State provides IDloop with €1.3 million in funding
The Jena-based start-up IDloop is receiving funding from the Free State of Thuringia. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is providing over €1.3 million to support the development of stereoscopic recording technology that enables contactless fingerprint capture and complies with FBI specifications. The technology is expected to be ready for market in the summer of 2026. The funds come from thee FTI-Thüringen TECHNOLOGIE, guideline, which is co-financed by the ERDF and is part of the „Thüringen MOTIVation“ umbrella funding brand.
Thanks to IDloop GmbH, systems that work on the basis of contact-based rolled fingerprints will soon be a thing of the past. This is because these existing systems have a problem due to frequent contact: dirt often accumulates on the sensor surface, meaning that several attempts are necessary to achieve a successful scan. In addition, contact between the finger and the sensor can lead to possible contamination with germs.The start-up IDloop GmbH from Jena is tackling these problems with a compact, contactless fingerprint scanner. Their product not only scans a flat fingerprint, but also records the spatial profile of the entire hand. The mini-computer integrated into the compact scanner calculates two-dimensional fingerprints that are compatible with existing databases in less than 100 milliseconds. In the future, 3D databases can be set up with the help of the Thuringian company for more accurate identification.
The company has already successfully demonstrated the basic technology. Currently, however, only a 45-degree capture angle can be achieved—i.e., a pure fingerprint. Now, the capture angle is to be increased to 90 degrees so that the entire rolled fingerprint can be seen. To this end, a new stereoscopic image capture technology is to be developed.
Last year, IDloop received €160,000 in funding from the Thuringian start-up competition get started 2gether for the development of contactless, high-resolution 3D imaging of human fingerprints. The competition is also part of "Thuringia MOTIVation."
In addition, the start-up won the „Innovationspreis Thüringen 2022“ in the "LIGHT & LIFE" category in November. This came with prize money of €20,000. Also in 2022, IDloop was among the winners at Investor Days Thüringen, where they impressed the jury and audience with their pitch performance.
"IDloop clearly demonstrates that it is worthwhile to take advantage of the numerous offers and, of course, funding opportunities available through Thüringen MOTIVation. We are happy to support such bold and forward-looking projects—after all, they also help Thuringia to further advance its position as a leading location for innovation," says State Secretary for Research Dr. Katja Böhler.
Background: Thuringia is a hub for innovation. That is why the Free State has set itself the goal of further strengthening innovation within the state. Since May, Thüringen MOTIVation has been in place, a program that is unique in Germany and consistently bundles innovation funding in the areas of business, science, and research. The package includes funding of up to €850 million. This also includes co-financing from the European Union. It offers the opportunity to receive tailored funding from the innovative research idea to the finished product. This allows scientific curiosity and entrepreneurial action to go hand in hand. More information is available online at https://wirtschaft.thueringen.de/innovationsfoerderung