U of A startup breaks decades-long vendor lock-in with new mobile credentialing platform

The University of Arizona startup FutureState is modernizing mobile ID systems and reducing dependence on proprietary vendors, transforming how universities manage student and staff credentials.

The market for technologies that support student identity, credentials and security at higher education institutions, known as “one-card” providers, is complex and crowded. The company’s platform, developed by cofounders Joe Harting and Chris Augustine through their work in University Information Technology Services, aims to remove long-standing barriers that have limited competition and slowed progress in the mobile credential space.

The problem: longstanding vendor lock-in

For years, Harting and Augustine witnessed the same problem across higher education campuses nationwide – as mobile ID solutions have evolved, universities have been locked into single-vendor ecosystems. If a university wanted to adopt a mobile strategy, they had to go through the one-card provider they rely on for meal plans, access control, payments and a range of essential student services. These vendors supply proprietary hardware at steep markups while sitting at the center of every integration, making it difficult and costly for institutions to switch providers or adopt new technologies. 

“Universities should be free to choose the innovations they want and the pricing that makes sense for them, independently,” Harting said. “That is the model we proved works, and it is the model we want to empower every campus to adopt.”

Building a new approach: the U of A pilot

The breakthrough came when Harting and Augustine led a U of A effort to pilot the next generation of mobile ID technology. The project required identifying every use case for the campus ID and rethinking how credentials worked across dozens of systems. Augustine completed a full use-case assessment, budget proposal and technical plan, which allowed the team to secure approval to move forward.

From there, they built something no university had created before. Rather than relying on a one-card provider to run mobile ID services, they created an integration platform that allowed the university to select the mobile credential provider best suited to the needs of campus, placing the university at the center of the architecture instead of an external source. Their system enabled real-time updates across all connected services any time a credential changes, closing security gaps and reducing manual processes from days to minutes and seconds. It also included an administrative front end, allowing staff to troubleshoot issues instantly to improve response times and the student experience.

“By taking control of all the integrations that depend on the campus ID, including with mobile credentials, we can easily switch one-card providers if they raise prices too much or don’t meet our performance expectations,” Harting said. “This flips the script. Instead of being held hostage because we are so entrenched using our one-card provider for everything, we can easily pivot. This increases accountability and shifts the balance of power back to the university.”

Early interest from other universities

After presenting their work at the Identity and Access Management and Security Summit in June 2025, they immediately saw interest from other institutions. 

“The first question we received was whether the system could be licensed,” Augustine remembered.

At that time, Harting and Augustine had not considered starting a company. When they returned to campus, they brought the idea to Tech Launch Arizona, the office of the university that commercializes inventions stemming from research and innovation, and met with Licensing Manager Lewis Humphreys to begin exploring commercial options. 

The team has since given multiple presentations on campuses across the country and entered into conversations with nearly a dozen universities. They met with investors, receiving an early acquisition offer before the company was even formed, which they turned down in favor of staying true to their vision and moving the startup forward themselves.

The FutureState offering

FutureState’s values center on providing universities with control over their credential ecosystems. The company’s primary product, CardSync, allows institutions to integrate with any system that consumes campus credentials, adopt mobile ID technology and change one-card providers without rebuilding infrastructure. By removing the bottleneck created by proprietary systems, the platform opens the market to competition and makes it easier for universities to innovate.

The administrative front end of the system, CardPulse, surfaces issues instantly, applies person-level exceptions, populates new systems, and provides real-time metrics and reporting. Campus teams are given the data and control they need to keep everything running smoothly.

“We wanted to put universities back in the driver seat,” Harting said. “There should be more than one path forward, and institutions should not be stuck with solutions that no longer fit their needs.”

Next steps for the startup

The team is focused on onboarding its first pilot customers and advancing additional products that complement their core integration platform. Their goal is to bring on at least three universities in their first year, and they are preparing for broader growth. Their roadmap includes continued refinement of the platform along with expansion into related technologies that improve how universities manage credentials and student services.

For Augustine, who is passionate about detail and elegant design, the opportunity to modernize long-outdated systems is a driving force. “University technology does not have to look and feel 20 years old,” he said. “If we can build tools that are intuitive and modern, and make people say this is what it should have been all along, then we are doing something right.”

Tech Launch Arizona as a driving partner

Looking back on their early progress, the cofounders credit TLA for the support that helped them move from an internal project to a commercial venture. Through licensing guidance, mentorship from the Venture Development team and access to campus resources, they said the process moved faster and more smoothly than they expected.

“We talk to other universities that want to do the same thing, but they do not have anything like Tech Launch Arizona,” Harting said. “The support and expertise here have made all the difference.”

FutureState joins a growing portfolio of over 150 startups launched through TLA, reflecting the U of A’s commitment to bringing impactful innovations to the world.