The crisis surrounding counterfeit goods presents a dual challenge. Luxury companies reportedly lose over $30 billion each year to fakes, while consumers navigating the thriving $210 billion second-hand market struggle to verify the genuineness of their purchases. Veritas aims to tackle both issues through an innovative solution that merges specialized hardware with advanced software.
The startup asserts that it has engineered a “hack-proof” chip that is invulnerable to tools like Flipper Zero, which can tamper with wireless systems. These chips are tied to digital certificates that authenticate the products they are embedded in.
Founder Luci Holland brings a unique blend of experience as both a technologist and an artist. Her diverse background includes working with various artistic forms, such as mixed media painting and metal sculpture, in addition to her tenure at Tesla as a technical product manager, and holding multiple roles in business development and product management within tech firms and venture capital.
Holland explained that, historically, luxury brands have relied on physical symbols or markings to verify authenticity. However, with the surging demand for high-end products, counterfeiters have adapted, producing remarkably convincing replicas, often referred to as “superfakes.”
During discussions with established luxury fashion houses, Holland discovered that some brands had ceased authenticating products due to the high quality of fakes, making reliable detection increasingly difficult. Drawing from her tech and artistic background, she formed the vision to address this challenge effectively.
“Having a design background combined with tech experience, I recognized the problem and envisioned various ways to tackle it. Our solution intertwines hardware and software seamlessly, offering superior protection for brands,” she remarked.
“Considering the legacy of iconic brands that have endured for over a century, they merit the finest security solutions to safeguard their unique designs,” she added.
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June 23, 2026
Veritas collaborated with various designers to create a chip that minimally disrupts the production process. Its small gem-like size allows for easy insertion after manufacturing without compromising product integrity. Featuring Near Field Communication (NFC) technology—similar to that used in contactless payment systems—the chip allows users to validate authenticity by tapping their smartphones on the item.
For security, Veritas developed a custom coil and bridge structure, rendering the chip inactive and masking product codes if tampering occurs. The software component links product information to Veritas’s backend, which monitors user interactions to thwart fraud attempts. Additionally, the company creates a blockchain-based digital counterpart for products, paving the way for potential engagement in digital art galleries or metaverse activities.
While the counterfeit market is significant, Holland emphasizes the need for educational initiatives to highlight the necessity for robust technological solutions.
“It’s surprising that some existing solutions, such as basic NFC chips, are so vulnerable and can easily be circumvented. This is a critical point many people overlook, and we aim to enlighten the ecosystem on the adoption of safer alternatives,” Holland stated.
Veritas has successfully secured $1.75 million in pre-seed funding led by Seven Seven Six, along with investors like DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, skincare brand Reys’ co-founder Gloria Zhu, and former editor Josh Constine. This funding will help expand its current team of two.
Alexis Ohanian from Seven Seven Six praised Holland’s blend of design acumen and technological expertise. He noted that brands are well aware of counterfeit challenges and are persistently seeking effective solutions.
“This is truly an arms race against counterfeiters, but we excel in innovation and technology—luxury brands need robust support to combat this issue,” Ohanian commented.
### Hustle Verdict
Our take is that Veritas’s innovative approach to combating counterfeiting by integrating technology with product authentication could be a game-changer for the luxury industry. We believe this solution not only enhances brand security but also sets a new standard for transparency and trust in the high-value goods market. The bottom line is that as counterfeiting becomes increasingly sophisticated, the demand for such advanced protective measures will only escalate, shaping future trends in product authentication.
