Simprints

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Simprints
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 biometric system designed for front line workers.[4] The technology uses Bluetooth to connect to an Android mobile device that is interoperable with existing mHealth systems such as CommCare, ODK, or DHIS2.[5]

History

Simprints emerged in May 2012 out of a hackathon organised by the Centre for Global Equality and sponsored by technology company

Arm.[6][7] The founders of Simprints include Gates-Cambridge scholars Alexandra Grigore,[8] Toby Norman, and Daniel Storisteanu[9] as well as Royal Holloway-University of London student Tristram Norman.[10]

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).[11][12][13] This funding was partially matched by Arm ltd, a Cambridge based semiconductor and software company.[14] 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.[5][6][13][15][16][17][18]

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.[19]

In 2016, Simprints developed their first production-ready biometric scanner known as Vero. It is IP65 rated and CE/FCC certified.[20] Simprints software architecture also conforms to EU Data regulation.[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[10]

Published Literature

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.[25]

Affiliations

As of January 2023, Simprints' partners and financial supporters include:[26]

Non-current partners and supporters include the Electric Power Research Institute,[33] Grand Challenges Canada[23] and Impact Network.[34]

References

  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. ^
    PMID 25745127
    .
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Simprints- IdeaSpace". IdeaSpace. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  8. ^ "Profile". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  9. ^ "Profile". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  10. ^ a b "Simprints identifies cloud as foundation for biometrics-led healthcare". diginomica. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  11. ^ (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)
  12. ^ mandy (2015-03-09). "Recognition grows for SimPrints". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  13. ^ a b c "Startup Simprints wins $250,000 from Gates Foundation for 'game-changing' invention". CJBS Insight. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ISSN 0969-4765
    .
  16. ^ "Biometric Solutions to Identification Challenges". BORGEN. 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  17. ^ a b "SimPrints wins £250,000 from Gates Foundation to develop fingerprint scanner". BiometricUpdate. 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  18. ^ alex.corr (2015-03-06). "Digital healthcare". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  19. ^ mandy (2014-06-12). "SimPrints to pilot in Bangladesh". Gates Cambridge. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  20. ^ "Simprints Vero Scanner | therefore". therefore.com. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  21. ^ "The Case For Better Privacy Standards" (PDF). Simprints.
  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. ^ "Toby Norman: Is Passion Enough for Simprints to Thrive? - Case - Faculty & Research - Harvard Business School".
  26. ^ "Our Partners". Simprints Technology. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  27. ^ "Simprints $2m funding win". Arm Community. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  28. ^ "Therefore- vero".
  29. ^ "COHESU.org | Home". COHESU.org | Home. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  30. ^ "Simprints | DRK Foundation | Supporting passionate, high impact social enterprises". www.drkfoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  31. ^ "Simprints - Global Innovation Fund". Global Innovation Fund. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  32. ^ "Identity in a digital age" (PDF). USAID.
  33. ^ cknowle. "Neonate Biometric Scanner for Frontline Health Workers | Saving Lives at Birth". savinglivesatbirth.net. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  34. ^ "The Power of Partnership". Impact Network. Retrieved 2018-05-21.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simprints&oldid=1222847384"