Exciting things are happening for Undercover Colors, a high-tech nail polish that changes color when exposed to date rape drugs. News of the varnish went viral when the concept was first presented by four North Carolina State University undergrads in 2014. Since then, their Raleigh-based startup has gone on to raise $5.5 million, and has completed the research and development phases of the project. They also became the first partnership for The Pink Ceiling, an all-women consulting and investment group founded by leading women’s health advocate and entrepreneur Cindy Whitehead. “I have two nieces and Undercover Colors gives them power, literally at their fingertips, in what could otherwise feel like a powerless circumstance,” says Whitehead.
When wearing Undercover Colors polish, if a woman suspects her drink has been spiked with a date rape drug, she can simply dip her finger into the beverage and, within seconds, the polish will change color if the presence of a drug has been detected. “Campus violence has reached epidemic proportions, and a movement in which women can take back power with groundbreaking technology is exciting,” says Whitehead. “Now imagine the broader impact that shift may have in promoting a candid social conversation about the problem itself—that’s the type of breakthrough for women I want to see.”
