Real protection against thieves and counterfeiting? Latest venture kick winners UrbanAlps and ScanTrust make it possible.
03.12.2014
UrbanAlps and ScanTrust from ETH Zurich and EPFL starting a new era in the field of protection, a burning issue in today’s fast growing technological society. Now both startupsraised CHF 130.000 by winning the third and last round of venture kick.
 UrbanAlps’ co-founder Alejandro Ojeda and his safest high security system in the world.
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 ScanTrust CEO Justin Picard offers a real protection against counterfeiting.
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For sure you lock your door before leaving or even upgrade it with highly secure locks to better protect your goods and chattels. 3-D printing technology could change that. In the past high security keys could only be illegally duplicated by skilled thieves. Today the unintended side effect of 3-D printing technology is that even high security keys can be easily duplicated at home. This means that burglars can have easy access to your home with 3-D printed keys.
Today anybody can duplicate your house key with just a picture
High security keys and their mechanical features have been compromised by the emergence of 3D printing and 3D scanning. Even if you have a mechanical plus electronic key, you should be aware that you only have one barrier left. The Zurich based startup UrbanAlps, who took part in this year’s venture leaders program in Boston and New York, offers the safest high security system in the world. A range of cylinder locks and un-scannable keys based on the Stealth Key concept, a patent pending key that cannot be duplicated, no matter how many pictures or scanners are used: a groundbreaking solution. UrbanAlps’ co-founderAlejandro Ojeda is a mechanical engineer and currently a PhD student at the ETH Zurich. He has received multiple awards, the most remarkable a grant from F1 driver Fernando Alonso. “It was never easy, it will not be easier now, but venture kick was a critical helping hand through our challenging journey. The program was one of the reasons why we went from a rookie league to the NBA of startups. It is not only about financial kicks, but also a game-changing education through the kickers’ camps!
Real protection against counterfeiting? Just a scan away
Each year, counterfeit products cause billions in damages to industry and trade. EPFL based startup ScanTrust is now taking an innovative approach to combating counterfeiters. The patent-pending solution is based on a copy-proof QR code which is integrated into the packaging or directly into the product. The code contains a copy-sensitive layer that irreversibly degrades during copying. Customers can verify directly if the product is genuine by scanning the code using a ScanTrust smartphone app. CEO Justin Picard has good chances to capture the US-market with his innovation. In 2014, he was not only part of the venture leaders program, he also visited the Silicon Valley with the Swisscom StartUp Challenge. Above all, he is a winner of the prestigious startup Award TOP 100, which shows the best Swiss startups out there: “venture kick is a unique program for startups: the structure of the process allows to measure the progress made and the kickers camps are opportunities to address the difficult questions. Moreover, venture kick is a great way to get in touch with investors as well as to gain visibility. I can say that venture kick truly paved the way for the first year of ScanTrust.”
Today anybody can duplicate your house key with just a picture
High security keys and their mechanical features have been compromised by the emergence of 3D printing and 3D scanning. Even if you have a mechanical plus electronic key, you should be aware that you only have one barrier left. The Zurich based startup UrbanAlps, who took part in this year’s venture leaders program in Boston and New York, offers the safest high security system in the world. A range of cylinder locks and un-scannable keys based on the Stealth Key concept, a patent pending key that cannot be duplicated, no matter how many pictures or scanners are used: a groundbreaking solution. UrbanAlps’ co-founderAlejandro Ojeda is a mechanical engineer and currently a PhD student at the ETH Zurich. He has received multiple awards, the most remarkable a grant from F1 driver Fernando Alonso. “It was never easy, it will not be easier now, but venture kick was a critical helping hand through our challenging journey. The program was one of the reasons why we went from a rookie league to the NBA of startups. It is not only about financial kicks, but also a game-changing education through the kickers’ camps!
Real protection against counterfeiting? Just a scan away
Each year, counterfeit products cause billions in damages to industry and trade. EPFL based startup ScanTrust is now taking an innovative approach to combating counterfeiters. The patent-pending solution is based on a copy-proof QR code which is integrated into the packaging or directly into the product. The code contains a copy-sensitive layer that irreversibly degrades during copying. Customers can verify directly if the product is genuine by scanning the code using a ScanTrust smartphone app. CEO Justin Picard has good chances to capture the US-market with his innovation. In 2014, he was not only part of the venture leaders program, he also visited the Silicon Valley with the Swisscom StartUp Challenge. Above all, he is a winner of the prestigious startup Award TOP 100, which shows the best Swiss startups out there: “venture kick is a unique program for startups: the structure of the process allows to measure the progress made and the kickers camps are opportunities to address the difficult questions. Moreover, venture kick is a great way to get in touch with investors as well as to gain visibility. I can say that venture kick truly paved the way for the first year of ScanTrust.”