What Olnica does

Olnica, founded in 2010 in Rennes, France and now headquartered in Chantepie, develops molecular coded taggants — microscopic markers with unique optical signatures embedded directly into materials (polymers, rubber, fibres, composites, paints) or applied via coatings, inks, varnishes, and anodisation (the OLNITAG and OLNISURF product lines). The taggants are invisible to the naked eye, used at parts-per-million concentrations, food-contact approved by EFSA, and offer over 1.3 billion unique code combinations, delivering lifetime product identity from raw material through to recycling. The company operates the Olnica Authenticate stack — comprising the PocketLab portable Bluetooth spectrometer, LineCheck in-line UVB sensor, a mobile application, and a blockchain-secured cloud dashboard — that together enable both covert field authentication and forensic-grade verification recognised in international courts.

The company sells into seven verticals: government and defence (cash protection, tax stamps, currency), luxury goods, healthcare and cosmetics, building and construction, electrical and electronic, consumer goods, and automotive and transportation. Olnica is the Tracing Division of SOCOMORE, with named enterprise customers including Oberthur Cash Protection (IBNS-integrated ATM cassettes for forensic banknote traceability) and Philaposte (security printing of tobacco tax stamps under EU tobacco directive requirements), plus aerospace and defence industry partners. Pricing is quote-based and contract-led, with bespoke taggant formulation and integration support; revenue streams span consumable taggant sales, hardware (PocketLab, LineCheck), a recurring cloud software subscription, and OLNISERV professional services including forensic SEM-EDS, ICP-MS, and HPLC lab analysis.

Go-to-market is enterprise direct sales supplemented by a structured partner program for technology integrators, industrial partners, and distributors, and the company maintains presence at industry events such as the K trade show in Düsseldorf. Olnica is ISO 9001 certified, aligned with ISO 22383:2020, and is supported by regional and EU funding (Region Bretagne, Rennes Métropole, FEDER, Vannes agglomération) via the TagMPR project on recycled-material traceability launched in November 2024 with ComposiTIC and Elixance Polymers. The company is registered as OLNICA TRACE (Vannes B 911 692 630) with €1,111,111 share capital.

Name

Olnica

Legal name

OLNICA TRACE

Website

https://olnica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Olnica, the Tracing Division of French SOCOMORE group, develops patented molecular coded taggants (OLNITAG, OLNISURF) embedded in materials or coatings to provide invisible, lifetime product authentication. It serves government, luxury, healthcare, construction, electronics, consumer goods, and automotive customers with a PocketLab spectrometer, Authenticate cloud platform, and OLNISERV lab services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Counterfeiting and Traceability Technology

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Counterfeit & Authentication Packaging (Holograms, QR/NFC, Track-and-Trace) (IMALANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ), Anti-Counterfeit & Track-and-Trace Packaging (Serialization, Security Features) (IMALAIAJ), Forensic & Anti-Counterfeit Testing (Product Integrity) (HLAGADAM)

Keywords

• Molecular taggant technology
• Product authentication solutions
• Anti-counterfeiting technology
• Supply chain traceability
• Forensic product verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Chateauneuf-d'ille-et-vilaine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Molecular Taggant Products (OLNITAG & OLNISURF): Sale of coded molecular taggants incorporated into materials or surface applications. Taggants are sold in very low concentrations (ppm levels) making them cost-effective for high-volume applications. Each customer receives taggants with unique codes specific to their products.
2. Detection Hardware: Sale of detection devices including PocketLab portable spectrometer, LineCheck sensors, and related authentication hardware. Hardware is sold alongside taggant solutions for complete authentication ecosystem.
3. Software Platform: Cloud-based data management platform (Olnica Authenticate) with secure dashboard for real-time monitoring of product authentication across supply chain. Data stored in blockchain-secured environment.
4. Professional Services: Expertise services including needs analysis, taggant formulation, integration support, field testing, deployment consultation, maintenance services, and forensic laboratory analysis. Full-service accompaniment from analysis through industrialization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Olnica develops and supplies molecular coded taggants (OLNITAG for embedded material tagging and OLNISURF for surface marking) combined with proprietary detection hardware (PocketLab portable spectrometer, LineCheck sensor) and a cloud-based authentication dashboard. The offering delivers lifetime product identity, anti-counterfeiting verification, supply chain traceability, recycled-material verification, and forensic-grade authentication supported by lab analysis and integration services for enterprise and government clients.

Product overview

Olnica offers a comprehensive molecular coded taggant solution platform comprising two main taggant product lines (OLNITAG for embedded material tagging and OLNISURF for surface marking), paired with detection hardware devices (PocketLab portable spectrometer and LineCheck production-line sensor), a mobile authentication application, and cloud-based data management dashboard. The platform is complemented by professional services including expertise support, forensic laboratory analysis, and device maintenance. The company provides a complete turnkey solution for product authentication, anti-counterfeiting, process control, quality assurance, and recycled material traceability across multiple industries including luxury goods, healthcare, cosmetics, government/defense, electronics, automotive, and construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OLNITAG: Embedded material tagging solution - molecular coded taggant for lifetime product identification embedded within materials.
• OLNISURF
• PocketLab
• Olnica Authenticate
• OLNISERV

Products and services

• OLNITAG (Embedded Material Tagging) Molecular coded taggant embedded directly into bulk materials (polymers, rubber, fibers, composites, paints, mastic), encapsulated within a polymer matrix to create a unique molecular code providing permanent, invisible identification throughout the product lifecycle. Used by enterprises for anti-counterfeiting, dilution control, and provenance verification.
• OLNISURF (Surface Data Marking) Molecular coded taggant designed for integration into surface applications such as inks, lacquers, varnishes, coatings, anodisation, and printing processes, providing covert authentication for finished products and packaging without affecting process performance or visual appearance. Used by brands and security printers for surface-level authentication.
• Olnica PocketLab Ultra-lightweight portable Bluetooth spectrometer that detects Olnica taggants and identifies their unique optical fingerprints, enabling non-destructive in-field authentication of products in seconds. Targets field operators, brand-protection teams, and supply chain inspectors.
• Olnica LineCheck Sensor UVB light sensor device designed for insertion directly into production lines, performing automatic authentication and product integrity checks during manufacturing. Targets manufacturers requiring inline quality assurance.
• Olnica Authenticate Mobile Application Mobile application that connects via Bluetooth to the PocketLab spectrometer and enables field operators to verify product authenticity from any location, compiling measurements in real time into a secure cloud dashboard. Used by enterprise authentication teams across the supply chain.
• Olnica Cloud Dashboard Blockchain-secured cloud-based dashboard that compiles real-time authentication measurements across the supply chain and provides statistics on tampered or falsified products and their locations. Targets enterprise supply chain and brand-protection teams.
• OLNISERV Expertise Professional service from Olnica covering needs analysis, taggant formulation, integration adaptation, site visits, field testing, deployment consultation, and ongoing maintenance accompaniment. Targets enterprise and government clients implementing Olnica authentication solutions.
• OLNISERV Lab Analysis Forensic laboratory service using SEM-EDS for element mapping, ICP-MS for chemical analysis, and HPLC for precise molecular composition identification of Olnica taggants, producing detailed technical reports valid for quality control and legal proceedings. Used by clients requiring court-admissible evidence.
• OLNISERV Maintenance Maintenance service covering PocketLab sensor calibration, software and technical updates, battery verification and replacement, and dedicated technical support. Targets enterprise clients operating deployed detection hardware in the field.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% reduction in gas explosive attacks on ATMs in France since IBNS deployment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, major and flagship.

• ComposiTICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Research partnership in TagMPR project focused on traceability of recycled raw materials. ComposiTIC is responsible for materials formulation in the development of plastic pellets containing Olnica molecular taggants for recycled material verification.
• Elixance PolymerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Industrial partner in TagMPR project responsible for production of compounds containing recycled materials with integrated Olnica molecular taggants for traceability in circular economy applications.
• Region BretagnesupportingOthers · 5 November 2024Regional government funding and support for innovation projects. Supports TagMPR project and other R&D initiatives through regional innovation programs.
• Rennes MétropolesupportingOthers · 5 November 2024Metropolitan area support for innovation and economic development. Co-supporter of TagMPR project for recycled materials traceability.
• FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Régional)supportingOthers · 5 November 2024European Regional Development Fund providing financial support for TagMPR project on recycled materials traceability innovation.
• EMC2 Competitiveness ClustersupportingOthers · 5 November 2024Competitiveness cluster providing labeling and support for TagMPR project in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing.
• Images & Réseaux Competitiveness ClustersupportingOthers · 5 November 2024Competitiveness cluster providing labeling and support for TagMPR project, particularly for digital technologies and connectivity aspects of traceability solutions.
• Vannes AgglomérationsupportingOthers · 5 November 2024Local government authority supporting regional innovation projects including TagMPR for recycled materials traceability.
• Oberthur Cash ProtectioncoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership for cash protection systems. Olnica provides unique code taggants integrated into Intelligent Banknote Neutralization Systems (IBNS) for ATM cassettes, enabling forensic traceability of stolen banknotes and compliance with French Ministry of Interior regulations.
• PhilapostemajorTechnology or IntegrationPhilaposte, Europe's leading security and stamp printer, uses OLNISURF taggant technology to implement traceability solutions compliant with EU tobacco directive requirements for tax stamps and unique identifiers.
• SOCOMORE GroupflagshipOthersParent company relationship. Olnica is a subsidiary (Tracing Division) of SOCOMORE, a French global specialist in surface preparation, treatment, protection, traceability and coating with 50+ years of experience serving aerospace transport industry. SOCOMORE provides corporate infrastructure, resources, and strategic direction.
• INSA RennessupportingOthersResearch and educational partnership with Institut National des Sciences Appliquées Rennes for collaborative research projects and talent development.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national research agency partnership for scientific collaboration in chemistry, materials science, and analytical technologies.
• ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie)supportingOthersNational research and technology association supporting collaborative research initiatives and innovation projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• TraceLink: Cloud-based pharmaceutical serialization and track-and-trace network serving global pharma supply chains. Overlaps with Olnica's healthcare/pharma authentication roadmap but competes primarily in software-network layer rather than physical tagging.

Broad incumbents

• 3M Track and Trace: Broad technology incumbent offering security labels, retroreflective materials, and authentication solutions across industrial supply chains. Provides alternatives to Olnica's taggant approach via overt/covert security feature label portfolios.
• Zebra Technologies: Global provider of identification and tracking hardware/software (RFID, barcode, location solutions). Adjacent but broader asset-tracking and supply chain visibility competitor with overlapping industrial accounts.

Direct peers

• Applied DNA Sciences: US-based molecular (DNA-based) tagging and authentication provider serving textiles, electronics, cosmetics, and industrial supply chains. Closest functional analog to Olnica's molecular taggant approach for counterfeit and supply chain integrity.
• Authentix: US-based authentication and supply chain integrity solutions provider serving governments (fuel marking, excise) and brands. Overlaps directly with Olnica's currency/fiscal stamp authentication pillars and brand protection business.
• SICPA: Swiss-based global leader in security inks, traceability, and authentication solutions for governments and brands. SICPA is the dominant incumbent in tax stamp inks and overt/covert currency protection — directly comparable to Olnica's regulatory-mission authentication use cases.
• Certilogo: Italy-based authentication and digital ID platform for fashion, luxury, and accessories. Comparable to Olnica's luxury brand protection vertical with focus on consumer-facing anti-counterfeit experience.
• Systech (Dover Corporation): Provider of serialization, track-and-trace, and authentication solutions for pharmaceutical and industrial customers. Competes with Olnica in supply chain visibility and product authentication across regulated industries.
• AlpVision: Swiss digital anti-counterfeiting specialist offering covert authentication that does not require visible markings or special inks. Comparable as a non-additive authentication alternative competing for the same brand protection budget.
• SelectaDNA: UK synthetic-DNA tagging specialist focused on asset marking, theft deterrence, and law enforcement traceability. Adjacent molecular tagging technology with overlapping use cases in covert/forensic authentication.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@olnicafrance7776
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olnica
• Xx.com/olnica_france

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Olnica