- Founded
- 1927-01-01 in Lausanne, Switzerland
- Headquarters
- Lausanne, Switzerland
SICPA is a Swiss private technology company that has been a linchpin of governmental security for nearly a century. Founded in 1927 in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Maurice Amon, the company began by supplying agricultural products before pivoting to security inks and authentication solutions. Today, SICPA is best known as the world’s leading provider of security inks for banknotes, protecting the majority of the world’s currency. Operating on five continents with approximately 3,000 employees, the company has evolved into a comprehensive “platform for sovereignty,” offering integrated solutions that combine covert material markers with digital intelligence. Its custom-crafted molecules—unique to each nation—serve as a single source of truth across supply chains, enabling governments to authenticate currency, secure identity documents, trace goods, and mobilise tax revenues. Beyond currency, SICPA’s technology underpins revenue protection (e.g., fuel marking, tobacco tax stamps), brand protection, digital sovereignty, and secure public services. The company holds more than 7,100 patents and is one of the most secretive and trusted partners to central banks, high-security printers, and national governments worldwide. SICPA remains family-owned, led by the third generation of the Amon family, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Detailed Review
History and Founding
SICPA was founded in 1927 in Lausanne by Maurice Amon as Société Industrielle et Commerciale de Produits Agricoles, originally selling Swiss agricultural goods. Its transition into the security sector began in the mid-20th century when it started producing inks for banknotes, eventually becoming the dominant global supplier of security inks used by central banks and currency printers. The company's inks are engineered to be virtually impossible to replicate, featuring optically variable pigments, micro-optical structures, machine-readable codes, and covert chemical markers.
Products and Platforms
SICPA's portfolio now extends well beyond currency. SPARK® Live, launched in 2014, is an optically variable magnetic ink that creates dynamic colour-shifting effects on banknotes and IDs. CERTUS, launched in 2020, secures printed and digital certificates such as diplomas and licenses. The company's fuel marking solutions help governments combat fuel adulteration and smuggling, while its product and brand protection unit provides overt and covert labels and track-and-trace services. Other key offerings include tax stamps for excise duty on alcohol, tobacco, and vaping products, and digital identity solutions developed through a 2025 joint venture with Fragomen.
Market Position and Governance
SICPA's core value proposition is the “platform for sovereignty”—a modular, privacy-first infrastructure that connects physical markers to digital systems. This platform is deployed in e-government, digital identity, tax stamp programs, and supply chain integrity for commodities like timber and minerals. The company is ISO 37001 certified (anti-bribery) and operates with extreme discretion, rarely publicising client contracts due to national security sensitivities. Leadership is under Chairman & CEO Philippe Amon, third-generation family member, along with Chief Corporate Officer Jean-Marc Vanescote, COO Jean-Paul Vionnet, and Strategic Affairs Director Jean-Philippe Gaudin (former head of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service). SICPA holds more than 7,100 patents and remains privately held, not disclosing financial results.
Key Products
Security Inks (OVI, SPARK®)
Optically Variable Inks (OVI) and SPARK® Live create colour-shifting effects that are extremely difficult to replicate, used on banknotes, passports, and other security documents.
Platform for Sovereignty
A modular, integrated platform unifying physical markers (custom molecules) with digital systems to give governments real-time control over authentication, traceability, and data security.
CERTUS
A solution for issuers (education, government, notaries, businesses) to quickly secure printed documents and digital certificates, enabling holders and verifiers to confirm authenticity.
Track & Trace for Excisable Goods
End-to-end systems for fuel, alcohol, tobacco, and vape products, combining banknote-grade security features with digital tracking to combat illicit trade, protect revenue, and ensure supply chain integrity.
Fuel Marking Solutions
A proven, cost-effective solution enabling governments to detect adulteration, smuggling, and unlawful fuel-related activities, first developed in 2016.
Digital Identity Solutions
Verifiable credential platforms, digital wallets, and identity verification services for governments and enterprises, including joint-venture offerings with Fragomen for global mobility and credentialing.
Product & Brand Protection
Security labels, packaging labels, and authentication solutions for brands to protect against counterfeiting and unauthorized distribution.
Secure Document Solutions
Security features for identity documents (e-passports, visas, ID cards), lottery tickets, and transport tickets.
Security Inks (OVI®, SPARK® Live)
Optically variable and colour‑shifting inks used on the majority of the world’s banknotes and identity documents. SPARK® Live creates dynamic optical effects for high‑security deterrence.
Track & Trace Solutions
End‑to‑end systems for excisable goods (tobacco, alcohol, fuel, vaping products) that enable revenue collection, supply chain visibility, and market intelligence to combat illicit trade.
Digital Identity Platform
Enables governments to deploy trusted, inclusive identity ecosystems (e.g., e‑passports, e‑IDs) with sovereign control.
Fuel Marking
A proven system that marks fuels with covert tracers to detect adulteration, smuggling, and tax evasion, recovering government revenues.
Digital Sovereignty Platform
A modular platform unifying physical and digital systems to give governments real‑time control and privacy‑first infrastructure.
Cash Cycle Solutions
Services for central and commercial banks to optimise cash management, distribution, and circulation, including the Cash Cycle Seminar series.
Security Inks for Banknotes
Overt and covert inks (e.g., optically variable, magnetic, machine-readable) used by central banks to protect currency from counterfeiting.
SPARK® Live
Dynamic optically variable magnetic ink that creates a rolling light effect on banknotes and ID documents.
Tax Stamp & Revenue Marking
Secure stamps for excise duty on alcohol, tobacco, and vaping products (e.g., UK Vaping Duty Stamps).
Offices & Headcount
3000 employees (approx.)
Key Persons
Maurice AmonFounder
Jean-Marc VanescoteChief Corporate Officer
Philippe AmonChairman & CEO