Australian company Cellr has developed technology to tackle counterfeit wine and IP fraud, an issue that impacts around 20 per cent of the $350bn global wine market.
The world-first innovation is embedded in the lid of bottles and is described as a simple yet highly sophisticated solution. It allows customers to use their phone to confirm product provenance, producer verification, and receive brand and promotional messaging.
Director and co-founder of Cellr, Chris Baine, said the technology is a game changer for consumers and producers alike.
“By creating tech-enabled lids that embed themselves directly into the bottling line, we give wine producers a hands-free solution for creating ‘digital birth certificates’ that can be retrieved by the consumer whenever, wherever, while taking away the guessing game of a product’s authenticity,” Baine said.
“The technology is simple to use, simple to install and tackles a growing issue, not just in the wine sector. As a marketing platform, the ability for brands to engage directly with consumers and serve them content, competitions or product support is invaluable.”
The technology leverages Near Field Communication (NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to provide uses to all levels of the global supply chain. It also has anti-tamper capabilities and can automate stock management.
Director and co-founder Mick Mickel added: “The global supply chain will be able to utilise the advanced inventory management features to reduce manual effort via automated stock control.”
On the customer end, there is a downloadable app that will allow a product from anywhere in the world to be scanned, with the ability to engage with brand developed content as well as check provenance.
On the brand’s end, the Cellr platform allows the instant activation of promotions on a global or local level, simply by initiating the previously recorded NFC chips and linking them to the online content.
The engagement platform will be free for consumers, while producers and the supply chain will need to pay a small free to unlock all the features and functions of the lids. Cellr said these features will be every changing as they continue to develop the technology and the network with producers around the globe.
The project is co-funded by Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), part of the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Centres Initiative, and developed in conjunction with Portavin and South West Development. It is expected to result in the creation of up to 22 jobs in Western Australia, and $10 million in revenue for the company.
Jens Goennemann, Managing Director or AMGC said the technology is a win-win for all.
“Cellr’s technology has endless applications across a broad range of industries beyond beverages, allowing end-users to verify the product, seek further information or, in time, be linked to supporting information for the product they are purchasing – it’s proof that Australia can, and continues to manufacture, world-leading solutions,” said Goennemann.