OneSpan has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Build38, a move the company positions as an expansion of its mobile application security portfolio and a strengthening of its App Shielding offering. The transaction is expected to close by March 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The acquisition centers on Build38’s SDK-based approach to runtime application self-protection, which is designed to embed security controls directly into mobile applications. OneSpan plans to integrate these capabilities to extend protection against attacks targeting mobile apps and devices, while also expanding telemetry and intelligence gathered from deployed applications. The combined approach blends in-app defenses with cloud-based services and AI-driven analysis.
OneSpan frames the deal against rising risk in mobile channels, as financial institutions increasingly rely on mobile apps as the primary interface for customer interactions. The company’s stated objective is to offer more comprehensive coverage across authentication, transaction signing, application protection, and fraud detection within a single security stack.
Build38’s relevance to digital identity deployments features prominently in the transaction. OneSpan points to Build38’s role in securing mobile identities across Europe, including implementations linked to European Digital Identity Wallet initiatives, as well as healthcare and citizen-facing applications. Build38’s certification posture in these environments is presented as complementary to OneSpan’s broader strategy in regulated markets.
According to OneSpan, Build38’s technology already protects more than 250 million endpoints globally. Build38 describes its platform as serving a range of use cases spanning mobile banking, payments, SoftPOS, fintech, mobile identity, crypto wallets, automotive applications, and eHealth. The company was founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Giesecke+Devrient.
The transaction also aligns with a series of recent moves by OneSpan aimed at consolidating capabilities across digital transactions and identity security. In June 2025, OneSpan acquired Nok Nok Labs, adding passwordless authentication technologies to its portfolio, and in October 2025 announced a strategic investment in ThreatFabric, focused on fraud prevention. Together, these steps indicate a broader effort to assemble integrated protections across authentication, application security, and fraud mitigation in mobile-first environments.
Financial terms of the Build38 acquisition were not disclosed.
Sources: OneSpan
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
