TECH5 tops NIST FRIF evaluation for biometric identification speed

Tech5 fingerprint biometric algorithms are among the top-performing globally after completing the NIST Friction Ridge Image and Features (FRIF) Technology Evaluation (TE) 1:N testing. The Geneva-based biometric technology firm reported a 0.0-second search time on a gallery of five million fingerprint records, showing matching speed in the millisecond range.

The testing was completed on March 2nd, 2026 and included the Tech5 Exemplar Extractor 1.0 and the Tech5 Comparator (N 1:1 mode) 1.0.

“This makes Tech5 one of the fastest biometric identification algorithms ever evaluated at national ID scale,” says Tech5’s Co-founder, Rahul Parthe.

1:N fingerprint NIST testing results are an important reference for governments choosing large-scale ABIS (Automated Biometric Identification System) platforms for identity and passport systems and elections. Faster 1:N searches in national ID databases, which often contain millions of identities, can significantly improve operations and efficiency, the company points out.

“We are witnessing a moment when industry benchmarks are shifting from seconds to milliseconds – much like Olympic sports – demonstrating that it is still possible to unlock greater results when a company continuously invests in R&D,” adds Parthe.

Tech5’s fingerprint-matching algorithm is already offered as part of the company’s T5-OmniMatch ABIS (Automated Biometric Identification System), both as a standalone platform and as part of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) deployments.

The FRIF TE E1N is an open-set identification evaluation of algorithms that automatically extract and use features from all types of exemplar friction ridge images, including rolled fingerprints, palm prints and slaps. Those features are used to search for similar candidates in databases of millions of subjects.

The testing was relaunched in September last year for the first time after 2012, when it was known as the Fingerprint Vendor Technology Evaluation (FpVTE). Tech5 was one of the first companies to submit its algorithm, outperforming competition on both accuracy and efficiency across two out of three datasets.

Article Topics

biometric matching  |  biometric testing  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Friction Ridge Image and Features (FRIF)  |  NIST  |  TECH5