Top Collectibles Startups in 2027

We're the leader in third-party authentication and grading services for high-value collectibles including trading cards (Professional Sports Authenticator), coins (Professional Coin Grading Services), event tickets, autographs, and memorabilia (PSA/DNA Authentication Services).

Provenia is building PASS Key, a trust layer for high-value physical objects. A small embedded security element, which combines a physically unclonable function (PUF) with a secure cryptographic module, is attached to or built into an object at its point of origin. At enrollment, it records a cryptographic measurement of the object's own physical features: the weave and surface of a canvas, the stitch pattern inside a handbag, the micro-features of a machined part. The chip and the object are bound together. Anyone authorized can verify the object with a reader. If someone cuts the tag out and moves it to a fake, the chip still responds, but the object no longer matches and verification fails. Each verification adds to a tamper-evident provenance record, so ownership, servicing and transfers build a history that can't be quietly rewritten. Brands, insurers, marketplaces and owners access that record through a subscription API. The hardware is a low-cost, one-time component; the recurring value is in the trust record. The problem Counterfeiting drains billions from luxury brands, collectors, insurers and manufacturers. Today's defenses share one weakness: the proof of authenticity can be separated from the thing it describes. Paper certificates get forged. Holograms, QR codes and NFC tags get copied or transplanted onto counterfeits. Blockchain ledgers record whatever they're told, and if the item doesn't match the entry, the ledger can't tell. The result is fraud in resale markets, disputed insurance claims, devalued genuine goods and eroding trust. Why now The building blocks are proven and affordable: PUFs, secure elements and high-resolution surface imaging. What hasn't existed is an architecture that ties them to the object itself. Provenia's patent-pending design does that. Where we start We start with luxury handbags, watches and fine art, where a single counterfeit costs thousands and brands guard their names closely.

LUDEX is a sports and trading card scanning application that digitizes trading-card collections. It utilizes technology to identify, digitize, and organize card collections on a subscription basis and helps trading-card enthusiasts track the value of card collections. The company was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Whatnot is redefining buying & selling collectibles by making is safe and fun to buy & sell online. Whatnot does this be verifying every product sold and building social shopping experiences through features like live shopping and auctions. Whatnot is backed by some of the best venture capital investors in the industry including Y Combinator, Wonder Ventures. Scribble Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures and more.

We help people turn memories into personalized figurines for meaningful gifting