Nanotech Security

Nanotech Security Corp. operates at the intersection of nanotechnology and security, specializing in the design, manufacture, and marketing of nano-optic products for anti-counterfeiting and brand protection. The company originated from technology developed in 2008 by scientists Dr. Bozena Kaminska and Clint Landrock at Simon Fraser University, who discovered how to replicate the light-manipulating properties of the Blue Morpho butterfly's wings. Seeing the commercial potential but lacking business expertise, they partnered with Doug Blakeway, an experienced entrepreneur with a background in high-level security, who founded the company in 2009 and became its CEO.

The firm's core business revolves around creating advanced optical security features for governments and corporations. Its client base primarily includes central banks, government agencies responsible for secure documents like passports, and private companies in sectors such as pharmaceuticals that require robust brand authentication. Nanotech generates revenue through contracts to develop and supply these security features, including a notable multi-year agreement with a confidential government customer. The business model involves both direct sales and collaborations with strategic partners to integrate its technology into a broader range of products.

Nanotech's flagship technology platform, KolourOptik®, uses arrays of billions of nano-indentations impressed onto substrates like polymer, paper, or metal to create visual effects that are nearly impossible to replicate. This technology, inspired by the structural color of butterfly wings, manipulates ambient light to produce full-color, 3D, and animated images without using inks. Unlike traditional holograms, these features are extremely thin, durable, and can display high-definition images, including skin tones. The product lineup includes security foils, threads, patches, and labels that can be seamlessly integrated into banknotes, tax stamps, and commercial branding. In October 2021, Nanotech Security was acquired by Meta Materials Inc. (META) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately C$90.9 million. Following the acquisition, in July 2024, META announced an agreement to sell substantially all of Nanotech's authentication business assets to Authentix, Inc. for $10 million, continuing its operations under new ownership.

Keywords: nano-optics, anti-counterfeiting, banknote security, brand protection, KolourOptik, authentication, optical security, government documents, security features, nano-imprint lithography