Veritas expands anti-counterfeit chip to jewelry, trophies and fragrance bottles

Veritas is targeting counterfeits of luxury goods, a persistent problem for fashion houses as counterfeiters improve at replicating brand marks and passing off dupes known as “superfakes” as genuine items. The startup says its chip is designed to be easily inserted into products without damaging them. Brands can use it to verify whether a product is authentic, and customers can show a certificate of ownership through the company’s app, according to TechCrunch.

Holland said other approaches are easier to defeat because a digital record can be reproduced through a copied QR code or a static NFC link. “Our approach combines secure, authenticated chip responses with integration into the product itself,” she told TechCrunch. “Our chip generates a secure response with each tap and includes a tamper-detection wire. We make the connection between the object and its digital identity part of the proof.”

Holland told TechCrunch over email that the second version of the chip works on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass. “The next-generation chip is ready for production and supports a broader range of applications, including jewelry, trophies, hard-surface products, and glass objects such as fragrance bottles,” she said. “Alongside our garment integrations, this gives brands more ways to incorporate authentication directly into their products.”

Beyond the ATHLOS crowns, Veritas embedded a chip into 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, according to TechCrunch.

Veritas has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding led by Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six, with participation from 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 that lets companies manage product records and build owner experiences. Through the app and portal, brands can offer experiences such as clubs, event check-ins, and segmented early access to product drops.

Veritas competed in this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, which ran Tuesday through Thursday. A winner was announced Thursday afternoon, according to TechCrunch.