Category: Press Release

Freevolt Technologies and LogOnPlus announce S-Key Partnership.

4 November 2022

Freevolt Technologies has partnered with LogOnPlus to deliver biometric logical access, enabled by S-Key, for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries

Freevolt Technologies and i.p.a.s.-systeme are pleased to announce the release of LogOnPlus v5.1 with biometric credentials, facilitated by S-Key biometric access cards. Users across the chemical and pharmaceutical industries who already use LogOnPlus will now be able to securely log on to their systems using biometrics via S-Key.

Launched in 2014, LogOnPlus is already used by leading manufacturers from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries across Central Europe. Widely supported, including target applications from Emerson Process (DeltaV), General Electric (iFix), Siemens (Simatic Logon), Honeywell (Experion PKS), COPA-DATA (Zenon) and Körber (PAS-X), LogOnPlus is standard software (COTS) that controls and facilitates user logons for target applications in production environments. LogOnPlus drastically reduces logon times and enables additional functionality like passwordless re-logons and remote login replication.

With the latest release, now supporting S-Key, LogOnPlus is able to completely dispense with passwords by using individuals’ biometric credentials to verify their identity and continue pursuing its mission of reducing logon times. LogOnPlus can distinguish biometrically unlocked S-Key cards from conventional RFID tags and so allows hybrid scenarios in which both types are in place. S-Key answers GDPR concerns around biometrics by securely storing users’ biometric data only on their own personal cards, without ever transmitting it or requiring any central databases.

Through S-Key’s leading radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting technology, Freevolt, LogOnPlus customers can maintain their existing NFC reader and back-end systems for their target applications, simply upgrading to LogOnPlus v5.1 and S-Key for immediate biometric-controlled access to their existing hardware.

Gonzalo de Gisbert, Head of Product & BD, Freevolt Technologies, said:
“We are delighted to be working with the LogOnPlus team who are leaders across the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, enabling seamless and reduced logon times, thereby increasing efficiency. S-Key has already enabled many customers across Europe to upgrade their physical infrastructure to biometrics, but with today’s announcement we demonstrate our move into Logical Access, enabling industries with strict security requirements to benefit from battery less biometric technology in a simple, safe, and secure package, our S-Key card.”

Thomas Häuser, Product Manager LogOnPlus, said:
“We are more than happy having found a reliable and innovative partner in the Freevolt S-Key team. S-Key enables us to provide fully passwordless logins without trading in security for convenience. One of the unrivalled advantages of S-Key is that it requires zero additional infrastructure or software for the biometrical identification: Everything happens on the card and it stays on the card – forever. The standard form factor together with common RFID technology make it easy for our customers to switch over to biometrical identification from conventional RFIDs without causing high costs for hardware or system changes. We see great potential in S-Key in conjunction with LogOnPlus and so proudly offer the LogOnPlus S-Key Adapter (A200) with LogOnPlus 5.1 as our first biometric approach for passwordless logins.”

About Freevolt Technologies

Freevolt Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt energy harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Freevolt Technologies’ mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Freevolt Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies.

For more information, please visit: www.freevolt.tech.

About LogOnPlus

LogOnPlus is a software product by i.p.a.s.-systeme, an engineering office based near Frankfurt, Germany. i.p.a.s.-systeme was founded in 1995 by its today’s owner Bernhard Wurm and has specialized in custom software development (especially interfaces in the DCS and MES environment) for customers in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

LogOnPlus is a server / client software that identifies operators, validates their credentials and raises a login request in a production application via the respective API. LogOnPlus supports various identification methods (Adapters) and target applications (Connectors) designed with the aim to increase production efficiency by saving login and signature time in strictly regulated production environments with frequent personal login needs.

LogOnPlus 1.0 was created 2014 and has undergone several development steps to the current release 5.1 supporting biometric authentication.

For more information, please visit: www.logonplus.com.

Biometrics by Fingerprints in a biometric access card by Freevolt Technologies.

30 November 2021

Freevolt Technologies (formerly Drayson Technologies), a UK technology company developing next-generation biometric smart card products for access control, cryptocurrency wallet and for healthcare sectors, is launching its biometric access card named S-Key. It is a battery-less biometric access card integrating the T-Shape sensor module by Fingerprints.

With an S-Key access card it is now possible to securely and conveniently access physical areas. The user does not have to touch the reader or a PIN pad. The biometric data is stored on the card.

“We are immensely proud to be working with Fingerprints, who are leaders in fingerprint technologies, and who have been incredibly supportive throughout our development of S-Key. By integrating our leading-edge Freevolt energy harvesting technology with Fingerprints’ best-in-class sensors and software, we have created a battery-less and revolutionary biometric access control card, which is available to order now. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Fingerprints.” says Gonzalo de Gisbert, Head of Product and Business Development at Freevolt Technologies.

More secure and smooth access and authentication methods are now in high demand and on the agendas of enterprises, in order to keep the workplace safe. S-Key is compliant with existing infrastructure, for easy integration.

“We are excited about our collaboration with Freevolt Technologies, our first Biometric access card partner in UK, who now launched their S-key, a battery-less access card with our fingerprint t-shape sensor module, a solution that is suitable for workplaces, where biometrics bring convenience and security,” comments Michel Roig, SVP Business Line Payment & Access at Fingerprints

Read more about Fingerprint’s Access solutions for Smart workplaces.

About Fingerprints

Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) – the world’s leading biometrics company, with its roots in Sweden. We believe in a secure and seamless universe, where you are the key to everything. Our solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications, and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch. For more information visit our website, read our blog, and follow us on Twitter. Fingerprints is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (FING B).

About Freevolt Technologies

Freevolt Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt energy harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Freevolt Technologies’ mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Freevolt Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies.

For more information, please visit: www.freevolt.tech.

Freevolt Technologies Selected for Innovate UK Scaleup Programme.

20 October 2021

Freevolt Technologies has been selected for this year’s Scaleup programme to accelerate the commercialisation and growth of the company as well as the launch of the S-Key Biometric Smart Card Product

Freevolt Technologies today announces that it has been accepted onto the Innovate UK Scaleup Programme, following a rigorous three-stage screening process. The Scaleup Programme supports a select group of companies on a journey to exponential growth. The initiative will help Freevolt Technologies scale up its world leading technology innovations.

The programme is designed to support highly innovative, ambitious, high-growth oriented companies already on their scaling journey, whose innovations or business models can disrupt an existing market. High-impact engagement and early-stage outcomes can include access to finance, investment readiness or internationalisation plans.

At the centre of the service is a team of high calibre scaleup directors who operate together as a board and provide each of the companies on the programme with a matrix of skills and connectivity. The Scaleup directors will help Freevolt Technologies to structure itself for global growth and work with the company to understand the particular set of needs that it faces on its scaling journey.

Lord (Paul) Drayson PhD FREng Chairman of Freevolt Technologies said:
“We are incredibly proud to have been selected onto the Scaleup Programme. Following the fantastic work completed by the Freevolt Team as part of our Innovate UK grant, we are now in a position to launch and commercialise our S-Key product. We would like to thank Innovate UK and UKRI for their continued support, and are delighted with the boost the Scaleup Programme will provide as we grow through this next phase of our business.”

Maxine Adam, Head of Business Growth at Innovate UK said:
“Our work with the Freevolt Technologies’ team is a great example of just how much value this programme can add to the endeavours of the business leaders we support. The inputs are varied and blend strategic thinking with invaluable hands-on tactical guidance, to create outcomes that deliver real commercial advantage. It’s a pleasure working with the Freevolt Technologies’ Directors at this pivotal time for their business.”

Speaking about the programme, she adds, “Admission onto the Scaleup Programme is a rigorous and highly selective process. To be eligible, selectors look for innovative, ambitious, high-growth oriented companies that are already on their scaling journey. Freevolt Technologies is a perfect candidate in this respect and, together with EEN, we are looking forward to helping it scale up, drive growth, and realise its potential as a high-performing and world leading business.”

About Freevolt Technologies

Freevolt Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt energy harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Freevolt Technologies’ mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Freevolt Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies.

For more information, please visit: www.freevolt.tech.

Drayson Technologies Develops Next Generation Biometric Smart Cards Powered By Freevolt Energy Harvesting.

1 June 2021

Innovate UK funded project enabled Drayson Technologies to develop “Plug-n-Play” reference designs of its Freevolt™ radio frequency energy harvesting technology, delivering 3x more power for biometric smart card applications in secure access, cryptocurrency, healthcare and finance.

Drayson Technologies today announces the completion its Smart Grant project, funded by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. During the 6-month project, the business received over £112,000 of funding in order to develop “Plug-n-Play” reference designs of its Freevolt™ proprietary radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting technology for smart card applications in secure access, cryptocurrency, healthcare and finance.

The Innovate UK project enabled the Drayson Technologies team to take the latest Freevolt Generation 3 solution and develop a set of standardised reference designs which integrators can use. This gives significantly reduced integration times and minimises bespoke work across multiple applications, further cementing the Company’s technology leadership position in the field of RF energy harvesting to power biometric smart cards. Furthermore, the output from this project has enabled Drayson Technologies to begin development of a new in-house design for biometric smart cards that combines third generation Freevolt technology with a novel adaptive capacitor-bank-on-card storage element (which was developed as part of the Innovate UK project), as well as a high-efficiency RF communications switching mechanism. This has unlocked new potential applications in the secure access and cryptocurrency verticals.

This R&D work not only improved energy harvesting efficiency and system designs, but has also generated new novel inventions, leading to new patent applications. The Company now owns 21 granted patents internationally within a portfolio of 17 patent families protecting the Freevolt technology and associated system blocks relevant for biometric smart card applications.

Lord (Paul) Drayson PhD FREng Chairman of Drayson Technologies said:
“We are very pleased with the results of our first InnovateUK project. The main goal was better standardisation of our biometric smart card energy harvesting technology, creating optimised, ready-to-use designs. This makes it easier for biometric smart card integrators to adopt and use Freevolt RF energy harvesting. After 6 months of work, we have 2 new baseline designs ready to use and have also created a whole host of new IP, further enabling us to support the development of fully integrated biometric smart cards with advanced features. We are now seeing new commercial applications in cryptocurrency wallets, health passports and security access. We would like to thank Innovate UK and UKRI for their support throughout this project.”

Following almost a decade of development, the main benefit of Drayson Technologies’ Freevolt RF energy harvesting technology is to provide the additional energy needed to power advanced processing and security capabilities for the latest generation of contactless biometric smart cards. This uses energy harvested directly from the card reader, without requiring changes to the existing card reader infrastructure. With 3x energy harvesting performance over competing technologies, Freevolt enables greater functionality to be built into the card, such as greater processing power to run enhanced security systems or larger, more secure, data stores.

The higher energy harvesting efficiency enables highly personal biometric data to be stored securely on the card, and not in central server databases, such as required by competing systems, which may make them vulnerable to hackers. This also addresses current privacy and GDPR concerns surrounding ID cards that use personal biometric data, such as vaccine passports, allowing users to control and retain possession of their private data.

About Drayson Technologies & Freevolt

Drayson Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt energy harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Drayson Technologies’ mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Drayson Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies.

For more information, please visit: www.getfreevolt.com.

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas.

We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth.

We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions.

Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org.

Drayson Technologies Awarded Innovate UK Grant To Develop Next Generation Smart Cards Powered By Freevolt.

27 January 2021

Drayson Technologies will develop “Plug-n-Play” reference designs of its Freevolt™ RF energy harvesting technology delivering 2-3x more power for biometric smart card applications in security, healthcare and finance.

Following an extremely competitive process, with the highest number of applicants to date, Drayson Technologies will receive grant funding of over £100,000 towards the development of the Freevolt technology to make it truly “Plug-n-Play” for companies seeking to integrate Freevolt radio frequency harvesting into their new biometric smart cards currently in development. This new project will take the Company’s latest Freevolt Generation 3 solution and develop a set of standardized reference designs which integrators can use off-the-shelf. This will significantly reduce integration times and bespoke work across multiple applications. In the same way that mobile phones have become a common platform for applications across multiple uses, the next generation of smart cards offer a highly secure solution for all identity, access and payment needs – powered by Drayson Technologies’ patented and patent-pending Freevolt RF energy harvesting technology.

Lord (Paul) Drayson PhD FREng Chairman of Drayson Technologies said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this grant from Innovate UK, which is an excellent validation of the world-leading technology we have developed in Freevolt and the expertise of our team. This funding will enable us to standardise our technology and broaden its application to meet the need for secure, contactless and hygienic biometric smart card solutions across the banking, healthcare and security sectors, all of which have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Fraud losses on UK-issued cards exceeded £620 million in 2019, with banks and card manufacturers looking to enable greater security in personal identity and banking, through advanced features in payment cards and secure IDs (biometrics, dynamic CVV, etc.). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for better contactless options for payments and access control, without sacrificing security or user convenience. Advanced power harvesting systems are required to achieve this in order to avoid changing the user experience (e.g. by creating longer transaction times), and to avoid the need for costly infrastructure or system upgrades (Point-of-Sale terminals, door readers, etc.) to support next-generation cards.

Following almost a decade of development, Drayson Technologies’ Freevolt state-of-the-art Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting technology is capable of achieving up to 80% RF-to-DC efficiency. This allows Drayson Technologies to deliver a RF harvesting system for smart cards which can harvest 2-3x more power than the nearest alternative. Drayson Technologies signed its first technology licence for the application of Freevolt to Smart Cards in December 2018 with CardLab Aps and, following its first integration into a smart card solution, CardLab signed a further licence extension in December 2019 for Drayson Technologies’ latest Generation 3 Freevolt solution.

About Drayson Technologies & Freevolt

Drayson Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt power harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Drayson Technologies’ mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Drayson Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies, from a variety of industries.

For more information, please visit: www.getfreevolt.com.

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas.

We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth.

We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions.

Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org.

Drayson Technologies extends technology license with CardLab to provide the latest third generation Freevolt energy harvesting technology to power smartcards.

11 February 2020

The combination of CardLab and Freevolt technology creates an unrivalled solution for powered next-generation secure biometric smart cards, with sub-1 second transactions providing a better customer experience and faster throughput times, while being compatible with all contactless card readers.

Drayson Technologies today announces that Card Lab has extended its licence to cover the latest third-generation of Freevolt energy harvesting technology (Gen3) to integrate into CardLab’s powered biometric smart card solutions, in applications that include payment credit and debit cards, e-Passports, security passes, ID, blockchain & cryptocurrency authentication and medical information cards. CardLab previously licensed and integrated Freevolt’s first-generation (Gen1) solution.

Freevolt smart card harvesting solutions continue to outperform all other solutions on the market through their award-winning patented technology and expertise in wireless energy harvesting. Freevolt’s Gen3 is 75% smaller than their Gen1, provides up to 6x more power than the next-best non-Freevolt harvesting solution, uses standard mass-manufacturing techniques and components, is compliant with the size and thickness requirements for existing smart and credit card standards, and works with all existing contactless card readers.

CardLab have over 15 years experience in the smart card market and have developed a long range of technologies and production processes for powered smart cards and in this line also relentlessly worked on getting the best solutions in the market integrated in card solutions. One of the big challenges lately has been to secure sufficient energy in the card to run complex operations with biometric fingerprint sensor, cryptography, display and other computerized functions.

Gonzalo de Gisbert, Head of Product, Drayson Technologies, said:
“Following our licence agreement with CardLab in 2018, the Freevolt team have continued to evolve the technology, improving performance while reducing the circuit’s footprint by 75%. With our new baseline designs, we offer pre-configured circuit layouts which can be dropped into customers’ solutions immediately. If customers want to customise and tailor, we can optimise for their requirements. Our continued partnership with CardLab is a testament to the proven benefits that the Freevolt advanced technology provides, and our Gen3 system makes integration into card solutions easier than ever.”

Frank Sandeløv, CEO, CardLab, said:
“Upon signing the first licence agreement with Freevolt back in 2018 it has been a thrilling year working together with the Freevolt team to have the first generation energy harvesting optimized to contactless card solutions and at the same time provide input to Freevolt on their effort to enhance their energy harvesting technology. We are happy to see the result of the Freevolt efforts where we now have a circuit that is much easier to integrate and more widely adoptable due to the reduced footprint. CardLab has already started to integrate the solution in more customer card designs and definitely with a lot more to come.”

About CardLab

CardLab is a world leading technology provider to the powered smart card industry and is a company developing and commercializing ISO 7810 compliant secure card products including:

  • Full “System on Card” biometric authentication solution based on Fingerprints™ FPC1300 T-shape™ touch sensor, for payment, ID, Access control and Cyber Security
  • Communication controlled RFID cards (Jammer & MuteCards)
  • “All In One” card solution platform and other card solutions customized to customer specifications for secure and sustainable card production

CardLab is a DK-based card development and manufacturing company with manufacturing partners in Asia and USA and own card lamination factory in Thailand. In collaboration with industry leading partners and suppliers, CardLab has developed sustainable and secure electronic card systems and production methods. CardLab offers unparalleled technical design and manufacturing support for card solutions including scalable security levels and existing infrastructure compatibility making implementation cost affordable for end users.

For more information, please visit: www.cardlab.com.

About Freevolt & Drayson Technologies

Freevolt is a global award-winning suite of proprietary, patented and patent pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Smart cards are the lead commercial application.

Drayson Technologies’ mission in the smart card space is to enable fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience.

Drayson Technologies is based in London, UK with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies, from a variety of industries.

For more information, please visit: www.getfreevolt.com.