Digimarc Corporation is a provider of enterprise software and services. The company's software, which includes digital identifiers (i.e., serialized QR codes and digital watermarks), is designed to address counterfeiting, product authenticity, recycling accuracy, and supply chain traceability. Digimarc products are created for multiple industries such as apparel, consumer packaged goods, health and beauty, and automotive.

Digimarc Corporation
Company typePublic
NasdaqDMRC
Russell 2000 Component
IndustryTechnology
Founded1995; 29 years ago (1995)
FounderGeoff Rhoads
Headquarters
8500 SW Creekside Pl Beaverton, Oregon
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Riley McCormack (CEO)
Revenuec. US$26.5 million (2021)[1]
Number of employees
295[2]
Websitedigimarc.com

With the 2022 acquisition of EVRYTHNG, a software company based in London, Digimarc added a digital product cloud to its roster of products.[3]

History

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The company was founded by Geoff Rhoads in 1995.

In 1996, after initial venture funding, the company released its first product: a digital watermarking plug-in bundled with Adobe Photoshop, Corel and Micrografix software.

In 1997, Bruce Davis was appointed CEO and the company's first digital-watermarking patent was granted. Today, the company has nearly 1,100 innovations patented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

In 1999, the company went public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) which raised more than $90 million.[4] That same year, the company contracted with a consortium of central banks to develop a global system used in deterring digital counterfeiting of currency.

In 2001, the company acquired a business division of Polaroid Corporation.[5] Those assets led to the establishment of Digimarc ID Systems®, a division of the company that would eventually focus on protecting the authenticity of driver licenses in 37 states, which was sold off in 2008.

In 2004, the company was named one of the 25 fastest growing companies by Forbes magazine.[6]

In 2015, the company received a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for Steganographic Technologies for Audio/Video in the entertainment industry.[7]  

In 2017, the company was issued over 100 new patents for innovations in watermark application and verification, augmented reality, and machine learning. That same year, the company opened offices in Cologne, Germany and Tokyo, Japan. [8] 

In 2021, CEO Bruce Davis retired and was succeeded by Riley McCormack who had previously served as Lead Director of the Digimarc Board. The company entered semi-industrial trials as part of the Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0., an initiative that pulled together 100 companies focused on reducing plastic waste. [9] In November, the company announced its plan to acquire EVRYTHNG, a software company based in London that specializes in providing products with a digital record on the web.

In 2022, the company's digital watermarks received a 99% detection rate during a semi-industrial trial as part of the HolyGrail 2.0 initiative.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Digimarc reports fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021 financial results" (Press release).
  2. ^ "Digimarc Corp". Google Finance. April 25, 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Digimarc closes acquisition of Product Cloud company EVRYTHNG". Packaging Gateway. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  4. ^ "Digimarc Corp ups price range of IPO". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  5. ^ "Digimarc to Acquire ID Business from Polaroid". WhatTheyThink. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  6. ^ "The 25 Fastest-Growing Technology Companies". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  7. ^ "Digimarc Earns Emmy(R) Award for Engineering Creativity in Audio/Video". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  8. ^ "Digimarc Expands Global Footprint With Strategic Hires in Japan and Europe". www.digimarc.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  9. ^ "Digimarc moving past first phase on HolyGrail initiative". Recycling Product News. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  10. ^ 2022-03-31T11:52:00 01:00. "HolyGrail 2.0 concludes semi-industrial trials with successful validation". Packaging Europe. Retrieved 2022-05-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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