Aito raises €4.1m, appoints new CEO
The latest round for Aito was led by current investors including KBC Focus Fund, FORWARD.One and Innovation Industries who backed the company with €3m in August last year.
The integrated finger sensing and haptic feedback touchpad is less than 2.4mm thick and provides ultra-local haptic feedback ‘only where you press’ enabling seamless design alongside bigger batteries in laptops.
The technology can be scaled to offer the largest edge-to-edge touchpads in the industry and provides consumer technology companies with new design options to create more compact and versatile laptops, accessories, displays and other devices delivering new user experiences based on tactile feedback.
“This new round of funding reflects the enormous potential of the haptic touch market and is a testament to progress made by the Aito team. Our integrated finger sensing and haptic feedback product is ready to be commercialised in a range of consumer technology devices including the lucrative laptop market. This investment makes the global roll out of our product a reality,” said Nedko Ivanov who joined as CEO earlier this month.
Ivanov was previously CEO of Redux, a UK haptic touch business that that spun out of HiWave (formerly flat speaker developer NXT) in 2013 and was acquired by Google’s owner Alphabet in 2017. He has also served as CEO of internet security software company, BullGuard, which was later acquired by Avira.
- Redux Labs spins out from HiWave to develop haptics tech
- Aito offers touch sensors with haptic feedback
- Aito raises €2m for piezo sensors
Ivanov replaces Peter Kurstjens who had been in the CEO role since 2014.
“With almost 80 patents, we have built a significant portfolio of intellectual property in electronic sensing, control, signal processing and mechanical construction,” said Ivanov. “This enables us to provide a fully integrated haptic solution, allowing consumer technology companies to create intuitive touch experiences housed in elegant designs. This investment, combined with the team’s expertise in bringing haptic solutions to market, provides us with the scope to truly extend our reach in the global market and transform how consumer electronics devices are designed and used.”
“Aito has invested significantly in building the most integrated and customisable finger sensing and haptic feedback solution for consumer electronics devices. This market is set for significant growth and this investment will fuel Aito’s drive to offer companies new ways to deliver an engaging and reliable user interface between humans and consumer technology devices,” said Rudi Severijns from KBC Focus Fund.
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