Veritas launches tamper-resistant authentication chip for luxury goods and trophies
The startup’s second-generation verification chip now supports metal and glass products, addressing the rise of sophisticated counterfeit luxury items.
Key points
- Veritas has released a second-generation authentication chip that works on metal surfaces and through glass, expanding its use beyond garments.
- The startup partnered with ATHLOS to embed verification chips in all 18 championship crowns for the women’s track-and-field competition.
- Founded by former Tesla product manager Luci Holland, Veritas has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Veritas, a startup focused on combating luxury goods counterfeiting, has introduced a second version of its physical authentication chip. According to TechCrunch, this new hardware supports a broader range of applications, including jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles, allowing brands to verify products more effectively.
The latest chip update is designed to work on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass, according to founder Luci Holland. This capability expands the company’s previous focus on garment integrations, giving manufacturers more options to incorporate authentication directly into their products without damaging them.
Evolution of verification technology
Holland told TechCrunch that traditional digital records are easier to defeat because QR codes or static NFC links can be copied. Veritas’ approach combines secure, authenticated chip responses with direct integration into the product itself. The chip generates a unique secure response with each tap and includes a tamper-detection wire to ensure integrity.
This design makes the connection between the physical object and its digital identity part of the proof, Holland said. The next-generation chip is described as ready for production, aiming to tackle the growing problem of “superfakes” that counterfeiters create by replicating brand marks with high precision.
Partnerships and funding
The startup 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 awarded in the competition will include Veritas chips, allowing the trophies to be verified for authenticity through the company’s system.
Veritas has also embedded a chip into a pair of LeBron James’ first Nike shoes, which were reimagined by artist Adam Port. Tapping a smartphone to the shoe displays its history and story, demonstrating the chip’s ability to link physical items to digital narratives beyond simple authentication.
Since raising $1.75 million in pre-seed funding in February, led by Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, Veritas has shipped an iOS app for consumers. The company also launched a brand portal that allows companies to manage product records and build owner experiences, with additional investors including DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine.
What should you do?
Brands looking to protect their intellectual property from sophisticated counterfeiting should evaluate physical authentication technologies that integrate directly into products. Companies should assess whether their manufacturing processes can accommodate embedded chips or tamper-detection mechanisms without compromising product design or quality.
Businesses should also review their current digital verification methods, such as QR codes or static NFC tags, for vulnerabilities related to replication or cloning. Organizations should consider how linking physical items to secure digital identities can enhance customer trust and provide verifiable proof of ownership.
What to do and how to stay safe: Veritas
- Evaluate current product authentication methods for vulnerabilities to replication or cloning, such as static QR codes.
- Assess manufacturing processes to determine if physical authentication chips can be integrated without damaging goods.
- Review digital identity linkage strategies to ensure secure, tamper-evident connections between products and ownership records.
- Monitor emerging authentication technologies that offer tamper detection and unique secure responses for high-value items.
Step-by-step guide: Mobile Device Security: How to Protect Data Beyond Passwords
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How does Veritas' chip differ from standard NFC tags?
Veritas’ chip combines secure, authenticated responses with a tamper-detection wire, making it harder to defeat than static NFC links or copied QR codes.
What products can the new Veritas chip authenticate?
The second-generation chip supports jewelry, trophies, hard-surface products, and glass objects like fragrance bottles, in addition to garments.
Who founded Veritas and how much funding has it raised?
Veritas was founded by Luci Holland and has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six.
