Evolis

Evolis, established in 1999 and headquartered in Angers, France, specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of printing and encoding systems for plastic cards. The company was founded by a group of engineers, including Cécile Belanger, Didier Godard, Serge Olivier, Marc Pérocheau, and Yves Liatard, who identified a market opportunity for more flexible and affordable plastic card printing solutions. Evolis positioned itself as a key player in the decentralized issuance of cards, targeting a wide array of sectors such as identification, security, transportation, government, education, and finance.

The company's business model revolves around the sale of its hardware, software, and consumables through a global network of over 400 distributors and resellers spanning 140 countries. This indirect sales channel allows Evolis to serve a diverse client base, from small businesses needing to print employee badges to large institutions like banks and governments issuing national ID or payment cards. Revenue is generated not only from the initial sale of printers but also from the recurring sales of ribbons, cards, and cleaning kits.

Evolis offers a comprehensive product portfolio designed for various applications. Its card printers, such as the Primacy, Zenius, and Quantum models, are known for their modularity and ease of use, enabling users to print high-quality graphics, encode magnetic stripes, and program smart cards (contact and contactless). The product line extends to software for card design and issuance, as well as a range of accessories and consumables that ensure system longevity and performance. A notable aspect of their offering is the ability to provide customized solutions tailored to specific project requirements, from simple pre-printed cards to complex, multi-feature identification badges. This flexibility has enabled the company to secure significant projects, including providing systems for student cards in Chinese universities, national ID cards in various countries, and payment cards for financial institutions.

Keywords: card personalization, identification solutions, plastic card printing, badge issuance, secure credentials, access control, loyalty cards, payment cards, ID card systems, thermal transfer