SCYTL SECURE ELECTRONIC VOTING SA

Their core work

Scytl is a Barcelona-based technology SME specializing in secure electronic voting and digital democracy solutions. Their core business is building platforms for trustworthy digital participation — from accessible paper vote casting to cryptographically secured online elections. In H2020, they expanded into adjacent domains including cybersecurity for SMEs, post-quantum cryptography, and combating online misinformation, all connected by a common thread of digital trust and security. Their work bridges the gap between advanced cryptographic research and practical civic technology applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Scytl's H2020 participation spans a narrow window (2017–2018 project starts), making long-term evolution difficult to assess. Their earliest project (AccessVote, 2017) was tightly focused on their core voting technology, while the later projects (PROMETHEUS, Co-Inform, both 2018) show a deliberate expansion into foundational cryptography and societal resilience. This suggests a strategic move from applied voting technology toward the deeper security and trust infrastructure that underpins it.

Scytl was broadening from voting-specific technology toward general-purpose digital trust, post-quantum security, and information integrity — areas with growing demand across sectors.

How they like to work

Scytl primarily operates as a participant (3 of 4 projects), joining larger consortia rather than leading them. Their one coordination role was a small SME Instrument Phase 1 project (AccessVote), typical for SMEs testing their own product ideas. With 36 unique partners across 13 countries, they built a wide network quickly — indicating openness to diverse partnerships rather than reliance on a fixed set of collaborators.

Despite only four projects, Scytl connected with 36 partners across 13 countries, reflecting participation in mid-to-large consortia spanning much of Europe. Their network is broad rather than deep, built through diverse security and society-focused projects.

What sets them apart

Scytl occupies a rare niche at the intersection of cryptographic security and democratic participation technology — few European SMEs combine deep voting system expertise with research in post-quantum cryptography and misinformation resilience. Their name recognition in the e-voting space gives them credibility that pure research organizations lack. For consortium builders, they bring both a commercial product perspective and genuine cryptographic research capability to security and digital democracy projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PROMETHEUS
  Post-quantum cryptography research positions Scytl in one of the most strategically important areas of future cybersecurity, well ahead of mainstream adoption.
• SMESEC
  Scytl's largest funded project (EUR 301,530) and a multi-year effort addressing the critical gap in cybersecurity solutions tailored for small and medium enterprises.
• AccessVote
  Scytl's only coordinated project, directly commercializing their core e-voting expertise through the SME Instrument.