commercial bet rather than a one-off sensor sale. In addition to the equity stake and purchase order, ID Centric will nominate a board representative and act as a reseller for IDEX access and payment cards. That gives IDEX both capital and a partner with regional distribution incentives as government-issued biometric card programs move from pilots to volume procurement.
Sources: Investegate, Euronext
–
By Cass Kennedy
