Osmo Introduces AI-Powered Scent Sensors for Authentication

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Nov 25, 2024, 12:57 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Osmo, the digital olfaction company, is rethinking how to identify what's real. Today, Osmo launched AI-powered scent sensors, built to authenticate products in ways barcode and RFID (radio frequency identification) tags never could.

[Watch Osmo's scent sensor in action here.]

Watch Osmo's scent sensor in action, using AI Scent Technology to tell Real v. Fake Jordans

Counterfeiting costs retailers and consumers billions of dollars each year. Osmo's sensors work differently than existing authentication technology: they read the unique scent signatures of authentic products, using AI to identify counterfeits with precision and speed. These sensors aren't just a tool—they're a new way to protect trust at scale.

Osmo's approach pairs advanced chemical sensors with AI. By training on massive datasets, these sensors recognize subtle scent patterns, ignore background scents, and deliver clear yes-or-no answers in the field. Embedding these sensors in a retailer's supply chains makes authentication faster, simpler, and more reliable.

"What's in the air tells the truth," said Alex Wiltschko, CEO and founder of Osmo. "Our AI sensors listen carefully, cutting through noise to confirm authenticity. They work when older methods fall short, helping businesses and customers get what the genuine products they're paying for and deserve—every time."

"Counterfeits are just the beginning," said Rohinton Mehta, former Rapid Evaluation and Project Lead at Google X, now SVP of Hardware and Manufacturing at Osmo. "This same system can help ensure food stays fresh, protect the semiconductor supply chain, and even keep data centers running smoothly. The potential is enormous."

What Makes Osmo Different?

Smarter Sensing: Osmo's sensors are trained to detect the right signals, cutting through background odors to focus on what matters, giving reliable yes-or-no readouts. Osmo offers the first bench of chemical sensors trained using AI. This enhances existing hardware to better recognize patterns, remove background odors, and give reliable, binary yes-or-no readouts in the field.
Superior Sensitivity: While humans can detect roughly half of airborne molecules and dogs have a more refined sense of smell, Osmo's sensors detect almost everything in the air, uncovering details others miss.
Chemical Fingerprinting: Osmo identifies unique chemical "fingerprints" of substances. This allows it to detect deviations from expected chemical compositions, making it invaluable for quality assurance and security applications.
Cost Effectiveness: Osmo provides a scalable and affordable solution for authentication and quality control that fits into real-world workflows.
Beyond Authentication: From spotting fake products to ensuring food safety or monitoring air quality, Osmo's sensor technology is designed to adapt.
- Quality Control: Guaranteeing products meet specific chemical standards.
- Fraud Detection: Identifying counterfeit or adulterated materials.
- Chemical Sensing: Detecting specific chemicals in various environments.

About Osmo
Founded in January 2023, Osmo launched with $60 million in Series A funding led by Lux Capital and Google Ventures. Osmos's mission is to give computers a sense of smell to improve human health and happiness, combining expertise in AI, chemistry, and engineering to bring scent into the digital age. Osmo has begun work in the fragrance market to create a new generation of better, safer, and more environmentally-friendly scent molecules, designing scent through images or words, and teleporting scent. Beyond fragrance, Osmo is applying its technology in commercial sectors—like detecting counterfeit goods—and public health, where it is discovering new insect repellants. Osmo expects to expand into other industries as the potential for digitized scent grows.