# Veritas builds chips to verify luxury goods

> A startup founded by a former Tesla engineer is embedding tamper-proof chips into jewelry, trophies and fragrance bottles to fight counterfeit luxury goods.
- Title: Veritas builds chips to verify luxury goods · TechCrunch
- Summary: A startup founded by a former Tesla engineer is embedding tamper-proof chips into jewelry, trophies and fragrance bottles to fight counterfeit luxury goods…
- Keywords: veritas, luci holland, anti-counterfeit technology, luxury goods authentication, chip technology, counterfeit prevention, startup funding, technology, startups, builds, chips, verify
- Source: TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/16/veritas-is-building-a-chip-to-verify-luxury-goods
- Author: Ivan Mehta
- Published: 2026-10-16T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: veritas, luci holland, anti-counterfeit technology, luxury goods authentication, chip technology, counterfeit prevention, startup funding, technology, startups
## The counterfeit problem
Counterfeiters are getting better at replicating luxury brands and passing off fake goods known as superfakes as genuine items. Fashion houses face major losses from the trade.
## Veritas and its founder
Veritas was founded by Luci Holland, a former Tesla technical product manager with a background in design and art. The startup built a chip to verify whether products are genuine.
## How the chip works
The chip generates a secure response with each tap and includes a tamper-detection wire. Customers can show a certificate of ownership through Veritas' app to prove authenticity.

> 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.
## Second-generation chip launches
Veritas introduced its second version, which works on metal surfaces and can be scanned through glass. It supports jewelry, trophies, hard-surface products, and fragrance bottles.

> 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.
## ATHLOS partnership announced
Veritas partnered with ATHLOS, a women's track-and-field competition founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. All eighteen championship crowns will include Veritas chips for verification.
## Funding and early traction
Veritas raised one point seven five million dollars in pre-seed funding led by Ohanian's venture firm Seven Seven Six. Investors include DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang and former TechCrunch editor Josh Constine.
## Brand tools and next steps
Since its February fundraise, Veritas shipped an iOS app for consumers and a brand portal for companies to manage product records. Brands can offer clubs, event check-ins, and early access to product drops.
## Key takeaway

Veritas, founded by former Tesla product manager Luci Holland, has launched a second-generation chip that verifies luxury goods by embedding into products and generating secure responses with each tap.