Touchwaves, a Dutch deeptech startup and
spin-off from TNO, has raised €1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round. The
round was led by SecFund, which supports startups, scale-ups, and innovative
SMEs addressing the innovation needs of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Regional
Development Agencies under ROM-Nederland.
Additional participants include TNO
Ventures, Brabant Startup Fonds, imec.istart, and Joanna Invests. The round
also received support from NWO through its Take-off 2 program, which advances
high-potential, research-based innovations.
Founded by Charlotte Kjellander and Martin Romero, Touchwaves develops wearable haptics technologies designed to support
human performance and situational awareness, enabling more intuitive
interaction with complex systems in high-workload environments.
Human factors remain a significant challenge
in aviation, with research indicating that a large share of non-combat
incidents are linked to human error. This highlights the need for innovation
that places human performance at the centre of system design, particularly in
military aviation.
Touchwaves is currently working with the Dutch
Ministry of Defence, including the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Forces and
the Center for Man in Aviation, on the development of wearable haptics systems
aimed at enhancing pilot performance in fighter jet operations.
Charlotte Kjellander, co-founder of
Touchwaves, noted that while much of the innovation in military aviation has
focused on aircraft systems, the company’s approach prioritises human
performance:
By supporting pilots with intuitive,
non-invasive haptic feedback, we help them operate more effectively in the most
demanding environments.
While military aviation is Touchwaves’ initial
focus, the technology is designed for broader dual-use applications across
other high-stress environments.
Martin Romero, co-founder, added that the
technology is intended to complement existing systems by improving situational
awareness and supporting resilience under high workload and stress.
Future use cases include elite sports ( where
haptics can support breathing guidance, body awareness, and recovery), ground
operations (where haptic alerts may assist with fatigue and workload
management),and healthcare and wellbeing (where tactile guidance could help
individuals develop focus, awareness, and resilience). These applications align
with Touchwaves’ long-term objective of establishing haptics as a core
interface for enhancing human performance in environments characterised by high
cognitive load and stress.
The company plans to use the new funding to
accelerate the development of a next generation of dual-use wearable haptics
technologies aimed at further improving human performance and situational
awareness in high-stress environments.