Veritas is expanding the kinds of products its anti-counterfeit chip can be used in. The startup says its second-generation chip works on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass, opening up applications in jewelry, trophies and fragrance bottles alongside clothing.
Connecting an object to its digital record
Veritas was founded by Luci Holland, a former Tesla technical product manager with a background in design and art. Its chip is designed to be added to products without damaging them. Brands can use it to check whether an item is genuine, while customers can use the company’s app to show a certificate of ownership.
That connection between the physical item and a digital record is central to the company’s approach. Holland said that some other methods can be defeated by copying a QR code or a static NFC link, which may let a duplicate point to the same digital information as an authentic product.
Veritas says its chip responds securely to each tap and includes a tamper-detection wire. Holland described the product’s construction as part of the proof: the digital identity is tied to the object itself, rather than relying only on a link that could be copied.
A wider range of products
The second version of the chip is ready for production, according to Holland. Its ability to work on metal and be read through glass adds product types that can be difficult to accommodate with an authentication tool intended for garments.
Veritas says the expanded applications include jewelry, trophies, hard-surface products and glass objects such as fragrance bottles. The company sees these as additions to its garment integrations, giving brands more ways to embed authentication into the products they sell or award.
The announcement points to a broader use for product authentication than checking whether clothing is genuine. A product’s digital identity can also provide a way to connect the item with its history, ownership and associated brand experiences.
From championship crowns to a pair of shoes
This week, Veritas announced a partnership with ATHLOS, a women’s track-and-field competition founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who is also an investor in Veritas. All 18 championship crowns in the partnership will include the company’s chips so they can be verified.
The company has also embedded a chip in a pair of LeBron James’ first Nike shoes, reimagined by artist Adam Port. Tapping a phone to the shoe brings up its history and story, illustrating how authentication can lead to an experience around a particular object.
Those examples show two ways brands and organizations could use the technology: to verify a significant item and to give someone information connected to it. The source does not describe how widely these uses will be adopted, but the new chip’s material compatibility gives Veritas more product categories to pursue.
Building tools for brands and owners
Veritas has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding, led by Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six. Participants included DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, Gloria Zhu, co-founder of skincare brand Reys, and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine.
Since its February fundraise, the company has shipped an iOS app for consumers and a brand portal. Companies can use the portal to manage product records and create experiences for owners. These include clubs, event check-ins and segmented early access to product drops.
The chip is therefore part of a larger system: a physical product carries the authentication technology, while the app and portal give consumers and brands ways to interact with its digital record. Veritas’s expansion into jewelry, trophies and glass products broadens where that system might be used.