A UK company, spun out of Arm, that makes the secure software for eSIM and iSIM chips that let connected devices join mobile networks safely.
Kigen makes the security software inside the tiny SIM chips of connected devices. A SIM is the part that proves to the mobile network who you are. An eSIM is a SIM built into the device, and an iSIM goes a step further by putting the SIM inside the main chip itself. Kigen supplies the operating system and management tools for these, plus the security that stops devices being hijacked, working with chip makers, module makers and mobile operators. Its own description is that it enables businesses to expand their Internet of Things deployments by integrating trust and security.
The company grew out of Arm, the Cambridge chip-design company, whose SIM technology business was incubated for about three years and became a separate company, Kigen, in 2020. A December 2020 article named Vincent Korstanje as chief executive. It said Kigen's iSIM operating system had been taken up by chip firms such as Qualcomm and Sequans, and that it worked with Orange on an IoT SAFE security approach. The company claimed to have shipped more than 2 billion SIM, eSIM and iSIM units. These are company claims from 2020 and may have changed.
Where is Kigen based? One data profile lists its headquarters as Cambridge, England, and a 2020 trade article describes it as based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Both are in the UK, and the pages we read do not settle which is its main base, so please check the company's website for the current office addresses. The profile gives its size as 159 employees, which is a third-party figure and should be treated with care.
We could not find a formal mission statement. What it says about its work includes support for GSMA-certified eSIMs, security patching and updates at scale, and access to more than 200 terrestrial and satellite networks, and it sells its tools as software that customers pay for by use. Little is published about its culture on the pages we could read, so we will not guess. Being linked to Arm suggests a technical, engineering-led place.
Jobs at Kigen will be centred on embedded software, security and cryptography, cloud services, testing, and customer-facing technical teams, alongside product, sales and standards work with the industry body GSMA. If you enjoy computing, maths, electronics or puzzles about keeping data safe, it is an example of a small British company in a global industry. Computer science is the most direct subject, with maths and physics also useful. Check its own website for what is open.
Website: kigen.com
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