International Acquisition of Authasas Strengthens Dutch Security Cluster

Authasas, the world leader in strong authentication middleware, has been acquired by the British-American multinational software company Micro Focus International Plc. With the acquisition of Authasas, the innovative technology of this start-up company is secured and becomes part of Micro Focus. For InnovationQuarter, the regional development agency for West Holland, this recent acquisition of Authasas signifies the first exit from their investment portfolio. Authasas will remain on the HSD Campus in The Hague, and its operations will become part of Micro Focus’ Identity, Access & Security Solutions customer proposition.

World class authentication
Authasas develops authentication software with a focus on safety, usability and manageability and is a world leader in this field. The software platform integrates with various Microsoft systems and supports an extensive list of authentication methods and equipment.

By making use of, for example, one-time passwords, many authentication methods, such as biometrics, smart cards, and / or mobile authentication tokens like an SMS can be used together. This integrated approach is an appropriate solution at a time when a user name and password are no longer sufficient for identity verification.

According to Reinier van der Drift, CEO of Authasas, "a user of the software can identify and determine that the correct person is given access to the often highly sensitive information."

Authasas already worked for some time with NetIQ, an American company that sold and implemented Authasas’s software worldwide. NetIQ was acquired by Micro Focus last year, as part of its acquisition of the Attachmate Group. Micro Focus is listed on the London stock exchange.

Investment leads to growth acceleration
Authasas is located on the HSD Campus, the national innovation center for security in The Hague. In March of this year InnovationQuarter invested in Authasas precisely to help further facilitate the company’s international growth. Previously, the investment fund TIIN Capital had already invested in this software company.

"Due to the acquisition, the multinational software company Micro Focus, is connected to The Hague Security Delta, the national security cluster," said Rinke Zonneveld, Director of InnovationQuarter. "And this will allow for a faster international expansion of Authasas’ high value technology. We applaud this acquisition opportunity for Authasas, and are proud that our recent investment to this acceleration may have contributed. In collaboration with our partners, we offer Micro Focus access to expertise and connect them with our networks."

Joris den Bruinen, Deputy Director HSD: "The acquisition of the innovative startup Authasas is a wonderful example of how Dutch innovations - which we develop within the national security cluster - can be marketed internationally and how we can create new jobs in the Netherlands."