# DUST Identity

> DUST Identity authenticates physical objects with a thin coat of engineered diamond dust. Each randomly oriented constellation of microscopic diamonds forms a fingerprint that cannot be copied, and that fingerprint is bound to a tamper-evident digital record. The result is an unbroken chain of trust from raw material to final delivery, used across aerospace, defense, electronics, luxury goods, and sports memorabilia.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** Newton, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Ophir Gaathon (Co-Founder & CEO), Jonathan Hodges (Co-Founder), Dirk Englund (Co-Founder (MIT))
- **Team size:** ~25 employees
- **Products:** Diamond Unclonable Security Tag (DUST), DUST Identity Platform, Raw Material Traceability, Certified Pre-Owned & Luxury Authentication, Security Labeling & Document Authentication
- **Notable:** Spun out of MIT after DARPA approached the team with a supply-chain security problem., Built a clone-proof authentication system from low-cost industrial diamond waste., Raised over $50M from Kleiner Perkins, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Castle Island Ventures, and American Express.

## Products & services

- **Diamond Unclonable Security Tag (DUST)** — A thin coating of low-cost industrial diamond dust suspended in polymer epoxy. The diamonds settle in random positions and angles, forming a constellation that is read optically and cannot be reproduced.
- **DUST Identity Platform** — Software that links each physical diamond fingerprint to a secure digital record, enabling lifecycle traceability, chain-of-custody, and authentication anywhere along the supply chain.
- **Raw Material Traceability** — Tagging and tracking of components and materials down to the part level across complex manufacturing.
- **Certified Pre-Owned & Luxury Authentication** — Provenance and authenticity verification for jewelry, luxury goods, sports memorabilia, and art.
- **Security Labeling & Document Authentication** — Covert, tamper-evident markers for packaging, high-value assets, and document fraud detection.

## Achievements

- Spun out of MIT after DARPA approached the team with a supply-chain security problem.
- Built a clone-proof authentication system from low-cost industrial diamond waste.
- Raised over $50M from Kleiner Perkins, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Castle Island Ventures, and American Express.
- Deployed across aerospace, defense, electronics, and government supply chains.
- Expanded from industrial use into luxury goods, jewelry, art, and sports authentication.

## Latest updates

- **2023-12** — Raised a $40M Series B led by Castle Island Ventures with backing from Airbus and American Express, funding expansion into sports and luxury authentication.
- **2024-01** — CEO Ophir Gaathon featured as a visionary speaker at the IEEE HOST 2024 hardware security symposium.

## Links

- Website: https://dustidentity.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dust-identity-inc/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/dustidentity
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h42yClIqPYw

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dust-identity
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-15