Alitheon Accelerates ‘Biometrics of Things’ Rollout

Alitheon, an optical AI technology provider, based in Washington, USA, has raised $8 million in Series A1 funding to accelerate deployment of its FeaturePrint® technology, a system that identifies and authenticates physical objects using their own inherent surface characteristics rather than external labels, tags or markings.

The technology captures a digital image of a selected area of an object and analyses the microscopic imperfections, textures and surface characteristics created during manufacturing. These features are converted into a unique digital fingerprint and stored within Alitheon's platform, creating a one-to-one relationship between a physical object and its digital identity without adding any physical marker to the product.

Authentication differs significantly from conventional code-based verification. During enrolment, a designated area of the object is photographed and converted into a FeaturePrint. At a later stage, a user photographs approximately the same area using a standard camera or smartphone. The software compares the captured surface characteristics against the original record and, if they match, authenticates the item as the original object.