Snaptag

Market position

SNAPTAG presents itself as the sole commercial supplier of invisible watermark technology in South Korea and as a supplier of watermarking components to established Korean information-security vendors rather than a direct competitor to them. Recognition cited includes the Minister of Science and ICT Award at the 2024 H1 Korea Information Security Product Innovation Awards, GS certification, and repeated Innovative Procurement Product designations from the Public Procurement Service.

SNAPTAG describes itself as the only company in South Korea to have commercialized invisible watermark technology in shipping services. It positions its offering against conventional visible watermarks on image fidelity (PSNR 30-40, SSIM 0.35-0.45, with no visible difference from the original), robustness to geometric transformation and compression, per-image unique identification codes that support image databases and usage logs, a 58-bit payload, and applicability to both digital media and physical substrates such as paper, fabric and plastic across offset and digital printing. Delivery as SDK and API modules is presented as enabling rapid adoption without industry restriction, and the underlying method — based on physics and cognitive visual theory — is claimed to be protected by SNAPTAG patents. In IP use cases the company argues the mark preserves existing designs, requires no new printing equipment or process investment, offers security beyond holograms, and can still be read when more than half the codes are damaged.

Technology

The core technology encodes data into a unique 58-bit code (roughly 28 quintillion combinations) rendered as an image, which is then layered or composited into the target content. Extraction is performed either by uploading the file to a dedicated program that runs a detection algorithm, or by scanning with a specialized camera through a supplied app or SDK. Reported characteristics include no perceptible difference from the original (PSNR 30-40, SSIM 0.35-0.45), robustness to resizing, rotation, compression and cropping, resistance to extraction and alteration, per-image identification codes that permit image databases and usage logging, and application to film, paper, plastic and fabric using offset or digital printing as well as to online images, video and PC and mobile screens. Payload content is configurable to customer policy, and single or per-unit unique codes are supported.

Go-to-market

The company sells directly to enterprises through website inquiry forms and downloadable introduction documents, and indirectly through OEM-style integration of its LAB Guard modules into third-party security products from vendors including Somansa, Fasoo, JiranJigyo Soft, Innotium, Teruten, SecureLink, WaterWall Systems, Wowsoft, Kings Information & Communication, HNIX, Joeun I&S, ToCSG and LITech. Public-sector demand is addressed via Innovative Procurement Product designations and the Venture Nara procurement channel, and the site promotes free technical support for generative AI content verification as an entry offer.

Enterprise and public-sector buyers of information-leak prevention, Korean information-security software vendors that embed the watermark in their own products, generative AI and education/fintech platform operators, and IP owners including sports clubs, entertainment and character brands, retail, beauty and marketing companies.

Geography

SNAPTAG is headquartered in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and its customers and partners named on its site are predominantly Korean security vendors, sports clubs, education platforms and public agencies. International activity includes patents registered in the United States, China and Japan, a merchandise and app project for NEXON JAPAN's SUPER MAPLE PARTY, and selection for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Export Voucher Program.

History

Research and development of invisible watermark technology began in 2015, and SNAPTAG Corporation was established in 2020. In 2022 the company launched LAB Guard-S for screen security and LAB Guard-P for printout security and obtained Venture Enterprise Certification. During 2023 it added the LAB Guard-M mobile solution and a generative AI image watermark solution, set up a corporate-affiliated research institute, joined KISIA and the Generative AI Startup Association, and had several solutions designated Innovative Procurement Products. In 2024 it secured Series B funding, obtained GS certification for LAB Guard-M and received the Minister of Science and ICT Award at the Korea Information Security Product Innovation Awards. Subsequent years brought the PHOTOCODE service, the LAB Guard Tracer PC version, education and fintech platform integrations, the K-SAFE AI SDK, and additional OEM integrations with Korean security vendors.