Suprema is a South Korean security company that makes access control platforms, biometric terminals and readers. Its products let organisations verify who a person is at a door, gate or terminal using face, fingerprint, mobile or card credentials, and tie that check to access rules, video and attendance records.
Its buyers are physical security and facilities teams, from single offices to data centres, factories and hospitals, along with the integrators and partners who build systems on its hardware.
At A Glance
| Vendor | Suprema |
|---|---|
| Category | Physical access control and biometric authentication |
| Identities covered | Human users (employees, visitors, technicians) via face, fingerprint, mobile, RFID, QR and PIN credentials |
| Deployment | On-premises (BioStar X), cloud-native or hybrid edge (BioStar Air) |
| Customers | KaKao, Hyundai Motor Group, Samsung Engineering, Kumho Petrochemical, Korea South-East Power |
| Certifications | ISO/IEC 42001; CC EAL6+ secure element in BioStation 3 Max |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Market classification | Workforce IAM |
What Suprema Does
Physical security teams have to decide who may enter which building, floor or room, and prove afterwards who did. Suprema treats this as an identity problem first. A card or PIN proves only that someone holds a credential, while a biometric check ties entry to the person. Suprema builds that check into the reader at the door and connects it to the software that holds the rules, the camera footage and the attendance record, so a single verified identity drives all of them. Organisations can keep the system on their own servers or run it from the cloud.
Products
BioStar X
BioStar X is an open, on-premises access control platform for organisations that want their security data kept in their own environment. It brings access control, monitoring, reporting and security into one system.
- Users, doors, schedules, elevators and floors, with anti-passback, interlock, occupancy limits, muster and roll call
- One-click lockdown and emergency open permissions
- Remote face enrolment through an expiring link and batch enrolment from CSV
- Event, audit and sensitive data access logs, with TLS 1.3 encryption between devices and server
BioStar X VMS
BioStar X VMS adds video monitoring to the same platform, so operators see access events and camera footage together. Its AI video features detect falls, tailgating and intrusion.
BioStar Air
BioStar Air is the cloud option, suited to companies with many smaller sites and no wish to run servers at each one.
- Direct-to-cloud readers with no on-site server, or hybrid edge controllers
- Unlimited mobile credentials through the Suprema Pass wallet
- Remote biometric enrolment by selfie link, and technician access with limited permissions
- Central dashboard, ONVIF video linked to access events and a full audit trail
Biometric And RFID Devices
Suprema’s hardware does the identity check at the door. BioStation 3 Max is a facial terminal with a neural processing unit, BioEntry W3 is a facial authentication device, and XPass Q2 reads QR codes and RFID cards. ViOnyx is an identity-aware AI fisheye camera. Access controllers and peripherals complete the range.
How It Works
Both software platforms work with Suprema’s own readers and controllers.
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| BioStar X server | Runs on-premises, with remote access as an optional add-on over an encrypted tunnel. Up to 1,000 connected IP devices are supported per server, and multi-communication servers extend that further. |
| BioStar Air cloud | Smart readers connect straight to the cloud over a single cable, or two-door controllers with RS-485 device chaining provide a hybrid edge for retrofits and larger sites. |
| Edge matching | Readers match biometrics locally, with BioStar Air facial matching taking a reported 0.2 seconds. BioStation 3 Max supports Template-on-Mobile and Template-on-Card, so a person’s template can stay on their phone or smart card instead of a central database. |
| Developer layer | The BioStar X API, Suprema G-SDK, BioStar Device SDK, Suprema CLUe and embedded modules let partners integrate the devices and platforms. |
Identities And Systems Covered
| Human users | Employees, visitors and external technicians, managed as users, groups and administrators |
|---|---|
| Credentials | Face, fingerprint, mobile credentials, RFID cards (MIFARE, DESFire, iCLASS, Seos, FeliCa), QR codes and PIN |
| Physical systems | Doors, elevators, floors, controllers and video cameras |
| National ID | National identification projects in 23 countries |
Integrations
| Area | Integrations |
|---|---|
| Identity providers | Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory sync (BioStar X); Microsoft Entra or Okta single sign-on and SCIM provisioning (BioStar Air, optional licence) |
| Video | Network Optix Nx Witness, ONVIF video |
| Visitor ID | DESKO ID scanners |
Company Background
| Founded | 2000. |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Seongnam-si, South Korea. |
| Leadership | Hanchul Kim (CEO). |
| Ownership | Listed on KOSDAQ (236200). |
| Reach | Presence in over 140 countries and more than 100 patents; a reported 1 billion people use its technologies across 1.5 million installations. |
| Recognition | BioStar Air received the access control category award at the a&s Adria Awards 2026. |
Note: This overview is compiled from Suprema’s publicly available information as of 4 November 2026. It is provided for information only. NHI Mgmt Group does not endorse any vendor, and nothing on this page represents the opinions of NHI Mgmt Group.