One of the biggest woes as a Pakistani is buying authentic products were ever we go, be it medicine or anything else. The biggest worry is whether these products are authentic or finding out if they are expired.
To solve the worries of the everyday shopper, Authentik a Karachi-based company lets you verify a product through a simple smartphone app just by scanning a 2D data matrix code.
A 2D data matrix code is a barcode that carries information in both horizontal and vertical directions, as opposed to the one-dimensional code. Their serialization generation process begins at the company-level where firms implement their system that can be integrated with any serialization printer. Furthermore, Authentik is an end-to-end system that covers each link of the supply chain: producers, distributors and the customers.
However, this solution is only available for pharmaceutical products with companies such as Novartis and Otsuka Pakistan on-board. Speaking to Dawn news on what sets Authentik apart from other such apps is CTO Haseeb Uddin, “The other applications tell you if the product is genuine or fake: that’s about it. Ours verifies it, tells you the real time location of the product, its expiry and stock availability as well. It’s a verification-plus software.”
Syed Hashim Hasan, CEO Authentik speaking about their app and how it is beneficial for companies said,
“First of all, our software lets them track their products in real-time, so companies can ensure better checks and balances. They will also be able to crack down on their knock-offs circulating in the market. Basically it gives them brand protection. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan introduced new guidelines in 2017 to curb counterfeit products so there was a need for local tech in this area, and here we are.”
Speaking about their revenue model, Hashim said that it is a subscription-based model and also they will have access to large amounts of data that they plan to internally analyze to offer more streamlined marketing and business intelligence.
With Authentik they plan to enter FMCGs and other sectors as well. They are also working on adding another feature that will let users verify a doctor’s PMDC number.
