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Simprints
Company typeNonprofit
IndustryTechnology
FounderAlexandra Grigore
Toby Norman
Daniel Storisteanu
Tristram Norman
HeadquartersUniversity of Cambridge
ProductsBiometric identification tools
Websitewww.simprints.com Edit this on Wikidata

Simprints is a nonprofit technology company originating at the University of Cambridge.[1] The company builds biometric identification tools and contactless face scanning solutions to be used by governments, NGOs, and nonprofit organisations serving people in low- and middle-income countries who lack proof of legal identity.[2][3] The company promotes a portable fingerprint and face biometric system designed for front-line workers delivering at the last mile.[4][5] The technology uses Bluetooth to connect to an Android mobile device that is interoperable with existing mHealth systems such as CommCare, ODK, or DHIS2.[6]

History[edit]

Simprints emerged in May 2012 out of a hackathon organised by the Centre for Global Equality and sponsored by technology company Arm.[7][8] The founders of Simprints include Gates-Cambridge scholars Alexandra Grigore,[9] Toby Norman, and Daniel Storisteanu[10] as well as Royal Holloway-University of London student Tristram Norman.[11]

In 2014, the firm received a Round 4 Saving Lives at Birth Seed Grant, part of a Grand Challenges competition supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada), and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).[12][13][14] This funding was partially matched by Arm ltd, a Cambridge based semiconductor and software company.[15] This provided for a pilot study in partnership with BRAC and the Johns Hopkins Global mHealth Initiative to test the system with health workers in Gaibandha, Bangladesh.[6][7][14][16][17][18][19]

In 2015, Simprints received another grant from Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board) to move prototypes to the pre-production phase and develop and verify all software. This enabled the firm to launch a pilot project with BRAC which later manifested in a formal partnership.[20]

In 2016, Simprints developed their first production-ready biometric scanner known as Vero. It is IP65 rated and CE/FCC certified.[21]

In 2016, Simprints won a $200,000 grant from the Global Innovation Fund.[22]

In 2017, the firm won a Round 7 Saving Lives at Birth Transition to Scale grant for $2 million to scale up Simprints partnership with BRAC’s maternal health program to reach 2 million expectant mothers and children in Bangladesh.[23][24][4]

In 2019, Simprints announced that 3000 units of the Vero 2.0 would be shipped in early 2020[11]

At the end of 2023, Simprints made its Android application available on GitHub, making it one of the world’s first fully open-source biometric ID solutions for last-mile delivery with advanced privacy engineering.[25]

Published Literature[edit]

In October 2023, Simprints was featured in a Harvard Business School Case Study entitled ‘Toby Norman: Is passion enough for Simprints to thrive?’. The case, written by Professor Jon Jachimowicz, is an in-depth look at the Simprints story and has become part of the core curriculum for all first-year Business students in the LEAD programme at Harvard.[26]

In May 2023, Simprints launched the ‘Responsible Biometric Deployment Handbook’, funded by IBM. The project was supported with a grant from the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab, the applied arm of the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center. The guide provides tools to explore the ethical and secure adoption of biometric technology in frontline humanitarian and development settings.[27]

Awards and Recognitions[edit]

Year Award Subject Outcome Ref
2014 Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge Simprints Won [28]
2015 UNICEF + TechCrunch Award for ‘Best Tech: Changing Children’s Lives for Good’ Won [29]
Business Weekly Awards Startup Company of the Year Won [30]
2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur List Toby Norman (CEO) Won [31]
Tristram Norman Won [32]
Dan Storisteanu Won
$200,000 grant from the Global Innovation Fund Simprints Won [33]
2017 Core77 Design for Social Impact Award Simprints and Smart Design Won [34]
Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Toby Norman (CEO) Won [35]
Round 7 Saving Lives at Birth Transition to Scale Grant Simprints Won [36]
2018 GLG Social Entrepreneur Fellowship Toby Norman (CEO) Won [37]
2019 The World Bank’s Mission Billion Challenge - Top Prize Simprints Won [38]
2020 Elevate Prize Foundation Award Alexandra Grigore (CPO) Won [39]
MIT Solve 'Health Security and Pandemics' Challenge for 'Biometrics for Vaccine Delivery' Simprints Won [40]
FT/IFC Transformational Business Award: ‘Transformational Solutions in Health, Wellness and Disease Prevention’ Won [41]
COVIDaction Data Challenge Award Won [42]
10 Best Workplaces in Tech (Small) Won [43]
24 Best Workplaces (Small) Won [44]
2021 Innovations in Healthcare ‘Innovator Network’ Won [45]
Great Place to Work 2021 Won [46]
2022 World Food Programme Digital Health Innovation Accelerator Won [47]
2023 Great Place to Work Certified Company Won [48]
2024 Flexa Certified Flexible Company Won [49]
2024 Responsible Tech Organisations List Won [50]

Affiliations[edit]

As of January 2023, Simprints' partners and financial supporters include:[51]

Non-current partners and supporters include the Electric Power Research Institute,[58] Grand Challenges Canada[23] and Impact Network.[59]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Accelerate alumni". Cambridge Judge Business School. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  2. ^ "The World Bank - Identification for Development (ID4D) Global Dataset".
  3. ^ Nagamine, Yoshinobu; Norman, Toby (2023-09-12). "What are biometrics and how can it be responsibly used to help tackle malaria?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  4. ^ a b c "How biometrics is giving identities to 'invisible citizens'". CNN International.
  5. ^ Leichtner, Kim (2024-03-05). "2024 Winner: Simprints". Lipman Family Prize. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  6. ^ a b Storisteanu, Daniel Matthew L; Norman, Toby L; Grigore, Alexandra; Norman, Tristram L (2015-03-02). "Biometric Fingerprint System to Enable Rapid and Accurate Identification of Beneficiaries". Global Health: Science and Practice. 3 (1): 135–137. doi:10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00010. ISSN 2169-575X. PMC 4356282. PMID 25745127.
  7. ^ a b "Verifying a Need: SimPrints wades into 'identification crisis' in health care, seeking global scale - NextBillion". NextBillion. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  8. ^ "Simprints- IdeaSpace". IdeaSpace. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  9. ^ "Profile". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  10. ^ "Profile". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  11. ^ a b "Simprints identifies cloud as foundation for biometrics-led healthcare". diginomica. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  12. ^ (GH/AA/GHI), Clune, Karen. "Round 4 Award Nominees: 30 Awards Announced | Saving Lives at Birth". savinglivesatbirth.net. Retrieved 2018-05-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ mandy (2015-03-09). "Recognition grows for SimPrints". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  14. ^ a b c "Startup Simprints wins $250,000 from Gates Foundation for 'game-changing' invention". CJBS Insight. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  15. ^ "ARM takes SimPrints cash haul to half a million | Business Weekly | Technology News | Business news | Cambridge and the East of England". www.businessweekly.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  16. ^ Storisteanu, Daniel M.L; Norman, Toby L; Grigore, Alexandra; Labrique, Alain B (2016-11-01). "Can biometrics beat the developing world's challenges?". Biometric Technology Today. 2016 (11): 5–9. doi:10.1016/S0969-4765(16)30193-X. ISSN 0969-4765.
  17. ^ "Biometric Solutions to Identification Challenges". BORGEN. 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  18. ^ a b "SimPrints wins £250,000 from Gates Foundation to develop fingerprint scanner". BiometricUpdate. 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  19. ^ alex.corr (2015-03-06). "Digital healthcare". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  20. ^ mandy (2014-06-12). "SimPrints to pilot in Bangladesh". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  21. ^ "Simprints Vero Scanner | therefore". therefore.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  22. ^ "Simprints". Global Innovation Fund. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  23. ^ a b c Kapil, Vinesh. "Fifteen Innovators Get Funding from Saving Lives at Birth | Saving Lives at Birth". savinglivesatbirth.net. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  24. ^ a b c "ARM backs Simprints $2.45m funding boost to prevent maternal and child deaths | Business Weekly | Technology News | Business news | Cambridge and the East of England". www.businessweekly.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  25. ^ "Simprints plans to make its biometric ID open source for greater social impact | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  26. ^ "Toby Norman: Is Passion Enough for Simprints to Thrive? - Case - Faculty & Research - Harvard Business School".
  27. ^ "Biometrics and digital ID raise policy questions; Simprints and Yoti have answers | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  28. ^ cjbs_admin (2014-08-13). "Startup Simprints wins $250,000 from Gates Foundation for 'game-changing' invention - News & insight". Cambridge Judge Business School. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  29. ^ "Toby Norman". MCN. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  30. ^ cjbs_admin (2015-03-19). "Business Weekly awards - News & insight". Cambridge Judge Business School. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  31. ^ Duarte, Sara Serradas (2017-04-11). "Dr Toby Norman". www.gci.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  32. ^ "SimPrints". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  33. ^ "Global Innovation Fund | Simprints". Global Innovation Fund. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  34. ^ "Every person counts: Designing for the invisible 1.5 billion - by Smart Design / Core77 Design Awards". Core77. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  35. ^ "Awardees". Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  36. ^ "15 Innovators Get Funding from Savings Lives at Birth". Savings Lives at Birth. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  37. ^ GLGTLPAdmin (2018-10-09). "GLG Announces Fifth Class of Social Impact Fellows". GLG. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  38. ^ "Mission Billion solicits innovative solutions to empower the world's invisible billion". World Bank Blogs. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  39. ^ "Alexandra Grigore - 2020". Elevate. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  40. ^ "Ethical open-source digital ID for vaccine delivery". MIT SOLVE. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  41. ^ "Transformational Business Conference and Awards 2020". transformationalbusiness2020.live.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  42. ^ Green, Siobhan Wilson (2022-03-31). "Using Biometric Technology to Fight COVID-19". COVIDaction. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  43. ^ "Working at Simprints | Great Place To Work® UK". www.greatplacetowork.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  44. ^ "Working at Simprints | Great Place To Work® UK". www.greatplacetowork.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  45. ^ "Simprints | Innovations in Healthcare". www.innovationsinhealthcare.org. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  46. ^ "Working at Simprints | Great Place To Work® UK". www.greatplacetowork.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  47. ^ Accelerator, WFP Innovation (2022-10-18). "Building the future of pandemic preparedness through open source solutions". Medium. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  48. ^ "Working at Simprints | Great Place To Work® UK". www.greatplacetowork.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  49. ^ "Simprints | Flexible Employers | Flexa Careers". flexa.careers. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  50. ^ "Responsible Tech Organizations". All Tech Is Human. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  51. ^ "Our Partners". Simprints Technology. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  52. ^ "Simprints $2m funding win". Arm Community. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  53. ^ "Therefore- vero".
  54. ^ "COHESU.org | Home". COHESU.org | Home. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  55. ^ "Simprints | DRK Foundation | Supporting passionate, high impact social enterprises". www.drkfoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  56. ^ "Simprints - Global Innovation Fund". Global Innovation Fund. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  57. ^ "Identity in a digital age" (PDF). USAID.
  58. ^ cknowle. "Neonate Biometric Scanner for Frontline Health Workers | Saving Lives at Birth". savinglivesatbirth.net. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  59. ^ "The Power of Partnership". Impact Network. Retrieved 2018-05-21.

External links[edit]

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