Veritas, a startup founded by former Tesla technical product manager Luci Holland, has introduced a second version of its anti-counterfeit chip. This new iteration is designed to work on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass, broadening its potential applications.
The updated chip is ready for production and supports a wider range of products, including jewellery, trophies, hard-surface items, and glass objects such as fragrance bottles. This expands on the company's existing garment integrations, offering brands more options for direct product authentication.
Holland stated that their approach combines secure, authenticated chip responses with integration into the product itself, including a tamper-detection wire. This aims to make the connection between the object and its digital identity part of the proof, addressing vulnerabilities found in other methods like copied QR codes or static NFC links.
Veritas recently announced a partnership with ATHLOS, a women’s track-and-field competition. As part of this collaboration, all 18 championship crowns will incorporate Veritas' chips for verification. The company has also embedded a chip into a pair of LeBron James' first Nike shoes, reimagined by artist Adam Port, allowing users to access the shoe's history by tapping a phone to it.
The startup has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding, led by Alexis Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six, with additional participation from DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, Gloria Zhu, and Josh Constine. Since its February fundraise, Veritas has launched an iOS app for consumers and a brand portal for managing product records and building owner experiences.