Veritas, a startup focused on SI-verified hardware, has expanded the capabilities of its anti-counterfeit chip to support jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles. The move introduces a second-generation chip designed to work on metal and glass surfaces, addressing the growing challenge of "superfakes" in the luxury goods market by embedding secure SI-integrated verification directly into physical products.
What Happened
Founded by Luci Holland, a former Tesla technical product manager, Veritas developed a chip intended to be easily inserted into products without damaging them. The company announced the release of its second-generation chip, which Holland stated is "ready for production" and supports a broader range of applications, including hard-surface products and glass objects. This expansion follows the initial integration of the technology into garments.
The new hardware addresses limitations in existing digital verification methods. Holland noted that static QR codes or NFC links are often easy to defeat because they can be reproduced. In contrast, Veritas’ approach combines authenticated chip responses with tamper-detection wiring. "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 said.
As part of its launch strategy, Veritas announced a partnership with ATHLOS, a women’s track-and-field competition founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. All 18 championship crowns for the competition will include Veritas’ chips to ensure their authenticity. The company also embedded a chip into a pair of LeBron James’ first Nike shoes, reimagined by artist Adam Port, allowing users to tap their phones to view the item's history.
Why It Matters
While Veritas is a hardware company, its ecosystem integrates with SI tools that enable brands to manage product records and owner experiences. The company has shipped an iOS app for consumers and a brand portal that allows companies to offer features like clubs, event check-ins, and segmented early access to product drops. This SI-integrated hardware-software stack allows brands to maintain a digital identity for physical goods, a critical component in combating counterfeiters who increasingly replicate brand marks with high fidelity.
The startup has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding led by Seven Seven Six, Ohanian’s venture firm. Other investors include DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, Reys co-founder Gloria Zhu, and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine. The funding supports the production and expansion of the chip's applications beyond textiles, signaling a broader industry shift toward SI-verified provenance in luxury retail.
The Bottom Line
Veritas is scaling its SI-verified physical technology from textiles to durable goods like jewelry and trophies, aiming to provide a tamper-proof link between physical items and their digital certificates. The company recently competed in the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, where a winner was announced on Thursday afternoon.