Teijin invests in smart textile company Elitac
December 07, 2018 - Japan
Teijin has announced that on November 29, 2018, it acquired 25,000 shares or 20 per cent of the outstanding shares of Elitac, a start-up company that develops textiles and clothing integrated with wearable sensing devices, from the Netherlands. The shares were purchased through Teijin Aramid, the core company of Teijin’s aramid business, in the Netherlands.
Gerben de Bree, leader of Teijin’s Total Safety Solution Provider (TSSP) platform, was appointed as a member of Elitac’s board on November 29, 2018, Teijin said in a media statement.
Teijin and Elitac aim to co-develop solutions that will strengthen and evolve Teijin as a TSSP of initiatives for safety, security, and disaster mitigation. The investment fits into Teijin’s TSSP platform and reflects Teijin’s strong belief in the value of integrating new technologies into apparel for firefighters, police, emergency personnel, and other first responders who frequently work under high stress and in hazardous conditions.
“The ability of Elitac to quickly develop ideas from concept to first prototype by working closely with end users convinced us to deepen our relationship by taking an equity stake in the company,” Ton de Weijer, director of solution 2.0 in Teijin’s new business division said.
“Teijin’s TSSP strategy perfectly fits with our aim to develop wearables for professionals by integrating electronics and textiles. The investment of Teijin enables us to professionalise and scale our wearable development. It is the starting point of the Elitac Wearable Innovation Lab for electronics in textile wearables”, Merijn Klarenbeek, CEO and co-founder of Elitac said.
Elitac is developing innovative smart textiles and clothing integrated with technologies for tactile information, navigation and wearable sensing devices. In 2017, the company developed the Sentaz tactile navigation system through Sentaz, a 50:50 joint venture between Teijin Aramid and Elitac. Sentaz tactile navigation system translates visual and audio instructions from standard navigation systems into gentle vibrations in the driving seats of first-responder vehicles including fire engines, ambulances, and police cars. This reduces the response time and mental pressure of first responder drivers in high-stress environments, allowing them to focus better on the road. Multiple first responder vehicles in The Netherlands are already equipped with Sentaz tactile navigation. (GK)
Gerben de Bree, leader of Teijin’s Total Safety Solution Provider (TSSP) platform, was appointed as a member of Elitac’s board on November 29, 2018, Teijin said in a media statement.
Teijin and Elitac aim to co-develop solutions that will strengthen and evolve Teijin as a TSSP of initiatives for safety, security, and disaster mitigation. The investment fits into Teijin’s TSSP platform and reflects Teijin’s strong belief in the value of integrating new technologies into apparel for firefighters, police, emergency personnel, and other first responders who frequently work under high stress and in hazardous conditions.
“The ability of Elitac to quickly develop ideas from concept to first prototype by working closely with end users convinced us to deepen our relationship by taking an equity stake in the company,” Ton de Weijer, director of solution 2.0 in Teijin’s new business division said.
“Teijin’s TSSP strategy perfectly fits with our aim to develop wearables for professionals by integrating electronics and textiles. The investment of Teijin enables us to professionalise and scale our wearable development. It is the starting point of the Elitac Wearable Innovation Lab for electronics in textile wearables”, Merijn Klarenbeek, CEO and co-founder of Elitac said.
Elitac is developing innovative smart textiles and clothing integrated with technologies for tactile information, navigation and wearable sensing devices. In 2017, the company developed the Sentaz tactile navigation system through Sentaz, a 50:50 joint venture between Teijin Aramid and Elitac. Sentaz tactile navigation system translates visual and audio instructions from standard navigation systems into gentle vibrations in the driving seats of first-responder vehicles including fire engines, ambulances, and police cars. This reduces the response time and mental pressure of first responder drivers in high-stress environments, allowing them to focus better on the road. Multiple first responder vehicles in The Netherlands are already equipped with Sentaz tactile navigation. (GK)