Reinventing Product Authentication with Quantum Science
Background
Quantatrace is a Glasgow-based deep-tech start-up building physical authentication technology that binds a product’s optical signature to its digital identity, closing the gap between digital serialisation, which proves a code is valid, and true product authentication, which proves the physical item is genuine. The company’s founder has been part of multiple enterprise system deployments, most recently DEUTZ in Germany for their S/4HANA implementation across their China and Germany plants, and is certified in SAP ICSM and serialisation (SAP ATTP), an origin that shaped Quantatrace’s central thesis: today’s systems verify the number, not the product.
Turning that thesis into a working system required a validated library of luminescent nanoparticle formulations, characterised against the real substrates used across Quantatrace’s target sectors. As an early-stage company without in-house chemistry infrastructure, this meant finding an academic partner combining specialist nanoparticle synthesis expertise with appropriately equipped laboratory facilities, a combination that could not be sourced through a commercial contract research organisation.
The Challenge
Counterfeiting is a persistent, costly problem across global supply chains, and in pharmaceuticals it is a matter of patient safety: the World Health Organisation estimates that around one in ten medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified, with falsified medicines linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.
The specific challenge facing Quantatrace was threefold: developing quantum dot formulations with consistent, tunable optical properties; applying them reliably across a commercially representative range of substrate types with widely varying surface properties; and characterising each formulation-substrate combination to a standard of documentation suitable for future patent filings, investor diligence, and Fraunhofer CAP optical reader calibration. The work demanded wet chemistry infrastructure together with expertise in nanoparticle handling, extraction and stabilisation, beyond anything the company could assemble in-house at this stage.
The Solution
Interface’s matchmaking identified Dr William Peveler, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in Molecular Engineering, Nanomaterials and Biosensing at the School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, as the right academic partner for this work. Dr Peveler brings extensive hands-on experience with luminescent nanoparticles, including quantum dots and other materials, applied to sensing and biosensing research.
His laboratory provides wet chemistry facilities, including compressed gas systems, fume cupboards, dedicated chemical storage and disposal infrastructure, and spectrometry equipment, and is one of very few facilities in Scotland capable of supporting this work safely and to the required scientific standard.
Supported by Interface and funded through an Innovation Voucher, Quantatrace partnered with Dr Peveler’s lab to develop and characterise a diverse library of luminescent nanoparticle formulations for authentication use. The nanoparticles were modified and incorporated into proprietary formulations, and deposition optimisation was carried out within the Peveler Lab, giving Quantatrace a materials pipeline that is not dependent on a single formulation approach. Multiple deposition approaches were developed and validated for applying formulations consistently across substrate types, supported by dedicated in-house equipment for application and rapid quality control.
Formulations and substrate samples were developed in direct, three-way coordination with Fraunhofer CAP, who are concurrently developing the optical reader system for Quantatrace’s authentication platform, ensuring the materials library was calibrated to the reader hardware’s detection specifications from the outset, rather than adapted to it after the fact.
Company Benefits
- A validated TRL4 materials library, advanced from TRL3 through this project, is a core technical asset underpinning Quantatrace’s wider R&D programme.
- Experimental data from the project shaped a UK patent application filed in January 2026, with a second pharma-specific application now in preparation (detail withheld pending prosecution), strengthening Quantatrace’s IP position ahead of further fundraising.
- Physical prototype samples produced during the project now support early commercial conversations across pharmaceutical and other critical supply chains.
- The collaboration gave Quantatrace access to specialist wet chemistry infrastructure and expertise in quantum dot handling, extraction and stabilisation that an early-stage company could not have built or bought in-house.
- All project milestones and deliverables were completed on time and within budget, to a standard of scientific documentation Quantatrace can rely on for future patent, investor, and regulatory purposes.
Academic Benefits
- The project gave Dr Peveler’s lab a directly applied, commercially grounded research challenge at the intersection of nanoparticle chemistry and industrial authentication need.
- A paid researcher in the laboratory was retained and was able to gain hands-on, industry-linked experience as part of their research training, whilst developing their knowledge of materials chemistry.
- The three-way collaboration with Fraunhofer CAP added a systems-level dimension to the lab’s work, grounding materials research in practical deployment requirements.
- The relationship has continued beyond the funded project, opening avenues for longer-term translational collaboration.
Next Steps
- Phase 2 collaboration, covering encapsulation and durability, materials library expansion, and Fraunhofer CAP integration testing, is being formalised through an Interface Advanced Innovation Voucher.
- Quantatrace is progressing the validated materials library toward TRL5 and industry pilot readiness.
- Building on the materials library developed in Dr Peveler’s lab, reader technology with Fraunhofer CAP, platform software integration, and the machine vision verification pipeline are now progressing, alongside integration with established GS1-based serialisation infrastructure.
- Longer-term academic collaboration opportunities are being explored and further work packages scoped.
Quantatrace is building toward supply chains where physical proof and digital identity verify each other. Quantatrace is the physical layer of trust.
This joint event organised by both the Biochemical Engineering Special Interest Group (BESIG) within the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s (IBioIC) Scottish Fermentation network (SFN), is being hosted at The University of Strathclyde’s Technology Innovation Centre (TIC) in Glasgow.
The majority of organic chemicals, nutraceuticals, fuels and polymers are still derived from fossil-based feedstocks, predominantly oil and gas. Advances in molecular biology techniques and an increased awareness and understanding of many emerging microorganisms, engineering biology methods and bio-based feedstocks, are now allowing scientists and engineers to rethink how the chemicals of the future are produced.
This one-day conference will look to bring together those with an interest in chemistry, biology, engineering and entrepreneurship, which are all the skills that will be needed to transition chemical production to bio-based methods using bio-based feedstocks. Talks will feature a range of speakers from universities and industry, covering a range of sectors looking to address this conversion. Featuring not just how they are addressing technical challenges, but also how to scale these to production, supported by several organisations that can help support with their services from cell identification to engineering and de-risking scale-up.
The SCOUT Project, in partnership with PwC UK LLP, is running an innovation clinic for SME leaders and line managers to gain insights from industry experts on what lies ahead for the sector and how SMEs can best take advantage of upcoming future opportunities. Topics up for discussion will include; Designing your operating model; R&D Tax Credits and incentives; Moving into manufacturing and Getting support.
In addition, attendees will also be granted a guided tour of the new, state-of-the-art Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, hearing first-hand about the exciting work already underway within this world leading, carbon neutral facility – including how cutting edge technologies are delivering; a reduction of API, solvent and energy usage in manufacturing; leveraging digital twins to maximise operational efficiency; and reducing <50% wastage in automated clinical trial manufacture.
Spaces are limited, and demand is expected to be high, so book your place today by emailing ERDF.SCOUT@uk-cpi.com.
The SCOUT Project is a fully funded service which aims to accelerate and de-risk the growth of Scottish SMEs in chemical, biochemical and life science sectors, who are seeking or developing disruptive technologies and is jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (managed by Scottish Enterprise) CPI, CMAC Future Manufacturing Research Hub (CMAC) and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC).
About Opportunity
The state of the art anode material used in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells is the Ni/YSZ ceramic-metal (cermet) composite (where YSZ = Y2O3/ZrO2) which has several difficulties in use. The anode is prepared as NiO/YSZ, and must be reduced to Ni/YSZ to work: this entails a large volumetric shrinkage, which can cause the cells to crack. Ni is a good catalyst for cracking hydrocarbon fuels, but tends to produce solid carbon, which then blocks the electrode, lowering performance and effective working life. The metallic Ni phase is also mobile and tends to sinter over time, again lowering performance.
Our technology overcomes these problems while achieving a comparable electrochemical performance, electrical and catalytic properties (significantly better when used with methane fuel). The new perovskite anode shows better tolerance to hydrocarbon fuels, without depositing carbon on the electrode. The perovskite anode can withstand more repeated cycling than a Ni/YSZ anode.
Key Benefits
- As effective as existing materials but without the problems such as cell cracking and reduced effective working life.
- Redox stable – no cracking on cycling.Highly tolerant of hydrocarbon fuels.
- Resistant to carbon deposition.No need for initial cell reduction.
Applications
- The perovskite anode can be used in any Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) instead of Ni/YSZ, where redox stability or hydrocarbon use is needed. This covers most applications of SOFCs.
- The University would welcome enquiries from commercial parties interested in developing commercial applications of fuel cells and fuel cell materials.
IP Status
The University of St Andrews has granted patents in Japan, USA, Canada, China, Australia and Europe (GB, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany) and continues to perform R&D in advanced materials for fuel cells. The University is looking for a licensee to the patents and knowhow or a commercial collaborator to take it to market. Patent Numbers: PCT/GB2003/003344, Granted patents: US 7,504,172 , Europe 1532710. Additional information can be made available under a confidentiality agreement.
About Opportunity:
The use of TADF emitters represents a paradigm shift in emitter development wherein inexpensive small molecule organic compounds can now be used to harvest 100% of the excitons in an electroluminescent device and so obtain excellent power efficiencies. We have developed a series of deep blue TADF emitters for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED).
TADF allows purely organic emitters to harvest the triplet states as an alternative to the existing heavy-metal based phosphorescent OLEDs, which are known to be expensive and environmentally hostile. The emitters contain both carbazole donors and oxadiazole acceptors to effectively form excitons by a charge trapping mechanism. The blue colour emission wavelength of these emitters can be a valuable asset as there is currently a dearth of bright blue-emitting phosphorescent emitters for OLEDs.
The invention is primarily used for blue-emitting OLEDs or, when operating in parallel with green and red emitters, for energy-efficient white lighting devices. Due to the nature of TADF, potential applications also include temperature or oxygen sensors.
Key Benefits:
- Harvesting 100% of excitons via TDF for OLED devices
- Inexpensive organic emitters
- Environmentally more benign
- Deep blue emission colour
- Ambipolar characteristic
Applications:
- Blue-emitting OLEDs
- To operate in parallel with red and green emitters for energy efficient white light devices
- Due to the nature of TADF, potential applications also include temperature or oxygen sensors
IP Status:
Subject to UK patent application number 1507340.6 filed 29 April 2015.
About Opportunity:
It is estimated that companies around the world lose a total of $1.8 trillion annually (UK economy, £30 billion) due to counterfeited products. While counterfeiting imposes a challenge on every industry, the pharmaceutical and alcoholic beverage industry (e.g. Whisky producers) are affected most, since forged products can have life threatening implications. In fact, it is estimated that the deaths of up to one million people each year can be related to toxic or ineffective counterfeited drugs. Current product security features include raised printing, watermarks, micro-lettering, holograms and security inks. While these technologies contribute to the overall counterfeit resilience, the current security features are still often forged. Similarly, official documents such as passports or banknotes are prime candidates for counterfeiting. For example, in 2016, counterfeit Sterling bank notes with a face value £7.5 million were removed from circulation by the Bank of England, highlighting an ever-increasing need for sophisticated and counterfeit resilient security features.
Our distributed feedback membrane laser technology addresses this need and could become a widely applied and versatile security feature on valued documents or similar products. Due to their extreme mechanical flexibility, ultra-low weight and ultra-thin design, these membrane lasers can be applied to banknotes or other documents requiring authentication control to serve as unique security labels. Up to (10e15)n unique labels for (n different gain materials) can be created and read out using a simple contactless optical system. The specialist expertise and technology facilities needed to produce the lasers will make them almost impossible to counterfeit, rendering it a strong and reliable security feature. Furthermore, the high optical transparency of the membrane lasers, combined with their low thresholds and ultrathin design also allows their use as wearable security tags, even on contact lenses where they can complement biometric authentication with iris scans.
Key Benefits:
- Extremely flexible, ultrathin (< 500 nm) and ultralow weight (0.5 g/m2) membrane lasers
- Transferable to any object requiring authentication control (e.g. banknotes, passports, branded goods, pharmaceuticals, etc.)
- 10e15 unique barcode-like labels can be created
- High read-out stability under ambient conditions
- Straightforward contactless read out using a simple optical system
- High counterfeit resilience due to a sophisticated production procedure
- Uses low-cost mass-scale production via inkjet printing techniques and roll-to-roll processes
Applications:
- Banknotes
- Passports
- Branded goods
- Pharmeceuticals
IP Status:
The University filed UK Patent Application No. 1711097.4 on 10th July 2017 and has subsequently prepared EP and US national phase filings.