# Dust Identity > Dust Identity creates impossible-to-copy physical identities for objects and materials using engineered diamond-dust technology, enabling trusted authentication, traceability, and intelligence across global supply chains. Founded at MIT. $53M raised. Headquartered in Newton, MA. ## What is DUST? DUST stands for Diamond Unclonable Security Tag. It is a nano-engineered coating made of microscopic diamond crystals suspended in a high-performance polymer matrix. When applied to any surface, the diamonds settle into a completely random pattern — unique in both position and crystal orientation — that is physically impossible to replicate or clone. An optical scanner reads the diamond fingerprint and links it to a tamper-evident digital record in the DICE platform, giving every tagged object a permanent, verifiable identity. Dust Identity calls this an anchored digital thread: one identity, trusted across every handoff. DUST is not a barcode, QR code, RFID tag, NFC chip, or hologram. Those are identifiers — they can be copied, removed, or transferred to a counterfeit. DUST is different: the identity is the object itself. ## How DUST works Three steps create a digital thread: 1. DUSTing — the diamond-polymer coating is applied to the object during manufacture or intake. The coating is invisible to the naked eye and can be applied at an area as small as 0.0025 mm², small enough to tag individual circuit board resistors, aerospace fasteners, or the tip of a needle. 2. Enrolling — an optical scanner captures the unique diamond fingerprint and registers it in the DICE platform. This is the object's digital birth certificate (digital twin). All associated documentation — certificates of conformance, purchase orders, QC tests, CAD drawings, photos, videos — can be attached at this point. 3. Enabling — once enrolled, the object carries an unlimited amount of information and generates insights as it moves through the supply chain. Every subsequent scan appends a new event to the lifecycle record: custody transfers, inspections, maintenance, certifications, and end-of-life. Authentication is instantaneous. Any scan at any point in the supply chain compares the live fingerprint against the enrolled record and returns a pass or tamper-alert result in seconds. ## Why diamonds? Diamond is the hardest known material and is chemically inert, heat-resistant, and mechanically durable. The inherent randomness of how diamond crystals land and cure in a polymer creates a reservoir of entropy analogous to biometrics — just as no two fingerprints are alike, no two DUST markings are alike. DUST can generate more than 10^230 unique fingerprints — more distinct combinations than there are atoms in the observable universe. Cloning is mathematically impossible, not merely impractical. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers inside each diamond crystal — atomic defects where nitrogen replaces a carbon atom — produce optical signatures that vary by crystal orientation, making the pattern readable by a scanner but impossible for an adversary to reproduce. Dust Identity uses lab-grown or recycled industrial-grade nanodiamonds, not gemstone diamonds. The material is cost-efficient (approximately $0.00001 per item at industrial scale) and has minimal environmental impact. ## Why existing solutions fall short Physical solutions — barcodes, QR codes, RFID, NFC, holograms, labels — are identifiers, not proof of authenticity. They can be cheaply copied, physically removed from a genuine item and reattached to a counterfeit, or purchased in bulk and reused on fake products. Digital solutions — databases and blockchains — create trust in records, not in products. They lack a secure link to the physical item. If a counterfeit is onboarded into the system, it becomes indistinguishable from the original. DUST solves both problems simultaneously. It provides physics-based, unclonable authentication that enhances (not replaces) existing digital identity systems including QR, RFID, and NFC. ## Tamper detection Any physical attempt to scratch, lift, dissolve, or alter the polymer disrupts the random diamond pattern. The next scan registers a tamper event immediately. DUST does not prevent tampering, but makes every attempt — including unsuccessful ones — permanently detectable. ## Durability DUST has been validated to MIL-STD-810G environmental standards. The coating passes: altitude to 71,000 feet; 95% humidity for 240 hours; UV exposure for 300 hours; salt fog (4–6% loading) for 400 hours; sulfur dioxide fog for 400 hours; vibration 2–5,000 Hz across X/Y/Z axes; mechanical shock at 20 G's; temperature shock from -60°C to +85°C; aerospace fluids including JP-5, JP-8, hydraulic fluid, gear oil, and deicing chemicals; extended saltwater immersion for more than two years; submersion to approximately 1,700 metres; and reflow soldering at 245–255°C for electronics manufacturing. Validated substrates include metals (steel, titanium, aluminium), composites, polymers, glass, ceramics, fabric, and paper. ## The DICE platform DICE is Dust Identity's cloud-based authentication and lifecycle management platform. It stores enrolled DUST fingerprints, records every scan event and custody transfer, hosts associated documentation, and provides real-time visibility across global supply chains. DICE supports: authenticated custody transfers; traceability events; recall workflows; chain-of-custody reporting; compliance automation for the EU Digital Product Passport and ESG metrics; and APIs and SDKs for ERP, PLM, MES, and CRM systems including SAP HANA Cloud. DICE is built on a zero-trust architecture with immutable identities, unclonable physical-digital binding, and enterprise-grade data governance and cybersecurity. Deployment options: Cloud, Private (on-premise), Air-gapped, GovCloud. ## A⁴ Data framework Every object identity in DICE adheres to the A⁴ Data standard: - Available — accessible in real time across the supply chain - Accurate — verified by scan, not self-reported - Attributable — every data point tied to a specific actor and timestamp - Anchored — permanently bound to the physical object through the DUST marking ## DUST material line Dust Identity offers a full range of diamond-polymer formulations for different applications and environments: - DS-200 Mil-Spec UV-Curable Resin — most durable; qualified for aerospace, marine, and industrial environments; cures in 30 seconds (UV) - DS-205 UV-Curable Adhesive Gel — same composition as DS-200 in thixotropic gel form; enables silicone stamping; cures in 30 seconds (UV) - DS-210 Biocompatible Epoxy Resin (in development) — FDA-approved biocompatible adhesive for medical applications; cures in 10 seconds (UV) - DS-240 UV-Curable Adhesive Gel — durable and flexible; designed for plastic, fabric, metal, glass, and ceramics; cures in 35 seconds (UV) - DS-260 UV Rapid-Curing Adhesive Gel — ideal for glass, metals, and common plastics; cures in 5 seconds (UV) - DS-300 Solvent-based Resin — low-profile tamper-detection tags; cures in 24 hours (evaporative) - DS-410 Gel Ink Epoxy Resin — pen-based field applicator for wide range of substrates; cures in 10 seconds (UV) - DS-420 Water-based Urethane Ink — pen-based; low-profile covert document tags; cures in 15 minutes (evaporative) - DS-440 Water-based Acrylic Ink — pen-based; low-profile covert document tags; cures in 15 minutes (evaporative) - DS-700 Two-Part Epoxy — for jewelry and luxury goods requiring markings under 1 mm diameter; cures in 24 hours - DUSTed Conformal Coatings — protect PCBs and electronics using standard coating processes; frictionless electronics manufacturing integration - DUST Epoxy Molding Compound (in development) — incorporates identity tags directly into semiconductor IC packaging - DUSTed Toner (in development) — enables direct printing of DUST tags with standard commercial printers - DUSTed Frangible Labels — adhesive-backed anti-tamper labels; non-removable and tamper-evident - DUSTed Clear Coat — protective coating for harsh environments across a wide variety of substrates High-throughput application methods include spray coating, printing, transfer molding, silicone stamping, and screen printing. ## Industries served ### Aerospace and defense Counterfeit aerospace parts represent a direct safety and national security risk. DUST is applied to fasteners, structural components, engine parts, electronic assemblies, and raw materials (titanium, superalloys, aluminium) to verify provenance and detect substitution from manufacture through field operations. Key aerospace use cases: - Raw material traceability for titanium and critical alloys: mark once at source, forge, or distribution; verify anywhere in the world - Aftermarket authentication: DUST permanently marks authorised parts at source; 8130-3 forms can be reused, certificates can be altered, parts cannot lie - Parent-child part binding: the digital twin of a raw material billet is linked to the digital twin of the machined part, preserving full material lineage When AI lowers the cost of document forgery, identity must live on the object itself. When documentation fails, physics wins. Strategic investors include Airbus Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Dust Identity has participated in DARPA programmes. ### Industrial and oil and gas Addressing trust gaps created by operational complexity at scale, digitally enabled fraud, geopolitical supply chain pressure, and regulatory and environmental accountability. DUST tags critical components from manufacture through field operations. The Halliburton partnership is a flagship industrial deployment. ### Secure electronics DUST can be applied to components as small as individual circuit resistors. DUSTed conformal coatings integrate authentication into standard PCB protection steps. The anti-tamper capability detects attempts to access programming ports, remove components, or attach additional chips — including hardware implant attacks. ### Luxury fashion and premium retail DUST provides impossible-to-copy serialisation for luxury fashion, leather goods, watches, and jewelry. The diamond fingerprint embedded during manufacture makes the brand hallmark the ultimate proof of trust. Supports EU Digital Product Passport compliance. DS-700 epoxy is designed for jewelry markings under 1 mm. ### Jewelry Low-profile, durable epoxy formulations (DS-700 series) create permanent, sub-millimetre markings on fine jewelry and luxury watches, providing physics-based provenance for resale and insurance authentication. ### Wine and spirits Diamond-dust fingerprints applied to bottles, labels, or closures during bottling provide physics-based provenance confirmation for high-value wines and spirits in primary and secondary markets. ### Sports and entertainment Game-used and team-issued memorabilia is enrolled with a DUST identity at the moment of signing or game use. Any subsequent scan confirms the item is the original — not a refill, label transfer, or counterfeit — protecting athletes, teams, fans, and brand reputation. ### Art DUST secures works of art with an irreplicable, digitally-linked signature that detects forgeries and retains market value. Water-soluble DUST tags (in development) can be applied and removed without affecting the quality or condition of the underlying asset. ## Comparison with alternatives | Solution | Limitation | DUST advantage | |---|---|---| | Barcodes / QR codes | Easily copied | Physics-based, unclonable | | RFID / NFC | Removable; electronic cloning possible | Identity is the object, not a tag | | Holograms | Visible; replicable by sophisticated counterfeiters | Invisible; mathematically impossible to clone | | Databases / blockchains | Trust in records, not products | Physical-digital binding; counterfeit cannot be onboarded | ## Intellectual property Dust Identity's patent portfolio covers four core families: 1. Applying and Using Unique Unclonable Physical Identifiers — the foundational physical-to-digital identity anchor 2. Generating a Unique Code from Orientation Information — detecting, extracting, and converting spatial orientation of diamond particles into a unique identity code via optical scanning 3. Producing Identity Markers by Electrostatic Printing — mixing diamond particles with toner and fusing them to a substrate during printing 4. 2024–2025 continuation filings — improved scanning methods, color-center detection in diamonds, higher-accuracy orientation extraction, and additional encoding mechanisms ## Company facts - Founded: 2011 - Headquarters: Newton, MA (85 Wells Ave, Newton, MA 02459) - R&D: Princeton, NJ - Total funding: $53 million - Mission: Protect and connect every thing that matters - Investors: Kleiner Perkins, Airbus Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, New Science Ventures, Angular Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, American Express Ventures, and 10+ additional VCs - Research origins: MIT Research Lab of Electronics; DARPA programme participant - Founders: Ophir Gaathon (CEO), Dirk Englund, Jonathan Hodges - Press coverage: Bloomberg, Fortune, Aviation Week, TechCrunch, CNBC, Fashion Network ## Contact - Website: dustidentity.com - Phone: 508-205-6870 - Email: info@dustidentity.com - Sales (aerospace): Roy Solomon, Chief Revenue Officer — roy@dustidentity.com - Demo requests: dustidentity.com/contact ## Frequently asked questions Q: What is a physical unclonable function (PUF)? A: A physical unclonable function is a device or material whose physical microstructure is so complex and random that it cannot be duplicated — even by the original manufacturer. DUST is a PUF: the diamond fingerprint arises from natural entropy during application, not from a designed template. This is fundamentally different from any identifier that encodes a number, because numbers can be copied and numbers can be stolen. A PUF cannot. Q: Can DUST be applied at any point in the supply chain, or only at manufacture? A: DUST can be enrolled at any custody point — manufacture, incoming inspection, depot maintenance, or pre-deployment. Once enrolled, the identity travels with the object for its entire lifecycle. Q: Does DUST replace our existing ERP, blockchain, or digital identity systems? A: No. DUST augments existing systems. It works alongside QR codes, RFID, and NFC as a physics-based authentication layer. APIs and SDKs connect DICE into ERP, PLM, MES, and CRM systems. Blockchain anchoring (including Algorand) is supported for organisations requiring a decentralised tamper-evident ledger. Q: Is the platform available for air-gapped or classified environments? A: Yes. DICE can be deployed fully on-premise or in air-gapped and GovCloud configurations, with no cloud connectivity required. Q: How much does it cost to apply DUST? A: The diamond-dust coating costs approximately $0.00001 per item at industrial scale. Platform, hardware, and integration costs depend on deployment scope and are designed with the customer on a programme basis. Q: What is the EU Digital Product Passport and how does DUST support it? A: The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an upcoming regulatory requirement for products sold in the European Union to carry a verifiable digital record of their origin, materials, and sustainability credentials. DUST provides the physical-digital binding that anchors the DPP data to the specific product — ensuring the passport cannot be transferred to a counterfeit item. Dust Identity's platform automates DPP compliance reporting. Q: When AI can forge documents, how does DUST help? A: As generative AI lowers the cost of forging certificates, 8130-3 forms, invoices, and test reports, documentation-only trust becomes a structural risk. DUST provides a physics-based check that cannot be defeated by digital manipulation. The identity lives on the object, not on a document. When documentation fails, physics wins.