Thales, G+D, IDEMIA and Valid have emerged as ‘Pacesetters’ in Counterpoint Research’s Global eSIM Provisioning Competitive Ranking and Evaluation (CORE) for 2026, according to its latest Global eSIM Provisioning Landscape Report.

Commenting on the eSIM provisioning rankings and competitive landscape, Senior Analyst Varun Gupta said, “In 2025, eSIM Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) platforms recorded around 1.4x growth in transaction volumes across consumer and IoT deployments, largely driven by the rapid expansion of travel eSIM services. Some vendors reported significantly high growth, even doubling their transactions, highlighting accelerating consumer awareness and adoption of travel eSIM offerings. The expansion of eSIM-only smartphone portfolios, including broader geographic availability of eSIM-only models from Apple, further contributed to transaction growth in the latter half of the year. At the ecosystem level, nearly half of the vendors ranked in the CORE assessment now report certified eSIM IoT Manager (eIM) capabilities, while over half are conducting pilots or early-stage deployments. This indicates that SGP.32-based provisioning is transitioning from roadmap positioning to early commercialization, laying the foundation for the next phase of eSIM ecosystem expansion.”

Global eSIM Provisioning Landscape, 2026

Commenting on the research findings, Research Director Mohit Agrawal said, “Thales, G+D and IDEMIA have once again emerged as Pacesetters in the eSIM provisioning rankings, maintaining their top-tier positioning for the sixth consecutive year. Thales secured the highest overall placement with its well-rounded platform capabilities across consumer and IoT provisioning. G+D demonstrated strong execution momentum, narrowly leading in live deployments and transaction volumes.”

Agarwal further said, “Valid emerged as a Pacesetter for the first time, supported by strengthened platform capabilities, particularly across SGP.32-based offerings, and improved market execution. IDEMIA stood out for its early traction in live IoT SGP.32-based deployments, reinforcing its strength in next-generation eSIM provisioning.”

Trasna, Eastcompeace, RedTea Mobile, Kigen, 1GLOBAL, Tata Communications and 10T Tech are positioned in the Leaders quadrant in the latest eSIM provisioning rankings. These vendors demonstrated consistent transaction growth and expanding market presence, supported by steady platform enhancements. 10T Tech advanced into the Leaders quadrant following a notable improvement in execution metrics, while Eastcompeace recorded one of the strongest year-on-year increases in deployment activity. Kigen continues to differentiate through a highly capable platform, with strengths that approach the upper tier in capability metrics.

Monty Mobile, Watchdata and HCLTech progressed from the Niche to the Challengers quadrant in this year’s CORE rankings, driven primarily by strengthened platform capabilities across architecture, security and interoperability dimensions. Within the Challengers segment, Monty Mobile also recorded notable growth in deployments and transaction volumes, reinforcing its execution momentum. 1oT and Simartis demonstrated notable advancement in capability metrics, narrowing the gap with Leaders. Achelos, Invigo and Nordic eSIM retained their positioning within the Niche quadrant, reflecting focused business models.

Companies placed in the Niche category typically operate with focused regional strategies or specialized service models, addressing specific segments of the eSIM provisioning value chain rather than competing across the full-stack spectrum.

Overall, the rankings reflect a market that continues to expand in scale and sophistication, with differentiation increasingly shaped by platform depth, execution strength and ecosystem integration rather than certification alone.

Background on capability and execution parameters

We have analysed and evaluated key eSIM Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) vendors using our proprietary CORE framework, which maps participants based on their platform capabilities and market execution strength. Capability assessment covers technical depth across GSMA-certified components, eIM and SGP.32 readiness, platform architecture and automation maturity, security, interoperability breadth, deployment flexibility and profile customisation frameworks. Execution assessment measures commercial traction, including live deployments, transaction volumes, customer scale, and geographic footprint. Together, these parameters provide a structured view of both technological maturity and operational scale within the rapidly evolving eSIM provisioning ecosystem.

About Counterpoint Research

Counterpoint Research is a global market research firm specializing in products across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of clients – from smartphone OEMs to chipmakers and channel players to Big Tech – through our offices located in the world's major innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers. Our analyst team, led by seasoned experts, engages with stakeholders across the enterprise – from the C-suite to professionals in strategy, analyst relations (AR), market intelligence (MI), business intelligence (BI), product and marketing – to deliver services spanning market data, industry thought leadership and consulting. Our core areas of coverage include AI, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks and Infrastructure, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables. Visit our Insights page to explore our publicly available market data, insights and thought leadership, and to understand our focus, meet our analysts and start a conversation.

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