Amadeus acquires vision box for biometrics solutions

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Today, Amadeus has made an announcement regarding its acquisition of Vision-Box, a prominent provider of biometric solutions tailored for airports, airlines, and border control clientele.

This strategic acquisition enhances Amadeus’ capabilities in both biometrics hardware and software, introducing border control solutions into the Amadeus portfolio. The collaboration with Vision-Box enables Amadeus to offer a complete end-to-end seamless passenger experience, spanning from booking to airport arrival, through border control, and finally, boarding.

The integration of Vision-Box into Amadeus aligns with the company’s overarching goal to establish a seamless ecosystem in the travel industry. This move is poised to facilitate remarkable biometrics interoperability across airports, airlines, and border control authorities. Furthermore, it complements and enhances Amadeus’ existing value proposition for airlines and airports, emphasizing a smooth experience for passengers, operational efficiency, and effective disruption management.

This acquisition plays a pivotal role in Amadeus’ vision to connect the travel industry, especially in light of the anticipated significant growth in the use of biometrics in border control. Projections from the Biometrics Research Group suggest that the global biometrics sector is set to grow to US$86.1 billion by 2028, up from the projected 2023 value of US$47.8 billion. This growth is driven by the travel industry’s increasing focus on digitizing the passenger journey to enhance the travel experience, address operational challenges, and meet regulatory requirements.

Vision-Box, a rapidly expanding global business with expected revenues of €70 million and an estimated normalized EBITDA close to €20 million in 2023, is currently partially owned by Keensight Capital, a private equity fund specializing in pan-European Growth Buyout investments. In a deal valued at approximately €320 million, Amadeus will fully acquire Vision-Box, with around 470 Vision-Box employees expected to transition to Amadeus as part of the acquisition. The completion of the deal is contingent upon customary regulatory approvals and is anticipated to conclude in the first half of 2024.

“Biometrics is a strategic and fast-growing industry, and Vision-Box’s capabilities will allow us to accelerate our growth in this area. With a portfolio which is deeply complementary to our existing offering for both airports and airlines, our combined best-in-class solutions will now deliver a seamless passenger journey from booking to boarding. This acceleration of our ecosystem approach will bring immediate and tangible benefits to our customers and travelers: it’s how travel works better.” 

“I’m extremely excited about the growth opportunities for Vision-Box as we join Amadeus, a leading travel technology player with a global footprint. Together we can deliver the next big step in the travel experience: to unite all separate players and systems in a single, digitally- integrated, and orchestrated ecosystem. This compelling value proposition will drive user experience, on-time-performance, infrastructure usage, and other key indicators to new levels of efficiency.” 

Biometrics technology is becoming increasingly valuable for airports, airlines, and passengers alike. According to IATA’s Global Passenger Survey 2023, 75% of passengers express interest in using biometric data to expedite airport processes, foregoing the need for passports and boarding passes. This frictionless approach allows passengers to reach the boarding gate punctually, reducing stress and providing additional time to spend in lounge or retail areas. The adoption of biometrics not only facilitates a faster and smoother boarding experience, enhancing airlines’ on-time performance targets but also minimizes the need for airline staff at biometric touchpoints. This, in turn, allows staff to focus on more complex customer inquiries, delivering superior customer service at airports.

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