Dutch deeptech spin off Touchwaves has raised €1.5 million in pre seed funding to accelerate the development of its next generation wearable haptics platform designed to boost human performance and situational awareness in high workload environments. The round was led by SecFund in collaboration with national innovation agencies supporting the Dutch Ministry of Defence, with additional participation from TNO Ventures, Brabant Startup Fonds, imec istart and Joanna Invests. The raise reflects growing demand for human centered technologies that enhance safety, cognition and resilience in complex operational settings.
Putting Human Performance at the Front of Innovation
Touchwaves was founded by Charlotte Kjellander and Martin Romero as a spin off from TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. The company develops wearable haptics systems that deliver intuitive tactile signals to help users interpret information faster and make better decisions in high stress conditions.
Rather than relying on visual or auditory warnings, the technology uses carefully modulated tactile cues delivered through lightweight wearable devices. These cues guide attention, improve spatial orientation and help users respond quickly without overloading their senses. This approach places the human operator at the centre of system design at a time when many industries face rising demands on cognitive capacity and situational awareness.
Addressing Human Factors in Military Aviation
Human error remains a leading cause of non combat aviation incidents, underscoring the need for tools that support concentration, awareness and decision making. Touchwaves is currently collaborating with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, including the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Forces and the Center for Man in Aviation, to develop haptic wearables that enhance pilot performance during fighter jet operations.
In these extreme environments, pilots face rapid information flow, high physical forces and intense mental workload. Touchwaves technology aims to provide subtle but precise haptic feedback that helps pilots maintain orientation, interpret threats and manage tasks more efficiently without adding to cockpit complexity.
Co founder Charlotte Kjellander emphasises that innovation in military aviation has historically prioritised aircraft systems rather than human capability. She explains that Touchwaves flips this perspective by designing solutions that bolster the performance of the pilot rather than the aircraft.
Beyond Aircraft, Toward Dual Use Applications
Although military aviation is Touchwaves first domain, the founders envision a broad future for haptics across other high demand environments. The company is developing a dual use strategy that brings its technology into fields where stress, cognitive load and rapid decision making are central challenges.
Potential applications include elite sports, where haptic signals could support breathing regulation, posture awareness and recovery. Ground operations teams, such as emergency responders and military units, may benefit from subtle tactile alerts that help manage fatigue, focus and workload. In healthcare and wellbeing, wearable haptics could support individuals working on mindfulness, body awareness or stress resilience.
Co founder Martin Romero notes that Touchwaves aims to complement existing systems rather than replace them. The technology is designed to integrate with current workflows and enhance the awareness and resilience of the user without introducing intrusive or distracting stimuli.
Strategic Investment to Accelerate Growth
The newly secured funding will enable Touchwaves to expand its engineering and research teams and accelerate the development of a next generation wearable haptics platform. The company plans to strengthen its capabilities in sensor integration, wearable design, data processing and long term reliability for demanding operational environments.
The investment will also support new partnerships focused on testing and validation with both defence and civilian stakeholders. As Touchwaves pushes toward broader commercial deployment, it will continue refining its core objective: establishing haptics as a trusted and essential interface for enhancing human performance in high stress, high consequence settings.
A New Frontier for Human Centered Technology
Touchwaves represents a growing shift toward technologies that amplify human capability rather than automate or replace it. By delivering an intuitive channel of sensory information, the company is pioneering a new class of tools that could redefine how professionals operate in aviation, defence, emergency response, elite sports and health.
As global interest in performance enhancing technologies rises, Touchwaves stands at the forefront of a movement that blends human factors science with advanced haptics to create safer, more effective and more resilient operational environments.
