Oslo, 11 January 2024 - Norwegian biometrics company NEXT Biometrics (NEXT)
continues to evolve its footprint in Asia. NEXT is pleased to announce that
FAP20 has now received its prestigious China ID certification through a local
Chinese partner. China ID is a nationwide security requirement similar to
India's Aadhaar program, providing NEXT's customers access to otherwise closed
market segments. NEXT's products are now ready to launch, targeting the highly
demanding government and banking segment, featuring the integration of NEXT's
high-security, flagship fingerprint sensor FAP20. 

A China ID certification resembles India's nationwide, biometric identity
program Aadhaar and is used for on-device authentication and verification
purposes. Already now, many of the technology partners aiming to be featured in
products such as highly demanding banking industry, must have a valid China ID
certification in place in their most secure applications.

Marcus Laurén, Chief Product Officer at NEXT, comments on the news: 
"We are immensely proud of our partner's progress. Achieving the China ID is a
key milestone in our entry into biometric market in China. The certification is
the result of a rigorous testing process, where the partner, and all its
hardware and software integrations, must prove to be compliant with strict
security requirements. The certification is also a positive indication for NEXT,
as it means further high-end market opportunities will emerge and become
available to us as well."

This significant Asian milestone solidifies the partner's and NEXT's position
among an elite group of OEMs globally, with only a few other technology partners
holding the coveted China ID certificate. 

Ulf Ritsvall, CEO at NEXT notes the interest for NEXT's Active ThermalTM
technology continues to increase:
"This is one of our most important technical milestones as it's opening a major
part of the Chinese market. Our product offering remains very strong, as
security continues to be a crucial market driver. With its combination of Active
ThermalTM technology and strong liveness detection features, NEXT's FAP20 is one
of the world's most secure fingerprint sensor. Previously already certified by
both the FBI and UIDAI for use in India's Aadhaar program, as our partner now
has received its China ID certification, we expect continued market interest in
our technology. Going forward, we aim to sign up additional partners in other
customer segments as well for the China ID ecosystem."

For more information, please contact: 

Ulf Ritsvall, CEO, Next Biometrics
ulf.ritsvall@nextbiometrics.com

Eirik Underthun, CFO, NEXT Biometrics
eirik.underthun@nextbiometrics.com

About Next Biometrics 
NEXT provides advanced fingerprint sensor technology that delivers uncompromised
security and accuracy for the best possible user experience in the smart card,
government ID, access control and notebook markets. The company's patented NEXT
Active ThermalTM principle allows the development of large, high quality
fingerprint sensors. NEXT Biometrics Group ASA is headquartered in Oslo, with
sales, support and development operations in Seattle, Taipei, Tokyo, New Delhi
and Shanghai.