Veritas is introducing a tamper-detection authentication chip designed to be embedded into high-value objects without damaging them. The company was founded by Luci Holland, a former Tesla technical product manager with a background in design and art.
The problem: increasingly sophisticated “superfakes”
Counterfeiting of luxury goods is a growing issue for fashion houses: counterfeiters have improved at copying brand marks and creating “superfakes” that are hard to distinguish from originals. Veritas aims to address this by putting cryptographic authentication directly into products.
How it works and why it’s different
Veritas’s chip is intended for easy insertion into products. Rather than relying solely on a digital record—which can be duplicated by copying a QR code or a static NFC link—the chip generates a secure, authenticated response on each tap and includes a tamper-detection wire. According to Luci Holland, the physical connection between the object and its digital identity is part of the proof of authenticity.
Second-generation chip: works on metal and through glass
The company says it has released a second-generation chip that functions on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass. Luci Holland told TechCrunch by email that this next-generation chip is production-ready and expands possible uses to jewelry, trophies, hard-surface products, and glass items like fragrance bottles.
Applications and partnerships
Alongside garment integrations, the new capability lets brands embed authentication directly into a broader range of products. 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 ATHLOS championship crowns will include Veritas chips so they can be verified.
A demonstration case: LeBron James’s first Nike shoes
Veritas also embedded a chip into a reimagined pair of LeBron James’s first Nike shoes redesigned by artist Adam Port. Tapping a phone to the shoe displays its history and story.
Funding and product tools
Veritas has raised $1.75 million in pre-seed funding, led by Alexis Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six. Other participants in the round included DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang; Gloria Zhu, co-founder of skincare brand Reys; and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine.
Since its February fundraising, the company has shipped an iOS consumer app and a brand portal that lets companies manage product records and create owner experiences. Through these tools, brands can offer features such as clubs, event check-ins, and segmented early access to product drops.
Public debut at TechCrunch Disrupt
Veritas competed in the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, a competition that ran from Tuesday through Thursday; the winner was announced Thursday afternoon.
Summary
Veritas combines secure chip responses and a tamper-detection mechanism with mobile and brand-facing software to make product authentication part of the physical object. The second-generation chip’s ability to operate on metal and through glass broadens use cases to include jewelry, trophies, and perfume bottles, while the company’s app and portal enable brands to manage provenance and owner experiences.
