Simple, easy to use and with no consumer capital investment, Sproxil offers a comprehensive anti-counterfeiting strategy for cash-based societies. Delivering automatic protection, simple labels and robust back-end analytics with its Mobile Product AuthenticationTM (MPA) solution, Sproxil enables consumers to text message an item-unique code for a rapid response that confirms a brand's genuineness. The system also helps companies connect directly to their consumers through customized text message responses - such as health management tips - and ads that specifically target those demographics with known buying behaviors.
Sproxil acknowledges the fact that consumers are everywhere, and they are a vigilant force that could be leveraged effectively (with the right tools) in the fight against counterfeits. With the explosive growth in mobile phone access in the developing world, it makes a lot of sense to use a participatory, "grass roots" technology that is prevalent in such resource-challenged environments. Sproxil technology is used for many different kinds of products, but it started with pharmaceutical products, helping protect consumers from buying and using counterfeit drugs.
With a $1.8 million investment from the Acumen Fund, Sproxil is now expending its operation to India and parts of East Africa.
By the end of January, 2012, Sproxil had been used to verify medications in Africa over 1 million times.