IDloop and the EIC Accelerator: Fingerprints Without Touching
IDloop, based in Jena, Germany, and led by CEO Jörg Reinhold, makes a scanner that captures fingerprints in 3D without contact. Its EIC project described "the first contactless multi-fingerprint scanner for identification purposes which scans the ridge and valley structure of the human finger in full 3D", while staying interoperable with the contact-based 2D scanners behind government databases, according to CORDIS.
The European Innovation Council granted €2,500,000 towards a €5.72 million project from March 2023 to February 2025, under blended finance. The report says the device became smaller with better image quality, gained its own electronics and optics and a sealed, quietly cooled housing, and was redesigned "for low-cost series production". It planned CE, UL and FBI certification in 2024 and said a financing round would be needed at the end of 2024 for series production and an international sales network. IDloop's scanner, CFS flats, is now marketed as FBI-certified, and in August 2026 ScreenCheck Middle East began distributing it in the UAE, Biometric Update reported.
Company file
- Legal entity
- IDloop GmbH, HRB 519158, Jena
- CEO
- Jörg Reinhold
- Product
- CFS flats contactless 3D fingerprint scanner
- Distribution
- ScreenCheck Middle East (UAE); partner countries listed include Spain, Switzerland, Oman, Austria, India
- Public funding
- EIC grant; Thuringia RTI aid (€872,928 in 2025, €825,716 in 2026)
- EIC project
- cast, 1 Mar 2023 to 28 Feb 2025, closed
- EIC funding
- Blended finance
Where IDloop Stands Now
ScreenCheck will sell CFS flats for airports, border control, government services and banks across the region, the first time the scanner is officially available in the UAE. IDloop registered capital increases in August and December 2025 and received two Thuringian state research grants, according to North Data. Its website lists partners in several European and Asian countries.
The record
Touchless fingerprints, from prototype to FBI certification
IDloop used EIC blended finance to turn its 3D contactless fingerprint scanner into a product for series production. The scanner, CFS flats, is marketed as FBI-certified and distributed in the Middle East.
- Oct 2022EIC Accelerator cut-offcastblended finance
- Mar 2023EIC project starts€5.72M project€2.50M grant
- 2024PatentsFive patent and utility model filings
- Feb 2025EIC project endsRedesigned for low-cost series production
- 2025Capital increasesAugust and December
- Oct 2025Thuringia grantResearch and innovation aid€872,928
- Aug 2026ScreenCheck dealDistribution in the UAE
CORDIS, North Data, Biometric Update and IDloop.
"We see enormous potential for contactless biometrics in the UAE and the wider Middle East."
Jörg Reinhold, CEO, IDloop, August 2026The Technology: Ridges and Valleys in 3D
Contact scanners only record the ridges of a fingerprint in 2D and leave latent prints on the glass, the report says. IDloop's device records both ridges and valleys in 3D, making it harder to fake, and converts the result into standard 2D images so it works with existing databases. More than three billion people have fingerprints stored in government systems, according to the report.
The device
CFS flats in numbers
The scanner captures four flat fingerprints at once in under 100 milliseconds and outputs 500 ppi images compatible with contact-based databases, according to its distributor.
Biometric Update, August 2026.
What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows
The EIC project
The EU grant covered 44% of a €5.7M project
The cast project ran from March 2023 to February 2025 under blended finance. CORDIS lists it as closed.
CORDIS project 190188065. Values in € millions.
The project was to bring the contactless scanner to market maturity. The report documents a production-ready design and filed patents, and the scanner has since been marketed as FBI-certified and gained a distributor. Whether the planned CE and UL certifications and the end-2024 financing round happened is not stated in public sources found. CORDIS lists the project as closed.
- Series-ready designDeliveredPer report.
- FBI certificationMarketedCFS flats, per marketing.
- International salesStartingUAE distributor, 2026.
- Financing roundUnverifiedNot announced.
The Money
IDloop's accounts for 2024 are filed in Germany but not publicly summarised with revenue. Its share capital rose to €36,709 in December 2025, and it has drawn €1.7 million of Thuringian state aid. Whether the EIC Fund invested under the blended award has not been announced.
The public money
Public funding recorded for IDloop
The EIC grant and two awards under Thuringia's research, technology and innovation programme.
CORDIS; North Data state aid records. Values in € thousands.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
Whether the EIC Fund invested, how many scanners IDloop has sold and to which governments, and whether it closed its planned financing round are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
Border and identity systems rely on fingerprint hardware, and IDloop offers a European contactless option that works with existing databases. The EIC funded its route to market; the most recent announced distribution deal is in the Gulf.
What the project promised
A market-ready contactless 3D fingerprint scanner compatible with government databases.
What the record shows
A series-ready scanner marketed as FBI-certified and a UAE distributor, with sales undisclosed.
The Verdict
Product ready, sales unknown
IDloop delivered the market-ready scanner the EIC paid for and markets it as FBI-certified. How many governments are buying it is still unclear from public records.
IDloop and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
Industry
Digital and computingCybersecurity
- Focus
- Identity and access
- Technologies
- 3D imaging
- Optics
- Keywords
- Contactless fingerprints
- Border control
- Airport operations
- Identity verification