Touchwaves raises €1.5 million to accelerate development of next-gen wearable technology for NATO air forces

By delivering intuitive tactile feedback through wearable systems, Touchwaves enables pilots to manage high workload and stress, directly addressing a human‑factors challenge behind ~80% of non‑combat aviation mishaps. Its dual‑use potential is inherently significant, with applications extending from elite sports recovery and ground-force fatigue management to healthcare solutions that support focus and resilience.

‘While most innovations in military aviation focus on aircraft systems, our mission is to elevate human performance,’ said Charlotte Kjellander, co-founder of Touchwaves. ‘By supporting pilots with intuitive, non-invasive feedback, we help them operate more effectively in the most demanding environments.’

‘Modern aircraft are incredibly advanced, but the human remains the decisive factor,’ added Martin Romero, co-founder of Touchwaves. ‘Our technology is designed to complement existing systems by enhancing situational awareness and resilience under high workload and stress.’

The investment round was led by SecFund, a fund supporting startups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs that address 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 (BSF), financing innovative and knowledge-intensive startups in North Brabant; imec.istart, imec’s open accelerator program; and Joanna Invests, a community of women investing in women who are building companies with global impact. The round also includes support from NWO (Take-off Phase 2), the Dutch Research Council’s program for advancing high-potential, research-based innovations.

This investment round underscores why TNO’s spin-off ecosystem matters: translating applied research into scalable impact, faster.