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NFC Forum Fuels Technology Innovation with Startup Company Membership
[July 13, 2016]

NFC Forum Fuels Technology Innovation with Startup Company Membership


Recognizing that Near Field Communication (NFC) is the de facto standard for short-range communication and that NFC innovation and deployments have expanded the NFC ecosystem, the NFC Forum announced today a new reduced membership fee for startups. The Startup Implementer Membership fee is exclusively for NFC-focused startup technology companies. It allows these young and developing companies to participate in the NFC Forum's (News - Alert) technical, marketing, and educational efforts via the Forum's Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Startup Members are also granted free access to NFC Forum technical specifications and may participate in the Certification Program.

Organizations with revenue under $5 million (USD) and incorporated in the last five years are encouraged to join. The Startup Implementer Membership fee is $2500 per year.

"NFC functionality is available on all the major smartphones and consumers are aware of the convenience and ease of use of NFC," said Koichi Tagawa, NFC Forum Chairman. "The NFC ecosystem is experiencing tremendous growth, creating an ideal environment for innovative companies to develop new NFC-enabled services and applications. The opportunity for startup companies to get involved in the NFC Forum provides them access to the NFC ecosystem and will have a decisive impact on their business and the industry."

"As co-inventors of NFC, we are happy to see that this technology has enabled a variety of new business models and revenue streams. The innovation in the NFC field is often driven by startup companies, which makes it important to support them in their daily business - and this is exactly what the NFC Forum is now doing with the Startup Company Membership," said Alexander Rensink, Business Segment Manager at NXP Semiconductors and Vice Chairman of the NFC Forum.



Establishment of the Startup Implementer Membership comes at a time of accelerating momentum for NFC, as over two billion NFC devices are expected to be in the global market by the end of this year, according to Juniper Research. Currently, the payment industry dominates the NFC market, but many analysts predict that public transportation, Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, and retail sectors will experience rapid NFC growth and consumer acceptance.

About NFC Forum Startup Implementer Membership
NFC Forum Startup Implementer Membership allows members to participate in NFC Forum meetings as well as participate in or chair a SIG Working Group. This is a significant new benefit added to the overall Startup Implementer Member package. They will also have access to final draft specifications after Technical Committee approval, as well as the ability to attend Plenary meetings and SIG Working Group and Task Force meetings. Other benefits can be found here.


Any organization with an interest in furthering the development and adoption of NFC technology is encouraged to apply for NFC Forum membership. In addition to its ongoing work via conference calls and online meetings, the NFC Forum holds face-to-face, all-members meetings three times a year to advance NFC initiatives, and to address specifications and other projects under development. The next all-members meeting will be held in Vienna, Austria, October 17-21, 2016.

About the NFC Forum
The NFC Forum (www.nfc-forum.org) was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum's mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum's global member companies are currently developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. The NFC Forum's Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: Apple Inc., Broadcom Corporation (News - Alert), Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, Nokia, NXP® Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung (News - Alert), Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.

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