Distinkt – a New Name in Nanotech Authentication

Nanotechnology has been a fertile breeding ground for authentication devices – as structures that can be controlled at the nanoscale (roughly the size of a few atoms or molecules) exhibit responses to light that are distinctive and near impossible to replicate. Now, a team of researchers and entrepreneurs is set to launch a new optical ink feature into the market.

Distinkt is a university spinout set up to exploit a patent filed by the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (ICN2), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The patent is protected in the EU, USA, Japan, China and India.

To help launch the product, the researchers recruited a team of experienced entrepreneurs and MBAs in early 2022 to jointly form the company.

The team now comprises a group with experience in Global 100 companies and top university laboratories. Collectively, the founders have started eight companies, filed 10 patents, and successfully exited from three start-ups. They have led three major M&A acquisitions from both the sell and buy sides.

Unique visual and covert effects

The technology uses phase change materials to create unique visual and covert effects. After five years of investigation, the team discovered a way to control organic materials so that they create a specific visual response when stimulated by near-infrared light. The thermo-luminescent inks are unique in their ability to transition between colours at a specified rate and to then revert back (or not) to their original state. The company claims that the method of activating and reading the inks is irreplicable.

The unique authentication capability of the product comes in the combination of the colour changes selected, the duration of the change and the reversibility of the change (or permanence).

Additional levels of authentication are produced through the way the inks are activated by near-infrared LEDs. A further layer of protection is created by the software solutions written to read and trace the patterns created.

Sustainability and growth

According to Distinkt, the technology provides an inexpensive and organic solution to visual authentication using readily available materials. The company takes care to avoid harmful chemicals, rare earths or other materials which are in short supply or constrained by transport across national borders.

Distinkt is a young company in outreach mode. The company’s initial strategy is to address two very different market sectors – government issued documents such as banknotes, ID cards and tax stamp, and brand protection (both industry and consumer brands).

‘The two markets are very different with different entry points and dynamics,’ said Luca Venza, CEO. ‘For the brand protection market, Distinkt can print directly onto consumer products (or industrial materials) with invisible ink solutions, or we can produce our own series of trademark labels, tags and QR codes for specific customers.’ ‘

In the banknote print market, we can integrate our raw material with existing suppliers of UV or standard inks as an entry point to the market. We will build long term relationships with central banks and government suppliers,´ he added.

Distinkt is now looking for industrial partners to embed its technology in practice. They have commercially available solutions ready for customers, as well as the ability to develop custom solutions when needed. Product turnaround is fast, with unique solutions available within three weeks to three months. They can integrate their technology into most off-the-shelf ink solutions and create their own inks and printed solutions.

The company is always on the lookout for potential corporate or venture partners for investment to accelerate its growth.

For those interested in finding out more, Distinkt’s Chief Technology Officer, Alex Julia, will be presenting a paper at the forthcoming Optical & Digital Document Security conference in Prague (17-19 April), entitled ‘NIR-Induced Colour/Fluorescence Changing Inks’.