Frequently Asked Questions

FeaturePrint, answered.

FeaturePrint® is Alitheon’s patented optical-AI technology that gives every physical object a unique digital identity read from a single photograph — no labels, barcodes, tags or modifications of any kind. This page answers the questions most often asked about how it works, how it compares to tags and machine learning, what it can and cannot do, how it deploys, and which compliance regimes it supports.

56 questions · Last updated 2026-09-17 · Alitheon, Inc., Bellevue, Washington

Accuracy
>99.9%, zero false positives
Patents
55+ issued, all in-house
Hardware needed
A standard camera
Founded
2017, Bellevue, WA

Alitheon and FeaturePrint: the basics

What is FeaturePrint?#

FeaturePrint is a technology from Alitheon that tells one physical object apart from every other object, using nothing but a photograph. Every manufactured item has a surface covered in tiny marks — texture, grain, small irregularities — that are unique to that one item, the way a fingerprint is unique to one person. FeaturePrint photographs those marks and turns them into a digital identity for that item. Nothing is added to the object: no label, no barcode, no tag, no chip, no engraving. Accuracy is better than 99.9%, with zero false positives.

Who is Alitheon?#

Alitheon is a technology company in Bellevue, Washington, started in 2017 by people with backgrounds in advanced mathematics and machine vision. It makes FeaturePrint, which identifies and verifies individual physical items from a photo. The company holds more than 55 issued patents and works with customers in aerospace, government and defense, healthcare, automotive, electronics, and luxury goods.

What does Alitheon do?#

Alitheon solves a simple problem: proving that the object in front of you is the exact object it is supposed to be. Its technology, FeaturePrint, does two jobs. It catches fakes — confirming a product is the genuine one that left the factory, not a counterfeit or a swap. And it tracks real things — following each individual item through its life, from the factory to wherever it ends up. Alitheon focuses on places where getting this wrong is expensive or dangerous.

How does FeaturePrint work?#

Three steps. Someone photographs the item once, with an ordinary camera or a phone. The software studies the microscopic pattern on the item's surface and saves it as a small digital file, under 500KB. Later, anyone can photograph the same item again and the software checks the new photo against the saved one. If it is the same object, it matches. If it is not, it fails. No training data, no special equipment, no changes to the item.

What does "Biometrics for Things" mean?#

It is Alitheon's phrase for what FeaturePrint does. Airports identify people by their fingerprints, because no two are the same and nobody can swap theirs. Manufactured objects have the same property: the surface of each one is slightly different from every other, formed by the process that made it. FeaturePrint reads that natural difference instead of attaching a serial number or a barcode to the item.

What is a "Root of Physical Trust"?#

In computer security, a root of trust is the one thing everything else depends on — get it right and the rest of your security can stand on it. Alitheon argues FeaturePrint plays that role for physical objects. Because the identity comes from the object itself rather than from a tag stuck on it, there is no label or chip that can be peeled off, copied or swapped to bring the whole system down.

What is "Zero Trust for Things"?#

In cybersecurity, Zero Trust means trusting nothing automatically and checking everything. Alitheon applies the same idea to physical parts: do not assume a component is genuine because it looks right or because the paperwork says so — check it. FeaturePrint makes that practical, because checking means taking a photo and takes seconds.

How many patents does Alitheon hold?#

More than 55 issued patents, covering how FeaturePrint identifies, authenticates and traces objects. Alitheon built all of it in-house — no university licenses, no open-source models, no third-party algorithms. For customers that means no hidden licensing costs and no risk of being caught up in someone else's patent dispute.

What industries does Alitheon serve?#

Six: aerospace, government and defense, healthcare, automotive, electronics and datacenters, and luxury goods. What these have in common is that a wrong or fake item causes real damage — a counterfeit brake part in an aircraft, a fake drug given to a patient, a grey-market chip inside a defense system.

Read more: What FeaturePrint is →

How it compares to other approaches

How is FeaturePrint different from barcodes and QR codes?#

A barcode or QR code is a sticker. It identifies whatever it happens to be stuck to, so it can be peeled off, damaged, moved onto a different item, or photocopied onto a fake. FeaturePrint adds nothing to the item and reads the item itself, so the identity cannot be separated from the object it belongs to. A counterfeit carrying a perfect copy of the genuine QR code still fails, because its surface is not the same surface.

How does FeaturePrint compare to RFID and NFC tags?#

RFID and NFC tags have to be bought, fitted and paid for on every single item, and they need readers installed wherever you want to check something. They can also be removed, cloned, or moved to a different object. FeaturePrint needs no tag and no reader — just a camera you already own — so there is no per-item cost and nothing to tamper with.

Is FeaturePrint better than holograms, security labels or authentication cards?#

Holograms, security labels and certificates of authenticity can all be copied or moved to a fake, and good counterfeits now come with convincing versions of all three. FeaturePrint makes the product itself the proof. Its own surface is recorded once at the factory and checked later from a phone photo. There is no label to copy, no certificate to forge and no hologram to fake.

How does FeaturePrint compare to laser etching, DataMatrix marking or physical serialization?#

Laser etching and DataMatrix codes cut or print a code into the part. That means buying marking equipment, altering the part, and living with the fact that a code can be ground off and a new one applied. FeaturePrint gives the item a permanent identity without touching it at all. This matters most where marking is not allowed, not practical, or would weaken the part — and where a re-marked part would otherwise sail through inspection.

How is FeaturePrint different from other machine-vision or AI recognition systems?#

Most machine-vision systems recognize what kind of thing something is. They can tell you that is a bearing. FeaturePrint tells you which bearing — this specific one, out of ten thousand identical ones. That is the difference that matters for catching fakes and tracking parts. FeaturePrint also needs no training data and works on a new object immediately, while machine-learning systems must be trained on each type of object first and still produce false positives.

Why not just use visual inspection, expert authenticators or approved-supplier lists?#

Good counterfeits now fool trained experts and pass visual inspection. An approved-supplier list tells you who you ordered from, not what actually turned up in the box. Alitheon's position is that no supplier list, visual check or X-ray reaches zero false positives. FeaturePrint checks the item itself, rather than its label, its paperwork or its supplier.

How does FeaturePrint compare to X-ray or electrical testing for counterfeit electronics?#

X-ray, electrical testing and destructive analysis are slow and expensive, and destructive testing destroys the part you were checking. FeaturePrint checks an electronic component from a single photo — no X-ray, no electrical test, nothing destroyed. It works on packaged chips, bare die and circuit board assemblies.

What can FeaturePrint do that tags and machine learning cannot?#

Against tags such as QR, RFID and NFC: nothing is added to the item, and there is nothing to remove or copy. Against machine learning: no training data is needed. Against both: FeaturePrint picks out the one specific item among many identical ones rather than just saying what type it is, and it does so with zero false positives.

Read more: Why FeaturePrint is better →

Accuracy, limits and real-world conditions

How accurate is FeaturePrint?#

FeaturePrint achieves greater than 99.9% accuracy with zero false positives. Zero false positives means the system never confirms a counterfeit or wrong item as genuine, so every authentication failure is a confirmed mismatch rather than a system error. In regulated and safety-critical settings that distinction is the difference between a supply chain alert and an incident.

What does "zero false positives" actually mean?#

A false positive would be the system declaring a counterfeit or incorrect item to be the genuine enrolled one. FeaturePrint is built so this does not occur: an item either matches its enrolled signature or it does not. For buyers, this means an authentication failure can be escalated as a confirmed problem rather than retested as a possible glitch.

Does FeaturePrint work on damaged, worn or dirty items?#

Yes. FeaturePrint is designed to work with the surface damage, contamination and wear that occur through normal use, handling and storage. The algorithm compensates for these surface changes while maintaining greater than 99.9% accuracy. This is what makes it usable in MRO workflows, depot storage and field conditions rather than only at the point of manufacture.

Can a FeaturePrint identity be copied, spoofed or transferred?#

The identity FeaturePrint reads is the object's own microscopic surface structure, formed during manufacture. Because nothing is added to the item, there is no tag, label, code or marking to remove, copy or move to another object. Alitheon describes FeaturePrint as tamper-proof by design: the identity is inherent to the item, so there is no proxy to attack.

What kinds of objects does FeaturePrint work on?#

FeaturePrint is object-agnostic and requires no training data, so it works on any object with a physical surface immediately. Documented applications span PCBAs and integrated circuits, aircraft structural parts, hydraulic components, avionics, vessel filters, engine and safety-critical automotive components, EV battery cells and modules, pharmaceutical packages, implantable medical devices, and luxury goods including watches, handbags, jewelry, sneakers, spirits and wine.

Does FeaturePrint need special cameras, lighting or scanners?#

No. FeaturePrint uses standard off-the-shelf cameras — a mobile phone or an ordinary industrial camera is sufficient. It requires no special lighting, no surface preparation and no dedicated scanner or reader hardware. This is a large part of why it deploys without new infrastructure.

Does FeaturePrint require training data or a model per product?#

No. FeaturePrint requires no training data and works on any object out of the box. This distinguishes it from vision-based machine-learning systems, which must be trained per object class before they can recognize anything, and it means a new part number or product line can be enrolled without a data collection project.

How large is a FeaturePrint signature?#

A FeaturePrint digital fingerprint is compact — no larger than 500KB per item. The signature, not the original photograph, is what is stored and matched against.

Read more: How it works →

Deployment and integration

What is required to deploy FeaturePrint?#

FeaturePrint requires no new hardware. It operates as a camera service and mobile application that overlays on current workflows, using standard smartphones or existing industrial cameras. Alitheon's stated design goal is zero operational friction: deployment with the cameras and processes an organization already has.

Does FeaturePrint integrate with ERP, PLM and supply chain systems?#

Yes. FeaturePrint integrates with existing ERP, PLM, MRO and supply chain systems through an API. Authentication events and results are logged directly into existing workflows, so FeaturePrint adds an authentication layer without replacing incumbent systems.

Does FeaturePrint integrate with defense logistics systems?#

Yes. FeaturePrint is designed to integrate into existing defense logistics and inventory processes without new hardware, operating as a camera service and mobile application over current workflows. It has been validated with US Army units including the 101st Airborne for readiness reporting and accountability from the small unit level to the Army enterprise.

Can FeaturePrint run on a manufacturing line at volume?#

Yes. FeaturePrint integrates with industrial camera systems on manufacturing lines for high-throughput authentication, and handles the scale, speed and lighting variation of electronics manufacturing environments. In automotive manufacturing it works with standard industrial cameras and requires no special lighting or surface preparation.

When and where is an item enrolled?#

An item is normally enrolled once, at the point of manufacture, by photographing it with a standard camera. From then on it can be verified at any downstream point — distribution, receiving, retail, service, resale, depot storage or end of life — by taking another photograph. Alitheon notes that even organizations that do not serialize their own products gain item-level identity this way, because FeaturePrint serializes them.

What record does FeaturePrint create?#

Every authentication event is timestamped and logged against the item's unique signature, building a chain of custody that can be verified at any lifecycle stage. Alitheon describes this as an immutable audit trail suitable for compliance purposes, including DFARS 252.246-7007, FAA AC 00-56B and AS9100 counterfeit part avoidance requirements.

Read more: Where FeaturePrint adds value →

Compliance and regulations

Does FeaturePrint support DFARS 252.246-7007 compliance?#

Yes. FeaturePrint supports DFARS 252.246-7007, the Contractor Counterfeit Electronic Part Detection and Avoidance System requirement, by providing photo-based authentication of electronic components before acceptance. Each authentication is logged and timestamped, producing records suitable for a compliance audit trail.

What is IUID, and does FeaturePrint support MIL-STD-130?#

IUID (Item Unique Identification) under MIL-STD-130 requires permanent unique identification of Department of Defense property, conventionally through physical marking. FeaturePrint provides no-touch serialization that supports IUID requirements without labels, etchings or markings, assigning each part a permanent unique digital identity that cannot be removed, damaged or transferred.

Does FeaturePrint support DSCSA compliance?#

Yes. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act mandates item-level traceability and serialization for pharmaceuticals. FeaturePrint assigns each drug package a permanent photographic identity at manufacture, verifiable at every downstream node from a standard camera, creating a chain-of-custody record with no barcodes or RFID required and detecting counterfeit or diverted product with zero false positives.

Does FeaturePrint support the EU Digital Product Passport?#

Yes. EU Digital Product Passport regulation requires manufacturers to attach persistent digital identity and lifecycle data to physical products, taking effect progressively from 2026. FeaturePrint serves as the physical anchor for DPP compliance: each item's own surface becomes its DPP identity, with no modification to the product, verifiable at any lifecycle stage from a standard smartphone. It applies to luxury goods, textiles, electronics, automotive components and EV batteries.

Does FeaturePrint support EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542?#

Yes. EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 mandates battery passports for EV batteries from 2026. FeaturePrint provides the physical identity anchor for each cell and module, enabling lifecycle traceability from manufacture through second-life repurposing and end-of-life recycling without any modification to the battery.

How does FeaturePrint relate to FDA UDI requirements?#

FDA UDI requirements mandate unique device identification across the medical device supply chain. FeaturePrint complements UDI labeling with physical authentication, confirming that the device in hand is the exact genuine enrolled item rather than a counterfeit or fraudulent substitute. The two work together: UDI identifies the model and lot, FeaturePrint verifies the individual item.

Does FeaturePrint support the EU Falsified Medicines Directive?#

Yes. FeaturePrint supports the EU Falsified Medicines Directive alongside DSCSA, FDA UDI and related pharmaceutical and device traceability regulations, creating a single authentication layer that spans multiple regulatory regimes rather than a separate system per jurisdiction.

Which aerospace standards does FeaturePrint support?#

FeaturePrint supports DFARS 252.246-7007, FAA AC 00-56B and AS9100 counterfeit part avoidance requirements. Every authentication creates a logged, timestamped record suitable for audit under these standards.

Read more: Government & Military →

Terms and concepts

What is optical AI?#

Optical AI means using a camera and software to pull information out of a picture of a real object. Alitheon's version does something specific with it. Rather than asking what is this?, it asks which one is this? The software maps the microscopic bumps and dips of an item's surface, rather like a contour map of a landscape, and turns that map into an identity belonging to that one item.

What is no-touch serialization?#

Serialisation normally means giving each item a serial number — stamping it, printing it, or sticking a label on. No-touch serialization means giving each item a unique identity without touching it at all. FeaturePrint does this by reading the surface the item already has. Because nothing was added, there is nothing to fall off, wear away, or be copied onto a fake.

What is item-level traceability, and how is it different from lot or batch tracking?#

Most tracking works by batch: you know a shipment came from a particular production run. Item-level traceability follows one specific item instead — this exact part, not one of the fifty thousand made that week. FeaturePrint tracks at that level across the item's whole life, from factory to distribution, use, repair and disposal, and it does it without any barcode system underneath.

How do you verify the provenance of a physical item?#

Provenance means knowing where something came from and whose hands it passed through. The usual proof is paperwork, and paperwork can be forged alongside the fake. FeaturePrint records the item's own surface at the start and logs every later check against that record, with a timestamp each time. Because the history is tied to the object rather than to a document, forging the document does not forge the history.

What is gray market diversion, and how is it detected?#

Grey-market diversion is genuine product sold where it was not supposed to be sold — wrong country, wrong retailer, wrong channel. It is hard to catch because the goods are real; the problem is which units went where, and batch tracking cannot answer that. FeaturePrint records each item's intended destination, so when a unit turns up somewhere it should not be, the check flags it and the leak can be traced back.

What are bogus parts?#

Bogus parts are parts that are counterfeit, not approved for use, or re-stamped to look like something they are not. In aviation they are a documented and deadly problem: one fake component in an engine, a hydraulic system or an avionics bay can bring an aircraft down. FeaturePrint catches them because the part's actual surface does not match the genuine part's record — no matter how convincing its markings or paperwork look.

What is AOG counterfeit prevention?#

AOG stands for Aircraft on Ground: an aircraft that cannot fly. It is one of the most expensive things that can happen to an airline, and counterfeit or unapproved parts are a known cause. Preventing it means checking a part before it is fitted, rather than finding out after something fails. FeaturePrint checks aircraft parts from a phone or handheld camera and confirms the part is the genuine one that was recorded, with better than 99.9% accuracy and zero false positives.

What is zero-trust hardware security?#

Zero-trust hardware security means not trusting any chip, board or part just because it looks right or came with the right paperwork — every one gets checked before it is used. FeaturePrint does the checking, by comparing each item against its recorded identity. As Alitheon puts the question to buyers: is your hardware as secure as your software?

Read more: What FeaturePrint is →

By industry

How is FeaturePrint used in aerospace?#

In aerospace, FeaturePrint is used for AOG counterfeit prevention, MRO parts authentication, PMA parts verification, bogus parts detection and inventory integrity. Parts are authenticated before installation from a standard camera, confirming provenance, service history and authenticity before a wrench turns. It works on PCBAs, structural parts, hydraulic components, avionics and vessel filters, and supports DFARS 252.246-7007, FAA AC 00-56B and AS9100 compliance. More on Aerospace →

How is FeaturePrint used in electronics and datacenters?#

FeaturePrint detects counterfeit ICs, microprocessors, memory chips and discrete components, works on packaged ICs, bare die and PCBAs, and requires no electrical testing or destructive analysis. In datacenters it verifies servers, storage and network components before rack installation, enabling zero-trust hardware verification at datacenter scale. It also flags gray market ICs — genuine parts sold outside their authorized channel, potentially expired or improperly stored. More on Electronics & Datacenters →

How is FeaturePrint used in healthcare?#

FeaturePrint authenticates anything that goes in or on the body: medical devices and capital equipment, pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, supplements and skin care. It supports DSCSA serialization, medical device UDI tracing, implant verification and sterile supply chain integrity. Implantable devices such as hip replacements, cardiac devices and spine implants can be verified from a photograph before implantation, confirming the device is genuine and carries the correct service and sterilization history. It has also been used to stop diversion of genuine skincare product and to catch expired stock relabeled with new dates. Zero false positives matters particularly here: every authentication failure is a confirmed counterfeit or unauthorized substitution rather than a system error. More on Healthcare →

How is FeaturePrint used in automotive?#

FeaturePrint is used for OEM parts authentication, gray market parts detection, warranty verification and EU Digital Product Passport compliance for EV batteries. Genuine OEM parts are enrolled at manufacture and authenticated at any downstream point — dealer, service center, aftermarket or end of life. For warranty claims, it verifies that the part being claimed is the exact genuine enrolled item rather than a counterfeit, a substitute, or a part from a different vehicle. More on Automotive →

How is FeaturePrint used for luxury goods and brand protection?#

FeaturePrint authenticates luxury items from a photograph at point of sale, at resale and anywhere in between, working on watches, handbags, jewelry, sneakers, spirits, wine and any luxury good with a physical surface. Because the item's own surface is the proof of authenticity, it replaces reliance on authentication cards, certificates and holograms, all of which can be replicated or transferred. It also serves as the physical anchor for EU Digital Product Passport compliance. More on Luxury Goods →

Read more: Industries we serve →

Working with Alitheon

Who uses FeaturePrint?#

FeaturePrint is used by manufacturers, OEMs, distributors, and marketplaces in several global industries including healthcare, transportation, luxury goods, collectibles, precious metals, computer and electronics, and more.

Has FeaturePrint received industry recognition?#

FeaturePrint was named Best Authentication Technology of 2026 by AI Breakthrough Awards, TIME Best Inventions 2023, Best Optical AI Solution 2023 award, and more.

How do I evaluate FeaturePrint for my organization?#

Alitheon asks prospective users to request a discussion with its specialists, who scope how FeaturePrint fits existing authentication, traceability and procurement workflows. Tests and trials of the technology are available, and the company can be reached at info@alitheon.com.

Where is Alitheon located?#

Alitheon is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States, and can be reached at info@alitheon.com.

Read more: About Alitheon →

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