Only one company in the world can authenticate your painting and insure you against forgery: Hephaestus.

Our certificate of authenticity opens a world of affordable financial liquidity.

Hephaestus featured on the BBC:

Hephaestus was approached by the BBC to analyse paintings from the Zaks Collection using newly-developed machine learning algorithms called Pictology. Find out more →

Art Authentication Solved

Traditional analyses complemented by modern technology. Hephaestus represents the world’s highest evidentiary standard in art authentication.

In collaboration with a major insurer, Hephaestus is the world’s exclusive provider of art authenticity insurance.

01.

Provenance: We research the ownership history of the artwork through documentary evidence, from its creation to current collection.

02.

Connoiseurship: We consult with the leading specialists, art dealers, and academics to ensure the artwork is accepted by the market.

03.

Chemical Analysis: We conduct a carefully sequenced suite of scientific tests to verify that the age, process, and materials are consistent with the attribution.

04.

Pictology: Our proprietary machine learning algorithms (AI) are trained on a carefully curated high-resolution dataset of bonafide, authentic artworks. Using high-resolution images captured from a medium-format camera, Pictology is trained on a homogenous data set with fixed variables. This eliminates the need for very large data sets that can be difficult to acquire and curate.

05.

Blockchain-secured: Artworks authenticated by Hephaestus are indelibly linked to a digital record stored on a blockchain. This ensures that our authentications cannot be duplicated, edited or forged.

Selected Partners

Arise Health logoThe Paak logoOE logo2020INC logoEphicient logo

Borrow, Lend, Monetise

Before Hephaestus, art loans required personal guarantees, exorbitant coverage ratios, and carried high rates of interest.

Hephaestus’ authenticity insurance product affords collectors highly competitive, long-term loans without personal guarantees (on a non-recourse basis). Hephaestus functions as an art ratings agency to banks and as a bolt-on financial department for collectors, advisors and dealers.

Sample Terms

With
Authenticity Insurance

Without Authenticity Insurance

9

%

Interest Rate

13

%

5

YEARS

Maturity

3

YEARS

60

UP TO

Loan to Value

50

UP TO

0

x

Coverage for Recourse Loans

5

x

The Team

Denis Moiseev

CEO

Denis founded Hephaestus in 2018 with the mission of eliminating forgery from the art markets, combining his art historical expertise with his interest in developing tech-based solutions to complex problems.

Steve Maslow

CFO

Steve brings financial and global corporate expertise to Hephaestus: he was a managing director in capital markets at Bear Stearns (London) and the CEO of a private equity holding company for Bank Alkhair of Bahrain.

Ilya Kudryashov

Data Science Lead

Ilya Kudryashov is a distinguished researcher in experimental physics. Ilya has engaged in several notable research collaborations, leading to several impactful publications in reputable journals in the field of experimental physics.

Giacomo Prideaux

Business Development

Beginning as an assistant researcher during his time at Cambridge University, Giacomo joined Hephaestus full-time in 2023 as Business Development Manager. A First-class History of Art graduate and Buchanan scholar of Downing College, Cambridge, Giacomo is passionate about authenticity and has worked at major commercial galleries.

Jana Schauer

Data Consultant

Jana brings her expertise working for online wine exchanges to consult on all things product and tech with a strong focus on data acquisition pipelines, product development and innovation.

Art Authentication News & Insights

We regularly publish articles relating to art authenticity, art finance and issues of attribution with a focus on how technology can resolve one of the biggest problems in the art market.

More Insights

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