Japanese finger vein biometrics firm expands into Hong Kong

Japanese biometrics firm T4U is opening a Hong Kong office as it expands the use of its finger vein identification technology beyond its home market, according to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP).

T4U is developing the technology for use in financial institutions. It captures a user’s finger vein profile by passing light from infrared LEDs through the finger.

“Fingerprints and irises are on the outside of the body, but veins are inside the body … so using finger vein biometrics makes copy or misuse impossible,” Osamu Nakahashi, president of T4U, told SCMP.

According to Nakahashi, each scan takes three images to compare to the database and because the technology relies on blood flow, the device can only be used on living subjects.

T4U has been working with seven financial institutions and government departments in Japan since the middle of last year and plans to expand to Southeast Asia using Hong Kong as a regional base.

Nakahashi told SCMP that the company hopes to sell one million devices in Asia by the end of 2017.

InvestHK is assisting T4U to establish its regional office in Hong Kong.

Article Topics

Asia  |  banking  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  financial services  |  finger vein  |  infrared  |  vein biometrics