NanoTag Technology — est. 2009
The Gold Standard for Asset Identification and Tracking
Microdots for Asset Security and Identification
Our proprietary NanoTagDNA technology deploys microscopic nickel microdots — each chemically etched with a unique Security Identification Code — to provide irrefutable proof of ownership across every industry, worldwide.
Technology
What is a NanoTag?
An octagonal nickel microdot, 6–10 microns thin, carrying a physically etched Security Identification Code and an Optically Variable Device surface — virtually invisible, virtually indestructible.
NanoTags are made of nickel, octagon-shaped, 6–10 microns thin and 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm across. One side features a hologram-like nano image — technically an Optically Variable Device (OVD) — displaying changes of colour under different viewing angles. Unlike a real hologram, which appears as a meaningless grey mass under a microscope, NanoTags reveal fine branding detail and brilliant colour at 100× magnification.
The Security Identification Code (SIC) is etched physically through the body of the nickel tag. The same SIC repeats through thousands of NanoTags in each personalised batch, mixed with a proprietary UV-trace adhesive. Once dry, the encased NanoTags become resistant to water, most chemicals, and environments.
NanoTag's nickel substrate supersedes earlier plastic-based microdot technology. Plastic microdots begin deteriorating above 150°C and burn completely at 350°C. NanoTags withstand temperatures over 1,000°C without oxidising — even when adhesive burns away, the tags remain adhered to the surface with all information intact.
- Material
- Nickel (Ni)
- Shape
- Octagonal
- Thickness
- 6–10 microns
- Diameter
- 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm
- SIC length
- Up to 17 alphanumeric digits
- Surface
- Optically Variable Device (OVD)
- Adhesive
- UV-trace proprietary adhesive
- Max temperature
- >1,000°C without oxidising
- Melting point
- 1,453°C
- Detection
- UV torch + 100× portable microscope
- Batch size
- 500 to thousands of tags per set
- IP protection
- International patents & trade secrets
Core advantages
Why NanoTag outperforms every alternative
Four properties that make NanoTagDNA the only marking technology capable of providing legally admissible proof of ownership under any condition.
Microscopic concealment
At 0.3 mm, NanoTags are invisible to the naked eye. Thieves cannot find and remove all tags — a single surviving tag is sufficient to prove ownership in court.
Impossible to replicate
The SIC is physically etched through nickel, combined with a custom OVD nano-image. Protected by international patents and trade secrets, the technical barrier to counterfeiting is insurmountable.
Extreme durability
Nickel withstands over 1,000°C without oxidising. NanoTags survive fire, solvents, pressure washing, and decades of outdoor exposure that destroy every other marking technology.
Instant verification
The Micro-STR reader and app extracts SIC codes electronically in real time, checking them against an ownership database in the field without manual transcription.
Application methods
Five ways to deploy NanoTags
Each applicator is designed for a specific asset type, surface area, or production environment.
DNA Wand
Water-based proprietary adhesive dispensed through a soft brush via micro-pump. Ideal for small assets where fast drying is not required. Once dry, the adhesive forms a clear coat resistant to water and solvents. Approximately 100 spot markings per wand.
DNA Tube
Compact, high-precision marking solution. Squeeze the tube to apply a specially formulated paste to any surface — secure and inconspicuous. Each application contains NanoTags with chemically etched SIC codes and multicolour OVD holograms. Approximately 50 precise applications per tube.
Aerosol Spray Can
Available in water-based (Eco) and solvent-based (Rapid) adhesive variants. Ideal for motor vehicles, heavy equipment, and large surfaces requiring fast, even coverage across a wide area.
Industrial Spray Pot
Patented 20,000-particle pot integrated with standard air compressor systems. Enables high-efficiency, uniform, wide-area deployment. Purpose-built for automotive manufacturing lines, mining equipment, heavy machinery production, and agricultural vehicles.
High Security Ghost Label
Stickers combining overt and covert security. NanoTags are encased in a clear film, readable under a 60× microscope. Carry customised text visible under UV light alongside the printed SIC code. Designed for personal electronics — mobiles, laptops, cameras.
Detection process
Finding and reading a NanoTag
Three steps from covert marking to court-admissible proof of ownership.
Locate with UV light
All NanoTag adhesives contain UV trace elements. Once dry, the adhesive is transparent and virtually invisible. A UV torch causes the trace elements to glow, immediately revealing where NanoTags have been applied.
Read with a microscope
Use a portable or digital microscope at 100× magnification to read the brand logo and SIC number from the tag surface. The Micro-STR custom reader automates this step, extracting the code electronically without manual recording.
Verify against database
The SIC is checked instantly against the ownership database, returning registered owner details. This provides irrefutable, legally admissible proof of ownership — for law enforcement, insurers, and warranty claims teams worldwide.
Industry solutions
Deployed across every sector
NanoTag technology is in active use or testing across industries where proof of ownership, theft deterrence, or anti-counterfeiting are critical.
Heavy Industry
Mining equipment, power substations, solar systems, and rental machinery require irrefutable proof of genuine ownership. NanoTags deter theft, rebuff bogus warranty claims, and prove ownership of leased assets.
Mining · Power · Solar · Plant Hire
Brand Protection
Provides secure anti-counterfeiting for any product. Applied at manufacture using High Security Fusion Tape for woven labels, or thermo powder for paper hang-tags. Fusion tape withstands over 50 wash cycles at 650°C.
Clothing Labels · Hang Tags · Packaging
Utilities & Metering
Traditional and smart meters are vulnerable to theft and tampering. NanoTags applied by brush or low-pressure spray permanently mark meters, deterring substitution and fraudulent bypass.
Water Meters · Electricity · Gas
Automotive & Transport
Vehicle components marked at manufacture remain permanently linked to the original vehicle if removed. Creates an immutable audit trail for parts. Some countries have mandated microdot fitment for all new vehicles.
OEM · Fleet · EVs · Motorcycles
Insurance
Over 90% of people never record serial numbers of valuable items. NanoTag replaces all individual serial numbers with a single unique SIC, enabling police to trace recovered property to its rightful owner.
Home Contents · Commercial · Motor
Retail & Anti-Theft
CCT cameras and electronic tags are routinely defeated by professional thieves. NanoTag provides a covert layer that cannot be removed at point of sale. Warning decals deter theft before it occurs.
Electronics · Supermarkets · Computer Stores
Micro-STR system
Scene Text Recognition for microdots
An industry-leading microdot verification system that makes handheld microscopes and manual transcription entirely redundant.
The Micro-STR microdot verification system uses breakthrough Scene Text Recognition technology to decipher microdots as small as 0.3 mm — reading up to 17 characters on a 0.7 mm dot — and instantly checking the code against an ownership database to verify the owner of the asset.
Until now, identifying NanoTag codes required a handheld microscope magnifier and manual recording of the visible data. The Micro-STR Reader and App makes this process entirely electronic, enabling real-time data extraction anywhere — in the field, in difficult environments, without specialist laboratory equipment.
Deployable by law enforcement agencies, insurance and warranty claims investigators, and microdot manufacturers and their distributors worldwide. Available as a SaaS subscription for rapid integration into existing workflows.
Reads dots as small as 0.5 mm
STR technology deciphers microdots previously unreadable without laboratory equipment. A 1 mm dot yields up to 22 characters of SIC data in a single electronic pass.
Real-time electronic extraction
No manual transcription. The custom Micro-STR reader captures the code and transmits it to the database check in a single automated step.
Works in the field
Designed for difficult environments — roadside inspections, warehouse audits, crime scene investigations — where laboratory conditions are unavailable.
Live Mode and History log
The app provides a live scanning mode for active verification and a searchable history log for audit trail purposes, accessible via the Microdot STR Portal.
Global SaaS deployment
Rapid onboarding for law enforcement, insurers, and manufacturers worldwide without infrastructure changes or specialist hardware beyond the custom reader.
Durability
Built to outlast every other marking technology
The nickel substrate that makes NanoTags fundamentally superior to all plastic-based alternatives.
NanoTag's nickel substrate supersedes all earlier microdot technology. Plastic-substrate microdots begin to deteriorate at temperatures above 150°C, leading to gradual loss of information, and burn completely at 350°C.
NanoTags withstand over 1,000°C without oxidising. Even when the adhesive burns away, the nickel tags remain adhered to the surface, retaining all information. Nickel's melting point is 1,453°C.
In a fire test heated to 1,000°C, tags remained clean, adhered, and fully legible — with all SIC data intact. Additionally, NanoTag High Security Fusion Tape embedded in woven labels withstands over 50 washing and drying cycles at temperatures up to 650°C.