Veritas Extends Anti-Counterfeit Chip Beyond Fashion to Luxury Goods Across Categories
The authentication startup has released a second-generation chip that works on metal and glass surfaces, opening doors to verify jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles alongside apparel.
Luxury brands face mounting challenges from counterfeiters who have grown increasingly sophisticated at mimicking authentic goods and producing convincing fakes. Veritas, a startup founded by Luci Holland—a former Tesla technical product manager with expertise in design and art—is building hardware to combat this problem. The company's approach centers on embedding chips into products that enable verification of authenticity.
Holland explained that existing authentication methods fall short because they rely on digital records that can be easily duplicated through copied QR codes or static NFC links. She stated: "Our approach combines secure, authenticated chip responses with integration into the product itself. 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."
The startup has now unveiled its second-generation chip, which operates on metal surfaces and functions through glass barriers. According to Holland, "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. Alongside our garment integrations, this gives brands more ways to incorporate authentication directly into their products."
Veritas' chips are engineered to integrate seamlessly into products without causing damage. Through the company's mobile application, customers can access ownership certificates, while brands gain access to a portal for managing product records and designing owner experiences such as exclusive clubs, event access, and early product releases.
Recent Partnerships and Deployments
This week, Veritas announced a collaboration with ATHLOS, a women's track-and-field competition established by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. All 18 championship crowns will incorporate Veritas chips for authentication purposes. Additionally, the company embedded its technology into a reimagined pair of LeBron James' original Nike shoes created by artist Adam Port, allowing users to access the shoe's provenance and narrative through their phone.
Funding and Development
Veritas has secured $1.75 million in pre-seed funding, with Seven Seven Six—Ohanian's venture firm—leading the round. Other backers include DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, Gloria Zhu of skincare company Reys, and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine. Since completing its fundraise in February, the company has launched an iOS consumer application and a brand management portal.
The startup competed in this year's TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, with the winner announced Thursday afternoon.
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