Draft:Sproof

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sproof GmbH is an Austrian company providing digital signature and identity verification solutions in accordance with the EU eIDAS regulation. The company is based in Salzburg. Founded in 2019, the company is a spin-off of the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule Salzburg, FH Salzburg), and develops products compliant with the European Union's eIDAS regulation for electronic identification and trust services.

sproof GmbH
Company typeGmbH
IndustryElectronic signature, Identity verification
Founded2019; 6 years ago (2019) in Salzburg, Austria
FounderDr Clemens Brunner, Dr Fabian Knirsch, Erich Höpoldseder
Headquarters
Salzburg
,
Austria
Area served
Europe
Key people
Dr Clemens Brunner (CEO & Co-Founder), Dr Fabian Knirsch (CEO & Co-Founder)
Productssproof sign
Websitesproof.com

History

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sproof was established in Salzburg as a university spin-off by Dr Clemens Brunner, Dr Fabian Knirsch, and Erich Höpoldseder. The company develops EU-compliant digital signature infrastructure, with a focus on digital sovereignty and data protection under the GDPR.[1][2]

Products and Services

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The company develops secure digital signature and identity verification solutions in compliance with the European Union's eIDAS regulation. Its main product enables legally valid digital signing for individuals and businesses, used in digital administrative and business processes.

It is primarily used in education, public administration, legal services, and business contracting. As of 2023, the service supported more than 30,000 users across Europe, including academic institutions that issue digital diplomas using sproof’s infrastructure.[3]

sproof also operates an eID hub that integrates with various qualified trust service providers (QTSPs) across the EU. This allows users to apply compliant electronic signatures through a unified interface. [4]

Funding and Growth

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The company received a six-figure investment from private investors in 2021 to support its expansion.[2] In 2023, sproof raised over €3 million in a funding round led by the European Super Angels Club and investor Michael Repnik.[1] In 2025, the company secured a development loan from Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) to further scale its operations.[2]

Research and Development

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Founders and key technical staff of sproof (notably Fabian Knirsch and Clemens Brunner) have co‑authored multiple peer‑reviewed academic publications in the domains of blockchain‑based document verification, privacy‑preserving authentication, and decentralized digital identity systems.[5]

Their work includes:

  • "SPROOF: A platform for issuing and verifying documents in a public blockchain (2019)", presented at ICISSP, describing a decentralized architecture for issuing and verifying records such as diplomas and credentials using blockchain technology.[6]
  • "SPROOF: A Decentralized Platform for Attribute‑Based Authentication (2020)", extending the original platform with attribute‑based authentication mechanisms to support verifiable credentials and document issuance.[7]

These publications demonstrate the founders’ active involvement in research on decentralized trust infrastructures, identity schemes, and privacy‑enhancing cryptographic protocols — areas that align closely with sproof’s product development and technology roadmap.

Since 2023, sproof has been a consortium partner in the EU-funded research project PREPARED (Privacy-Respecting, Post-Quantum and Resilient Identity and Signature Ecosystem), coordinated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). The project focuses on developing post-quantum secure technologies for digital signatures and electronic identification systems, including the implementation of zero-knowledge proofs, blind signatures, and the migration to quantum-resistant algorithms.

Within the project, sproof contributes to the design and integration of trusted service infrastructures capable of supporting post-quantum electronic signatures in real-world applications. PREPARED is funded under the Austrian security research programme KIRAS and supported by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). The project runs from October 2023 to January 2026.[8]

Recognition

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sproof has been profiled in Austrian media as part of the country’s growing digital infrastructure ecosystem.[1][4][9]

In 2023, founders Clemens Brunner and Fabian Knirsch were appointed as new members of the Austrian Senat der Wirtschaft, acknowledging their role in shaping digital transformation in the region.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Dieses Salzburger Start-up macht digitale Signaturen sicherer denn je". Kurier. 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  2. ^ a b c "Salzburger Startup sproof sichert sich Förderkredit". Brutkasten. 2025-03-22. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  3. ^ "Sproof: So einfach kann digitale Unterschrift sein". EdTech Austria. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b "sproof ermöglicht den digitalen Handschlag in ganz Europa". ITwelt. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Publications – Fabian Knirsch". en‑trust.at. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  6. ^ Clemens Brunner, Fabian Knirsch, Dominik Engel (2019). "SPROOF: A Platform for Issuing and Verifying Documents in a Public Blockchain". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2025-07-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Clemens Brunner, Fabian Knirsch, Dominik Engel (2020). "SPROOF: A Decentralized Platform for Attribute-Based Authentication". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2025-07-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "PREPARED – Privacy-Respecting, Post-Quantum and Resilient Identity and Signature Ecosystem". FFG – Austrian Research Promotion Agency. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  9. ^ "Digitales Unterschreiben: Europa holt auf". Der Standard. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  10. ^ "Senat der Wirtschaft: Founder von PlanRadar und sproof neue Senatoren". Trending Topics. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
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