On the internet, anyone can publish or present any information to anyone. Verifying the accuracy of information is difficult. Findynet aims to improve trust and the reliability of information. We primarily focus on information shared in electronic transactions. We promote a new way of sharing data reliably and in a human-centred manner.

Findynet does not offer a mobile application or browser extension that, once installed, would improve trust in online transactions. Instead, we promote the adoption and use of international standards related to digital credentials. We evaluate and compare wallet applications implemented by various providers, but we do not create or offer one ourselves.

We implement registry services that enable various parties involved in transactions to verify each other’s reliability. We offer expertise, for example, in designing business models for ecosystems, rulebooks, and the adoption of digital credentials.

For organisations, we provide credential agents that facilitate the issuance and reception of digital credentials. These are not developed by us; rather, we distribute applications offered by internationally operating companies. To participate in the trust ecosystems supported by Findynet, there is no need to acquire a credential agent from Findynet.

The technical services offered by Findynet are based on open definitions and standards, and most often on open source code. Specifications and standards related to digital credentials have been developed in various standardisation and development organisations.

The members of the cooperative aim to increase the trust necessary for electronic transactions.

The founders of Findynet Cooperative, which includes organisations from both the private and public sectors, believe that digitalising society’s various functions can lead to a significant leap in productivity.

Trust is also boosted by similar international developments. Finland is, in our view, somewhat ahead of the rest of the world in this development, thanks to the open-minded collaboration between private and public sector organisations.

The cooperative’s activities are largely based on collaboration among its members. In the cooperative’s working groups, the contents of the technical and expert services offered by the cooperative are planned, standards are selected, and the groundwork is laid for the ecosystems’ rulebooks. Findynet strives to communicate its work openly and to also widely hear from entities outside the cooperative. Read more about the cooperative’s organisation and governance, as well as the Technology Forum and Ecosystem and Collaboration forum open to all.

The cooperative’s customers are organisations that issue and verify digital credentials which use Findynet’s registry services or expert support.

Customers may also include providers of wallet applications and credential agents.

Findynet Cooperative aims as an organisation to serve Finnish society based on mutually agreed principles, requiring collaboration among various actors from both the public and private sectors. Joining and leaving the cooperative is straightforward, and all members are equal. The cooperative cannot be sold, and its value is not based on speculation. Among the options allowed by Finnish corporate law, the cooperative best meets the objectives set for its operation.

The cooperative aims to establish the foundation of a national digital trust infrastructure, thereby enhancing trust in online transactions. We believe that it is not worthwhile to compete in building the basic infrastructure needed by society. Common elements should be implemented collaboratively, with joint efforts and financing. Therefore, it is not advisable for those implementing them to seek profit.

Services relying on the Findynet infrastructure, on the other hand, are subject to free competition, and healthy competition should prevail among market participants using them.

Membership in the cooperative is open to all who wish to promote more reliable and seamless transactions. By becoming a member, you have the opportunity to influence the cooperative’s decisions and the content of its rulebooks. The cooperative also acts as an advocate for its members in matters related to digital credentials. Members are required to adhere to the cooperative’s rules. Read more about membership in the cooperative.

The cooperative’s members include numerous organizations from both the private and public sectors. For more information, please refer to the Members page.

Each member of Findynet Cooperative has one vote, regardless of the size of the organisation. The governance model of Findynet Cooperative is designed to clearly separate competitive activities from jointly managed and developed activities.

It is up to each organisation to decide whether they want to participate in the development and governance of common rules and services as a member of the cooperative, utilise services as a customer of the cooperative, or acquire ready-made solutions, for example, from another member of the cooperative.

Members of Findynet Cooperative collaborate on establishing common rules, ensuring interoperability, and addressing matters related to the cooperative’s business model. Collaboration within the cooperative does not involve agreements on prices, market allocation, or setting barriers to other actors. The goal is to create an environment where the implementation and provision of solutions related to digital credentials are based on open and fair competition.

The services provided by the members of Findynet Cooperative to their own customers are all subject to competition.

Other non-profit organizations operating in the field of digital identity include IDUnion in Germany, Alastria in Spain, and Sovrin in the United States. In the financial sector, there is a global non-profit cooperative, SWIFT, which shares a somewhat similar goal to Findynet Cooperative: to provide a secure, standardised, and reliable messaging network within the industry.

Digital credentials are electronic data that can be used to confirm claims or facts. They can serve as evidence of identity, qualifications, rights, ownership, or consent. The authenticity of these credentials can be ensured through digital signatures, making them highly reliable. Digital credentials enable secure, fast, and efficient sharing of information, thereby enhancing privacy and data security. Learn more about digital credentials and wallets.

Digital wallets are applications or services that enable the retrieval, management, and sharing of digital credentials. They can be used by individuals as well as legal entities such as companies and other organizations.

Digital wallets offer several benefits to both individuals and organizations. They enhance privacy and data security by enabling precise control over the sharing of information. Digital wallets also streamline processes, as sharing information becomes quick and easy. Learn more about digital credentials and wallets.

The information required for digital credentials and transactions is already predominantly in digital format within various organisations’ systems. However, to issue and receive this information in credential form, software is needed – a credential agent – which handles tasks such as managing identifiers and their keys linked to credentials, creating and verifying digital signatures, and connecting with wallet applications. Findynet maintains a list of credential agents that are interoperable with our provided technical support services. Learn more about credential agents.

Digital credentials are most beneficial when there’s a need to convey a set of confidential facts or claims between parties in a user-centric manner. Digital wallets or credentials offer little added value for sharing entirely open information (such as bus schedules, restaurant menus, or store price lists). If large amounts of data are shared to an entity with a legal right to access it, transmitting via a wallet could slightly improve visibility into one’s own data but could impede the process’s efficiency. (For instance, it’s advisable to transmit salary information from the employer to the tax authorities or pension insurers through the current income register.) The best use cases for digital credentials include licenses, certificates, and authorisations that their holder – whether an individual or a company – can present while conducting business with others.

We believe that nearly all individuals and most organizations have a digital wallet in use. It has become as much a part of daily life as a web browser, email, or instant messaging application is today.

Manual data entry has significantly decreased, speeding up and streamlining transactions while reducing errors.

The assessment of risks associated with transactions and the reliability of data are approached differently from today, as the information provided by the customer is, in most cases, digital credentials whose origin and authenticity are automatically verified.