With Origify, counterfeit products can easily be identified with a smartphone app. The process relies on the biometrics of objects: upon close inspection, every surface displays unique characteristics, much like a fingerprint. To verify authenticity, each product is captured by a camera once, for example, during production. An algorithm analyzes the surface characteristics, digitizes the data, and stores it as a tamper-proof bit sequence in the cloud. Users can then verify authenticity by scanning the product with the Origify app or a stationary camera system. The data is compared with database entries in real time.

The concept and technology for marker-free identification were first developed in 2008 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg. Robert Bosch GmbH has been involved as a development partner ever since. The breakthrough was made in 2019 with the development of particle sensors. Among more than 50,000 components, a recognition rate of 99.8 percent was achieved, even under harsh production conditions. This high recognition rate qualified the process for traceability of zero-tolerance products with very high safety requirements.

Authenticity check via smartphone

Florian Hachenberger and Oliver Steinbiss recognized the technology's potential to protect consumer goods, which led them to found the company. In recent years, product piracy has become a growing problem for brand-name companies and consumers alike. The founders believed that enabling anyone, anywhere in the world, to verify the authenticity of a product or document using a smartphone would be a significant step in the fight against counterfeiting. However, the consumer goods market requires different levels of robustness and independence from technology than an industrial environment does. Bosch invested in further development. Researchers at Fraunhofer IPM succeeded to make the process less susceptible to external influences, such as lighting, shooting angle, camera model, and signs of wear on surfaces.

Bosch Secure Authentication GmbH was founded in spring 2025 and launched Origify. Origify uses image-based authentication technology to verify the authenticity of luxury goods, medications, banknotes, and security prints. Fraunhofer IPM will continue to support Bosch Secure Authentication as they further develop the technology and adapt Origify to new devices and business models.