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Aito has raised $6.5 million to commercialize its finger-sensing and haptic touch solutions for laptops.
The funding came from current investors KBC Focus Fund, Forward.One and Innovation Industries as well as individual high net worth investors.
The Amsterdam company will use the money to reach new customers and create new laptop haptics applications, following the successful deployment of its haptic touch solution with a major global laptop manufacturer in 2022 and 2023.
Patented finger sensing and haptic touch solution
Aito said its patented technology delivers the most accurate finger sensing and haptic touch available on the market today, enabling manufacturers of laptops and other consumer electronics to create new and engaging touch experiences for consumers.
“This additional funding round will help us capitalise on the significant interest in haptics across the consumer electronics market,” said Aito’s CEO Nedko Ivanov, in a statement. “As the technology matures, it continues to be applied to a wider number of products, delivering new and engaging experiences and providing product differentiation for [computer makers]. Companies that deploy Aito’s haptic solutions can create slimmer designs and enhance the user experience with zero compromise in terms of product performance.”
Aito’s fully customizable solution is the industry’s slimmest haptic touchpad and delivers ultra-local feedback ‘only where you press’ enabling consumer electronics manufacturers to create elegant seamless design solutions integrating haptic touch, the company said.
The technology can be customized with sensitivity and haptic feedback tuned to suit a user’s specific preferences and delivers real world sensations such as virtual buttons with edge effects, using a slider for volume controls or when scrolling, spring effects and more.
“In the past 12 months we’ve seen a growing interest in deploying haptic technology – both as a high-end differentiator in the laptop market but also as an engaging solution for other consumer electronics such as keyboards,” said Nedko. “This funding round will help us to capitalise on new opportunities and further extend our customer base.”
Rudi Severijns of KBC Focus Fund said in a statement, “Aito’s world-leading finger sensing and haptic touch technology provides the smartest and slimmest solution on the market. As the opportunities to deploy haptic technology expand, the company is perfectly placed to deploy its patented technology more widely in the consumer electronics market. This further investment demonstrates our belief in the market and reaffirms our commitment to Aito’s ongoing success.”
The company has 75 employees and it has raised $23.5 million to date. The inspiration was aimed at providing haptics that help computer makers differentiate their products. Competitors include TouchNetix, Tanvas and Sensel.
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Dean Takahashi
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