Inspired by the successful model of a digital society in Estonia, Procivis was founded in Zurich in 2016 with the aim of combining the success factors of the Estonian model with state-of-the-art technology and the unique democratic values of Switzerland.
Turning inspiration into action, they commissioned a study to evaluate the differences between the successful model of “e-Estonia” and the digitalisation of the public sector in Switzerland. “e-Estonia” was built on the foundations of its electronic identity, and this key finding formed the starting point for Procivis.
On this basis, they started work on their core product “eID+”. Since the start, their technology has been guided by two key precepts: Firstly, access to public services will in future primarily be provided via mobile phone, which is why they have consistently pursued a “mobile first” approach from the outset. And secondly, they regard data security and sovereignty as the decisive factor for broad acceptance among the population. Thus, they are guided by the core principles of blockchain technology: decentralised data storage, self-sovereignty over personal data and the application of the highest possible security standards.
With their approach, they were soon joined by their first customers, who shared their vision of building a digital society that inspires. In 2018, together with the Canton of Schaffhausen, they implemented Switzerland’s first cantonal digital identity. This solution has been successfully in use ever since and is constantly being expanded with new functions. Today, they serve customers from the public sector throughout Switzerland with their products and services. In 2020, for example, the City of Zug introduced “eZug”, a smart city platform based on their technology.
Procivis has been majority-owned by Orell Füssli since 2021. This means that Procivis can draw on Orell Füssli’s many years of experience in the field of security technology and the production of identity documents in the development of its innovative solutions.