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Thwarting counterfeit electronics is tough and requires scale
Counterfeit electronics are at best an annoyance to consumers and, at worst, a threat to national security.
Whether it’s an outright fake or a gray market device, the prevalence of counterfeit electronics is fueled by demand that’s not being met by the available supply, Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, said in an interview with Fierce Electronics.
“Everything is becoming computerized,” he said, whether it’s cars, day to day devices or systems being used by the US Department of Defense. And when there’s a high demand that’s not being fully met, there’s more room for outright counterfeit chips, as well as gray market items, which might be a genuine chip that’s packaged as new when it has in fact been used somewhere else for several years, Ganzarski said. Although it’s a real chip, it may not perform as expected or required. “It doesn't have the reliability or the warranty and who knows what else is wrong.”
Some businesses utilizing artificial intelligence technology to identify counterfeit drugs
Counterfeit drugs are killing Americans and some companies are turning to technology for help. Specifically, artificial intelligence.
"When you can identify every item irrefutably, you can make sure that counterfeit items don’t come in," said Alitheon CEO Roei Ganzarski.
Alitheon has a smartphone app that can validate over-the-counter drugs by taking a picture of the packaging and verifying which pharmaceutical company produced them.
Fake Plane Parts Scandal Shows Peril of Antiquated Paper System
“The regulatory system allows things like AOG Technics to happen... Everybody checked the boxes, checked all the paperwork. And this still happens.”
After falsified records for spare aircraft parts set off a frantic global search for suspect pieces, the aviation industry now faces another daunting task: adapting the archaic paperwork for 100 million components to the digital age.
Since the middle of the year, maintenance shops and aerospace manufacturers have found thousands of engine parts with falsified records linked to a distributor called AOG Technics Ltd. Airlines from China to the US and Europe have had to pull planes from service and extract the dubious components, leaving jets grounded and racking up millions of dollars in costs.
Solving the Global Multi Trillion Dollar Problem of Counterfeit Goods
The problem of counterfeit products in the supply chain is an ever-growing threat. Logistics Management reported that counterfeiting is a trillion dollar issue and it is becoming increasingly harder to differentiate the fakes from the real thing.
“Counterfeiting is a year-round occurrence and a growing problem,” says Roei Ganzarski, CEO at Alitheon. “The holidays magnify this issue as there is more shopping activity that happens in a short period of time. On top of that, many shoppers are now shopping online only, making it much easier for fake items to infiltrate the supply chain and put consumers at risk.”
Ganzarski also mentions that even right after the holidays are over, returns become a huge activity — and return fraud is another growing problem.
As more pharmacies close, criminals sell fake pills online: ‘Significant health risks’
Walgreens and CVS have also shuttered some locations, creating so-called "pharmacy deserts" where people can’t physically buy their essential medicines. This has created a "breeding ground" for counterfeit pills, expired prescriptions and laced medicine, according to Roei Ganzarski, CEO of the Washington-based company Alitheon, which provides technology for counterfeit identification and traceability.
Aviation passengers are at risk — the industry needs to move quickly to deploy the right technologies to keep supply chains secure.
Forged paperwork was at the heart of a scandal outlined by Bloomberg News in September, where second-hand and knock-off nuts, bolts and turbine blades were sold for installation in jet engines made by Safran SA and General Electric Co. The discovery sent the industry rushing to identify more bogus parts, but the process is cumbersome and manual. This recent event is similar to a series of cases uncovered by a US Senate committee more than a decade ago that found numerous instances of fake chips being put into military aircraft.
By taking a photo of a piece — from a miniature screw to an engine cowling — startups such as Bellevue, Washington-based Alitheon Inc. can tell staff whether it’s on a list of genuine items. The system goes beyond basic image recognition, and is more akin to taking a human fingerprint.
Alitheon's FeaturePrint® Named Among TIME Best Inventions of 2023
Every year for over two decades, TIME editors have highlighted the most impactful new products and ideas in TIME’s Best Inventions issue. To compile this year's list, we solicited nominations from TIME’s editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process, paying special attention to growing fields—such as AI, green energy, and sustainability. We then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.
The result is a list of 200 groundbreaking inventions (and 50 special mention inventions)—including the world’s most powerful supercomputer, a game-changing entertainment venue, and a new shape—that are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.
What’s McGruff The Crime Dog Up To In 2023?
In 2023, Gase teamed up with McGruff again as a newly elected board member for the NCPC. Together, McGruff and Gase partnered with Alitheon, a company known for using optical AI to help identify and protect against counterfeit parts. Counterfeit and gray market parts impact major automotive companies like Mercedes-Benz. They also serve as an immense public safety risk in the world of EV manufacturing where a fake battery can be very dangerous.
UAW strike could tangle supply chains across North America
If the strike expands to additional auto plants, additional supply chain impacts could include a rise in “grey market” trade in fake parts, according to Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, which provides technology for counterfeit identification and traceability. “A massive walkout will have ripple effects on a global scale,” Ganzarski said in an email. “A halt in production will have direct economic impacts for the workers, the Big 3 and the local economies these car businesses drive, but the hidden risks – like counterfeit parts that will undoubtedly flood the auto parts market – come at even greater costs. Shortages make people source parts wherever they can buy them, but inauthentic parts risk human safety. Car owners should be on high alert.”
Startup profile: Alitheon
Alitheon has developed a technology for the authentication, identification and traceability of parts and products.
Alitheon uses images to create unique digital fingerprints for item identification, combating counterfeiting and misidentification without the need for QR codes or NFC tags.
It is addressing the global $3 trillion counterfeit problem, aiming to ensure product authenticity, transparent supply chains and ethical business practices.
The grey markets contribute to societal inequalities through detrimental employment practices, including child and slave labour, human rights violations and unfavourable working conditions.
2 Startups Tackle Counterfeits, Including TI Chips.
Alitheon is tackling the problem of counterfeit chips in the electronics supply chain.
Alitheon “fingerprints” manufactured items by taking a picture of each one, including its distinguishing characteristics, as it rolls off an assembly line.
“I can serialize, and just like with people, if I fingerprint items, I can say which item it is. I can say something is fake because clearly it isn’t fingerprinted,” Ganzarski said.
The company examines up to 5,000 points of interest on a product compared with the 11 points of interest used to identify a human fingerprint. “FeaturePrints” can be used to trace each item as it goes through a supply chain, he said. Rather than using an AI methodology to identify chips, the company employs discrete mathematics.
Unmasking the Shadows - a Teach Leaders Unplugged podcast with Roei Ganzarski
Learn about the secrets behind optical-AI's prowess in eradicating counterfeits and gray markets in our live video podcast interview on August 15th, when host Wade Erickson engages in an enlightening conversation with Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon. Discover cutting-edge technology that reshapes authenticity and trust in a world rife with deception. Whether you're an expert or curious about AI-driven optical authentication, this interview provides astounding insights.
Optical AI Solution Identifies and Authenticates Goods
The solution is aimed at preventing fraud or other illegal activity related to high value goods from precious metals to luxury goods or critical tools and equipment, says Roei Ganzarski, Alitheon’s CEO.
Alitheon has been aiming to address challenges that have resulted from, in part, the changing environment of retail sales. As shopping takes place increasingly online, with distributed supply chains, the potential for fraud, errors, or losses increases. One example is gray market sales when legitimate goods are sold through unauthorized channels, which leads to loss of revenue and integrity for the manufacturer or brand. In some cases, it can also be a safety risk, for example, if a medicine has expired and is being resold. Beyond gray market and counterfeit goods, however, is the problem of supply chain, says Ganzarski. “People want to know: ‘Where are my items? Where have they been?’”
How To Improve Inventory Management In The Aerospace And Defense Industries
Inventory management and control are important in any industry no matter what the item is—be it nuts and bolts, luxury watches, gold bars or aircraft parts. Knowing what you have and where you have it is a critical aspect of operations. In aerospace and defense, this is especially important when it comes to mission assurance. Ensuring smooth, safe and effective operations is key. Cost efficiency is, of course, an element that is important as well and is directly impacted by the operation at hand.
Peer Ledger, Alitheon partner for supply chain traceability
The Canada-based responsible supply chain company Peer Ledger has integrated the optical AI technology company Alitheon's FeaturePrint technology into its patented MIMOSI Connect platform.
The combined solution will provide seamless no-touch authenticity verification and traceability for many types of industrial and consumer products along the chain of custody, ensuring their integrity.
MIMOSI Connect is a comprehensive Digital Product Passport platform using the cloud, blockchain, AI, GPS and IoT technologies.
Peer Ledger explains that its technology gives companies a trusted, permanent record of validated transactions, documents and ESG metrics across the entire supply chain to support responsible sourcing and due diligence.
Conversation with Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon: $30 Million Raised to Help Organizations Trace the Untraceable
In today’s episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, a company that builds solutions for authentication, identification, and traceability of parts, products and people, about how counterfeiting and piracy have emerged as a global challenge for businesses across almost every sector, and the new tools needed in the fight against them. By protecting their client’s products from black market competition, as well as detecting and tracking down costly fakes, Alitheon makes sure that authenticity is rewarded, the way things should be.
As more fleets move toward electrification, fleet operators face many challenges — from purchasing the right electric vehicles (EVs) to developing charging infrastructure to training technicians on EVs.
“The challenge with batteries is that one bad cell could create that thermal runaway that leads to a fire,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, maker of optical AI technology for counterfeit and gray market identification and traceability.
Fleet managers need to be diligent about proper maintenance for EVs and batteries.
How to Reduce the Risk of Electric Vehicle Fires.
As with traditional vehicles, safety is always a top priority.
As more fleets move toward electrification, fleet operators face many challenges — from purchasing the right electric vehicles (EVs) to developing charging infrastructure to training technicians on EVs. As with traditional vehicles, safety is always a top priority.
“It’s not like buying a cheaper oil filter and if you get it wrong, maybe you reduce the lifespan of the engine,” Ganzarski said. “If you get the wrong battery or contactor in your EV, you are risking your drivers’ health and life. Buy it new and correct.”
Peer Ledger and Alitheon Ensure Authenticity and ESG Traceability in Precious Metals, Luxury and Consumer Goods, and Beyond
Alitheon, an optical AI technology company, and Peer Ledger, the responsible supply chain company, have integrated Alitheon's patented FeaturePrint® technology into Peer Ledger's patented MIMOSI™ Connect platform. The combined solution will provide seamless no-touch authenticity verification and traceability for many types of industrial and consumer products along the chain of custody, ensuring their integrity.
Fake products have become a common thing in the present-day marketplace.
To help companies tackle this problem, Alitheon, a US-based company, has developed a new AI-based mobile optical AI solution known as FeaturePrint.
Alitheon’s FeaturePrint solution can help protect businesses, and hopefully, it opens up for consumers as well. Using this eases the process of authenticating and tracing purchased goods based on a simple photo taken on a smartphone. The platform aims to offer a reliable and effective solution compared to traditional methods like QR codes and RFID tags. It is also refreshing to see Al making advancements in these fields rather than serving as a chatbox.
Thought leader forum: The future of logistics.
A recent roundtable discussion about the future of logistics.
Alitheon and the Port of Seattle, in partnership with the Puget Sound Business Journal, in a recent roundtable discussion about the future of logistics, which is vital to the region’s economy. PSBJ President and Publisher Don Baker moderated a panel with Roei Ganzarski, CEO, Alitheon; and David McFadden, Managing Director, Economic Development Division, Port of Seattle. Read on as the panelists weigh in.
Alitheon Named 'Best Optical AI Solution' in 2023 Artificial Intelligence Breakthrough Awards Program
AI Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) market, today announced that Alitheon's FeaturePrint(R), the machine-vision based solution for authentication and traceability of physical items, has been selected as winner of the "Best Optical AI Solution" award in the sixth annual AI Breakthrough Awards program.
Alitheon's FeaturePrint(R) technology is an advanced Optical-AI that "fingerprints" items with just one photo. These "digital fingerprints" then allow users to identify, authenticate, and trace individual products.
Redefining Footwear Artistry: The Advent of FAST Sneaks: An AI-Infused Revolution in the Sneaker Industry
Bolstering this creative vision is AI’s anchoring presence, supported by Alitheon, the renowned specialist in AI authentication. With Alitheon’s patented FeaturePrint® technology, each item receives a unique identifier akin to human fingerprints, ensuring unimpeachable identification, authentication, and traceability. Backed by the credibility of Alitheon’s 45 approved patents, FAST Sneaks carves out an edge that’s hard to match in today’s marketplace.
Gen Z may love luxury dupes, but can they really replace the real thing?
Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon and its optical AI solution, FeaturePrint, which is used for authentication and traceability of physical items, pointed to the additional influence of celebrities and influencers whose style many young people want to “mimic.”
“A lot of the younger generation either don’t have the means to buy them, or don’t want to spend so much money on these items,” he told Retail Brew. “So, they found that there’s an alternative, which is to buy something that looks exactly like it and costs a fraction of the item.”
Navigating the Brake Industry’s Counterfeit Challenge: FeaturePrint Live
In a recent interview with The BRAKE Report, Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, the global leader in optical AI for counterfeit and gray market identification, recently shed light on the escalating issue of counterfeit brake parts infiltrating the automotive supply chain.
Brake parts form a crucial aspect of vehicle safety. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) meticulously test and subject these systems to stringent quality control to ensure their impeccable performance. Yet, the burgeoning gray market and counterfeit industry pose significant risks, with products that haven’t undergone these rigorous tests and may fail when most needed. Ganzarski believes the issue extends beyond individual vehicle safety, imperiling public health and the security of the automotive supply chain.
Counterfeit and gray market parts: Shining a light on a lesser-known risk to brake safety
While the commercial vehicle industry has gotten creative in working around the parts shortage, it also needs to beware of putting counterfeit parts in vehicles.
Unfortunately, counterfeiting technology is so advanced that the naked eye is insufficient to distinguish between real and fake parts. Additional levels of authentication are necessary to keep fakes out of the supply chain to ensure safe vehicle operation.
Digital fingerprint system takes authentication to ‘new level’
Alitheon, a new AIPIA member has introduced a patented system called FeaturePrint with an optical-AI that detects the authenticity of an item by irrefutably identifying each original.
It provides a proven, simple and reliable solution to eliminate counterfeits, shut down grey market activity and enable tracking and tracing, all with one photo using a standard camera, it claims. Alitheon’s ability to simplify this complex task, applies to car parts, computer chips, gold bars, artwork, pharma, documents, and many other physical objects, including, of course, packaging.
A conversation with Kerry Lutz about Alitheon and our optical AI solution to the $3T and growing problem of counterfeits and gray markets.
Alithieon has developed a technology that enables authentication and verification of items without the need for etching, serial numbers, or any other form of identification. This technology uses a feature print to identify items with just a camera. BMW is the lead investor in the company, which has over 45 patents and is already being used in five distinct segments, including luxury goods, collectibles, transportation, DOD, and pharmaceuticals. The technology is robust enough to identify items even after they have been altered or scratched, and can even identify counterfeit items. The company is currently privately held, but hopes to go public in the next 24 months.
Digital World? WEB3? Let’s Not Forget We Still Live in a Physical World.
How can optical-AI tech improve security and trust while linking the digital and physical worlds without harming physical asset integrity?
Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon®, a Bellevue, WA-based Optical AI company, shares more on how they are providing the missing link between the physical and digital worlds with solutions for the authentication, identification and traceability of parts and products. Alitheon’s FeaturePrint® solution creates for objects, what fingerprints are for people – a one of a kind, unique identifier that does not require you to modify or add anything. Using just a camera, FeaturePrinting enables authentication, identification, and traceability of individual items out of millions of similar objects.
FeaturePrint, the app that finds counterfeit products through the camera
FeaturePrint is the Alitheon app that, through artificial intelligence, is able to identify counterfeit products.
Counterfeiting, regardless of the type of product involved, is a phenomenon that is as common as it is dangerous. On the one hand there are the legitimate owners of a brand, who in addition to losing income see their brand linked to something of low value. On the other hand, there are consumers who (sometimes without their knowledge) find themselves in their hands products of poor quality, sometimes even dangerous.
Thanks to a smartphone app, however, identifying any cases of counterfeiting could now be much easier. The developers of Alitheon, in fact, have launched on the market FeaturePrint, an innovative AI-based software that, using the camera of mobile devices, is able to identify potential fakes.
Able to act on various types of product, FeaturePrint analyzes different characteristics of the object in question, looking for the peculiarities that lead back to the authenticity of the same.
All about the hustle: countdown to fast sneaks’ launch, the first-ever ai footwear company to give collectors one for the shelf and the street
Artificial intelligence (AI), while often an enigmatic buzzword, is undeniably revolutionizing industries worldwide. One striking example is FAST Sneaks, the pioneering footwear brand harnessing AI’s potential. Their trailblazing vision brings an unprecedented transformation to the sneaker industry, infusing cutting-edge technology with the art of shoemaking. Let’s delve into the story behind the first-ever AI-based footwear brand, a venture poised to change the game for art collectors and sneaker enthusiasts alike.
FAST SNEAKS to Launch AI-Authenticated, One-of-a-Kind Sneakers by Artist Brendan Murphy
Fast Sneaks, a ground-breaking new footwear company, is slated to launch an exclusive collection by renowned artist Brendan Murphy on June 7, 2023. This first-market mover is set to reveal a collection of one-of-ones, utilizing AI to provide the ultimate ‘rare pair,’ as well as authentication and provenance. Breaking through a crowded category with its technology-driven innovation, Fast Sneaks Project’s unparalleled customization revolutionizes bespoke luxury products, never been seen before.
How Artist Brendan Murphy Is Using [Alitheon's FeaturePrint] AI to Revolutionize the Sneaker Collecting Experience
FeaturePrint, according to Fast Sneaks, creates the equivalent of people’s fingerprints for items. Further explaining the technology, Fast Sneaks said FeaturePrint creates a unique identifier that does not require changes to the item, and not only enables quick and easy digitization of physical objects for irrefutable identification, authentication and tracing, it also eliminates misidentification and misuse of items.
Because of this, Fast Sneaks said the “unmatched credibility” should further boost a collector’s confidence, and could “profoundly change the playing field for billion-dollar markets” such as fine art, fashion and footwear.
Future Mobility: The Significant Yet Unrecognized Risk Of Fraudulent Parts
The recent semiconductor shortage, as well as the surge in electric transportation, has highlighted that modern vehicles are essentially computers and batteries on wheels. Estimates say vehicles today use over 1,000 microchips, and electric cars can have thousands of battery cells. And these are expected to increase as transportation technology evolves.
The future of mobility is autonomous and electric, from scooters, motorcycles and cars to, yes, even aircraft. In this new age of mobility, people are expected to entrust their lives to batteries and computer boards. It is critically important to ensure that these function as they’re designed, and safely. However, counterfeit and gray market parts pose a significant, often unrecognized risk that can cause detrimental consequences.
The Real and Present Danger of Fake and Gray Market Auto Parts
While automakers put OE safety systems through rigorous testing and quality controls, counterfeit and gray market parts don’t offer the same assurance and can present risks
By 2030, 95 percent of new vehicles sold will be connected vehicles, and a large portion of them will be electric using large numbers of battery cells. Connectivity and electrification offer several benefits such as the ability to improve traffic safety and reduce emissions, respectively, but it also raises concerns about their susceptibility to hacking. For example, earlier this year, a group of security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in vehicles from 16 automakers, which allowed them to control car functions. Once alerted, the automakers were able to fix the bugs with patches. But this brings up another concern—what if the vehicles were set up for hacking to begin with or didn’t respond to patches because a critical component installed in the vehicle wasn’t authentic?
Is that Gucci Real or Fake? AI Will Tell You
FeaturePrint applies digital fingerprints to physical objects
Imagine spending more than $1,000 on a new handbag or a limited edition sports jersey, only to find out it is fake. One company from Bellevue, Washington has enlisted the help of AI to knock back the knockoffs.
Alitheon has created a platform to identify luxury goods, works of art and collectibles. FeaturePrint acts as a fingerprint, or unique identifier, that doesn’t require any modifications, marks or added elements to a physical object.
The tech works by taking a photograph which the program then accurately verifies an item as the labeled original using machine vision. The platform can act as an additional verification check for buyers or auction houses.
New app promises OEM part authentication for use of safe parts
A new app could help collision repairers and consumers identify “gray market” parts that could pose safety and liability risks to vehicle owners as an extra safety step before using them.
Gray market refers to parts that are OEM-authentic but failed quality assurance tests and shouldn’t have made it to market, or meet safety standards of one geographic region but not in others, such as those meant for India that ended up in the U.S. or vice versa.
Nik MIles, auto expert, talks with Alitheon CEO, Roei Ganzarski about the world of counterfeits and gray market in automotive.
A radio conversation about "she·nan·i·gans" in th auto world as host Nik Miles defines it.
Counterfeits and gray markets. What is the difference? What is included, and how big is this problem.
And what is Alitheon doing to solve it.
A conversation between Roei Ganzarski and Brandon Bartneck on the Future of Mobility blog.
Key topics as described by Brandon include:
- The most noteworthy performance I saw at CES
- Where additive approaches to authentication fall short
- Why proving identify is so important for safety-critical components and systems
- The danger of counterfeits in the mobility space
- The additive potential when combining Alitheon’s approach with digital authentication
Innovation at MWC is not only about demonstrations at large company stands, it is sometimes nestled in small stands at the country pavilions - this one is a finalist at the MWC competition!
Over the years, since 2007, I discovered hundreds of startups, incredible companies that for some had exemplary careers, like Shazam (which was like Alitheon at such a small stand), Waze, Bango, Metaio... They are often present in country pavilions. This is the case of the US-based startup created in 2017, Alitheon, which presents the only solution that can irrefutably authenticate a physical object with AI and verify its ownership with an NFT. They have over 45 approved patents! All the technology was developed in-house.
New Partnership Between Alitheon and SIMBA Chain Solidifies the Missing Provenance Link Between the Physical and Digital Worlds
"What does it mean for industry, when a company or consumer can irrefutably authenticate a product as well as its ownership and associated data?" said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon. "It means goodbye to having to deal with counterfeits, gray market activity, theft, fraud, misidentification, human error, and a whole host of other expensive and risky problems. Welcome to the new world."
LBMA implements [Alitheon's] optical AI technology to trace gold bars’ provenance
The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) announced that it has added optical AI developer Alitheon to the pool of five companies that support the Gold Bar Integrity (GBI) initiative.
Alitheon is the only US-based company to be selected and its work will consist of identifying, authenticating, and tracing each individual bar, be it a small minted bar or a large investment-grade cast bar.
The American firm’s FeaturePrint technology will be put to use to ensure provenance by irrefutably identifying counterfeited and illegally-sourced precious metals throughout the supply chain.
London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Selects Alitheon to Bring Authentication and Traceability to Global Gold and Precious Metal Markets
Alitheon has been recognized by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the world's leading independent standards authority for the global precious metals industry, as one of only five companies to support LBMA's Gold Bar Integrity (GBI) initiative. As the precious metals markets face increasingly pervasive human rights, environmental, and economic threats, the aim of the GBI Initiative is to combat illicit trade and reduce the entrance of fraudulent bars into the global gold supply chain.
"Alitheon's FeaturePrint technology is easy to implement and even easier for our customers to authenticate our products," said Robin Kolvenbach, Co-CEO at Argor-Heraeus. "Because of this technology, there is no need to add anything else to our bars like stickers or markers."
The digital footprint for gold. Latest technologies improve the traceability of gold
The demand for gold from private investors has significantly increased since the corona crisis - at the same time, investors and private investors have a growing need for transparency across the value chain. Argor-Heraeus has been working for years to increase the traceability of gold. With a start-up cooperation, the company is now taking the next step within the traceability chain to further ensure transparency from the mine to the end consumer.
Alitheon is a U.S. company that specializes in authenticating physical products using artificial intelligence (AI). The company's so-called FeaturePrint technology is an optical software that creates a digital fingerprint for gold bars. The technology thus enables products to be authenticatable, identifiable, and traceable.
"Like many journalists, I'm a cynic by nature. Every so often, however, a new technology comes along that I get excited about. This week I'm going to introduce you to one such innovation." Felix Salmon
Mass production has always been in tension with unique objecthood. But modern technology from Alitheon, a startup in Bellevue, Washington, provenance and authentication can be applied to specific mass-produced objects — be they sneakers, pharmaceuticals, car parts, art prints, t-shirts, or even bars of gold. And it can all be done just by taking photos.
The big picture: Fakes can be deadly, when it comes to pharmaceuticals or precision-tooled components. They can also cost companies billions of dollars in foregone revenue and reputational damage. But — until now — identifying fakes has been laborious, expensive, error-prone, and time-consuming.
For a decade now, the Pharma Innovation Awards have highlighted industry-focused technologies and systems that not only help to solve pharma’s current woes but also push the boundaries on what is possible within pharma manufacturing.
Beyond the physical considerations of a drug product, drugmakers must also protect products from other threats, such as counterfeiting. Alitheon's FeaturePrint enables authentication, identification and traceability of individual items out of millions of similar objects; creating a one-of-a-kind, unique identifier that does not require marking.
Advanced machine vision technology provides immediate and irrefutable identification that can significantly reduce or virtually eliminate the risk of theft and fraud while providing an easy experience for users. Users can take a picture of the product — using a phone, an existing camera on the production line, or anything else — and the app's optical AI algorithms create a version of what fingerprints are to humans, but for each product. This information is readily available for traceability, identification and authentication review by drugmakers, distributors or even regulators.
Ultimately, the technology’s approach prevents counterfeit-related issues not by trying to detect counterfeits but instead by irrefutably identifying originals — a helpful step forward in today’s complex pharma supply chain.
Alitheon identified as 'Minicorn' by Tracxn
TracXN, the research partner for Venture Capitalists and Corporate Development offices powered by the largest Startup Data platform tracking over 10m companies globally, identified Alitheon as a minicorn, a company to watch out for as they take the business to the next level, by scaling up for the accelerated growth.
Stopping Counterfeits Requires A New Approach To Authentication
What do collectible sports cards and the medicine in your cabinet have in common? There’s a chance they are fake or not worth the price tag attached to them—at least that’s the reality as industries grapple with the estimated $2.3 trillion counterfeit market.
At Art Miami, Alitheon® and Artist Brendan Murphy Showcase Technology to Trace and Authenticate Art in the Physical World
World-renowned contemporary artist Brendan Murphy has teamed up with optical-AI-based technology company Alitheon to authenticate and trace original works of art and protect galleries, artists, auction houses, and collectors. At Art Miami, Alitheon's FeaturePrint® technology – which irrefutably identifies originals through a simple photograph – will be a staple in fortifying pieces like Murphy's, including his 517-carat diamond sculpture "Frozen with Desire" and his forthcoming sneaker art project with Fast Sneaks, HUSTLE.
Alitheon and aXedras tackle traceability and authenticity in precious metal market
Alitheon and aXedras tackle traceability and authenticity in precious metal market
BELLEVUE, WASH., and ZUG, SWITZERLAND, OCTOBER 18, 2022 – Alitheon, an optical AI technology company, signed a letter of intent with aXedras to link and integrate its FeaturePrint® technology into aXedras’ blockchain-backed Bullion Integrity Ledger™. The aXedras solution is the underlying data platform ensuring data and product integrity in the bullion market along the value chain of precious metals. The aXedras solution refers and connects to security feature technologies used by refiners to enable vaults and investors to verify the authenticity of their precious metals under custody. Connecting FeaturePrint® to the aXedras solution is a logical step to provide seamless authenticity verification processes for bars along the chain of custody: creating an additional layer of trust
“It’s imperative that businesses filter out illegally sourced gold and be able to trust provenance,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon. “Combining next-generation technology like Alitheon’s FeaturePrint and aXedras’ Bullion Integrity Ledger™ is setting a new standard for automated verification of gold bars along the value chain
“Connecting security feature providers like Alitheon to our Bullion Integrity Ledger™ provides a one-stop solution to market players along the value chain for product integrity including streamlined authenticity verification”, said Urs Röösli, CEO of aXedras.
Counterfeit and illegal bullion is a problem that continues to grow, with misled and uninformed dealers requesting greater track, trace, and authentication tools. Alitheon provides its patented FeaturePrint® technology, which creates for items what fingerprints are for people to bullion refiners as security feature for their bars.
Pharma Manufacturing announces the 2022 Pharma Innovation Award winners
The Pharma Innovation Awards are an annual celebration of new technologies and services that help advance product quality, risk reduction and manufacturing efficiency.
Alitheon is one of this year's Pharma Innovation Award winners!
Software set to solve multi-billion counterfeit problem
By creating a unique “fingerprint” of an item, AI-based software could offer a solution to fighting counterfeit goods, which cost the world’s economy hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
“The technology that the counterfeiters use is fantastic. It gets better and better every year as well,” Ganzarski said, adding: “it’s just like the virus and anti-virus problem in computers.”
BMW venture fund invests in Seattle-area startup combating counterfeits with authentication tech
Alitheon, a Seattle-area startup that uses images to create and manage unique identifiers for physical objects, raised $10 million. BMW’s venture capital arm, BMW i Ventures, co-led the Series A round with Imagine Ventures.
Founded in 2016, the company aims to help customers from industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical, collectibles, and luxury goods prevent counterfeits and misidentified parts. The idea is to replace stickers, barcodes, QR codes, and other tools that the company says are susceptible to fraud, damage, manipulation, and loss.
BMW i Ventures leads Series A investment in optical AI technology company Alitheon
BMW’s venture capital firm, BMW i Ventures, has announced its lead investment in a US$10m (£8.75m) Series A round for Alitheon, an optical AI technology company.
BMW i Ventures previously invested in the company’s seed round and is co-leading this round of investment alongside Imagine Ventures, a Seattle-based venture capital firm.
Bellevue startup Alitheon raises $10M with eye on headcount growth
Bellevue-based product authentication company Alitheon has raised a $10 million Series A round.
With the funding, announced Tuesday, Alitheon CEO Roei Ganzarski said the company plans to add about six to eight employees this year to its current 14-person team. He added that most of the employees are based in the Puget Sound region.
How Switzerland prevents business with Russian gold
The Swiss precious metals industry does not want to be accused of doing business with Russia or other dubious countries of origin. To prevent this, the industry uses high-tech methods.
Alitheon is key to this.
Alitheon’s optical AI combats counterfeiting
A startup company called Alitheon has come up with a way to solve this [countefeting] problem using optical artificial intelligence. Much like a fingerprint, which is very unique, the optical AI identifies physically inherent characteristics of goods. Because, even if they appear identical, they are not.
Interview with Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon
Manufacturing counterfeits is a thriving business with hundreds of products duplicated and sold across the sold as original ones. At the individual level, the consequences are grave, particularly when the products in question belong to the automobile industry or pharmaceuticals. Object identification technologies, to date, haven’t been able to contain the menace of counterfeits.
A Digital Fingerprint to Combat Counterfeit Goods
Alitheon’s optical artificial intelligence system can authenticate products by simply taking a picture.
Through the use of an optical artificial intelligence (AI) system, the [Alitheon] technology can identify counterfeit goods—right down to an individual tablet.
Want to Put a Stop to Counterfeit Goods? Take a Picture
Ganzarski believes the solution lies in something that, at first blush, might seem suspiciously low-tech: pictures.
Can something that simple really authenticate every object in the world? It can, says Ganzarski, if one thinks of a photo as a digital fingerprint — every bit as unique as a literal human fingerprint.
5 Q’s for Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon
The Center for Data Innovation spoke with Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, a U.S.-based company focused on authenticating, identifying, and tracing physical items, parts, and products using just a digital photo. Ganzarski discussed the potential of using advanced optical AI to track and trace items in production lines and supply chains to stop counterfeits and other fakes.
Startup develops a way to know the identity of every part
A machine-vision startup has developed a digital fingerprinting technology that allows to track and authenticate parts across supply chains and distribution systems.
BMW-Backed Technology Fights Counterfeiting of Auto Parts
Alitheon's digital fingerprinting technology (FeaturePrint ID), which represents product surfaces as math formulas to enable on-demand verification of an authentic auto part via an industrial camera or a handheld app.
BMW Makes Big Investment to Fight Counterfeiting
Counterfeit automotive parts are big business. The U.S. Department of Commerce has estimated that the industry is now worth about $45 billion
Alitheon in First Shift: Finding Counterfeit Parts
Angelina Czarnecki features Alitheon in her First Shift news program and interviews CEO Roei Ganzarski. Goto time stamp 2:50
Former MagniX head named CEO of Bellevue startup Alitheon
Bellevue-based product authentication startup Alitheon has named Roei Ganzarski as the company's new CEO. "Alitheon’s disruptive technology is like nothing I have seen before and is truly cutting-edge," Ganzarski said in a news release. "It is the missing link between the physical and digital worlds. I’m extremely excited at the opportunity to lead this team and take the company forward."
Electric aviation pioneer Roei Ganzarski plots a new course as CEO at Alitheon digital ID venture
Roei Ganzarski is embarking on a totally different kind of tech adventure. He’s just been named president and CEO of Alitheon, a Bellevue, Wash.-based venture that focuses on digital fingerprinting for physical products.