Origin Partners With Chronicled On First-Of-Its-Kind 3D Printed Authenticity Tags For Sneakers And Luxury Goods

SAN FRANCISCO, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronicled, Inc. is partnering with 3D-printing company Origin to develop a tamper-proof retail 'smart tag' guaranteeing the authenticity of high value consumer goods. The tags stand at the confluence of several rapidly developing technologies and have the potential to change the way brands, retailers, and consumers interact. 

Each two-tone plastic tag is formed around an onboard computer during Origin's printing process, the first time this has ever been done using any 3D-printing technology. Origin has been able to iterate through more than 70 tag prototypes over a three-month period, ultimately yielding a high-quality, consumer grade product with the Ember 3D printer from Autodesk, Inc. The speed of optimization reflects the high degree of customizability and flexibility of Origin's 3D-printing process, including prototyping, field-testing multiple form factors simultaneously, and scaling any version of the product into mass production.

"The 3D-printed Chronicled tag is the first product that can be adapted to fit entirely different markets in minutes; we can match the product's look and feel to fit brands, retailers, and consumer tastes in different luxury-good markets without additional costs or delays," said Origin CEO Chris Prucha.

Each smart tag contains a tiny computer chip, written to the Chronicled platform, which holds an encrypted, unforgeable digital identity for the item. Because of the flexibility inherent in the printing process, including the ability to print small, customized batches at no extra cost, the tags can be endlessly specialized for brands, retailers, and special events.

By applying these branded smart tags to their products, legitimate retailers can permanently embed their stamp of authenticity on items that may trade many times between collectors on secondary markets. Additionally, brands and retailers can interact directly with customers through the Chronicled App. Collectors can scan a tag with a smart phone to view the profile of an item, including a link to the retailer where it was originally sold. From there, they are able to like, comment, and trade with other collectors, retailers, and brands without ever having to question the genuine nature of an item. 

"In the past, consumers have had to rely on imperfect solutions when purchasing high-end items," said Chronicled CEO Ryan Orr. "Especially online, buyers have had to gamble on the trustworthiness of often anonymous sellers in a world where the quality and preponderance of counterfeit goods is increasing with each passing year. These 3D printed smart tags solve that problem by giving each item a unique, unforgeable identity running on a blockchain backend."

The GREATS x Beastmode 2.0 Royale Chukkah, released on Black Friday 2015, was the first consumer item equipped with a 3D-printed smart tag. In December, Dyne, a high-end fashion label, will release a clothing line incorporating the tags. And starting in 2016, collectible sneaker aficionados will be able to have their prized shoes authenticated with 3D-printed Chronicled tags at sixteen Dunk Exchange collector events, many of which take place in partnership with NBA franchises. The Chronicled App is available for download in the App Store and Play Store.

About Chronicled

Chronicled, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco. The Company is developing a platform for 100% authentic products to be tagged, registered, verified, and transferred on a mobile app. The Chronicled platform incorporates smart tags, an open registry, and the app to document and guarantee product authenticity, ownership, and provenance.

About Origin

Origin Laboratories, Inc. is a San Francisco-based 3D-printing company that is revolutionizing how companies manufacture products. The company's platform allows customers to prototype, test market, and scale the manufacture of high quality consumer-grade products with the speed and flexibility missing from traditional manufacturing.

SOURCE Chronicled, Inc.