Antonio Forenza was working as head of research and development at Rakuten Symphony, a telecommunications subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate, when he realized he needed to find a better way to manage his stress levels.
A few years earlier, he had lost 40 pounds with the help of an Apple Watch, which counted steps and calories burned, and began to wonder if there was a similar device to assess his stress.
“I wanted to lose 40 pounds out of stress, and I realized there’s no wearable for that today,” Forenza told TechCrunch.
It was then that Forenza realized he had stumbled upon a gap in the consumer health market. Drawing on his engineering background, he decided to build the device himself, using a technology over a century old: the electroencephalogram (EEG) to detect and measure electrical activity in the brain.
While the EEG is used clinically to diagnose diseases such as epilepsy and sleep disorders, it can also detect psychological stress by measuring high-frequency brain waves called beta waves. When these rapid beta waves persist for prolonged periods, they can lead to exhaustion, insomnia, and mental distress.
Forenza worked with data scientists and biomedical engineers on the development Awea small device worn behind the ear to continuously monitor brain waves. The device transmits the results to an app, which provides insight into the user’s mood and offers AI-powered coaching advice to manage stress and improve emotional resilience.
“Our brains are amazing at self-tuning and tricking us into thinking we’re not stressed,” Forenza said. “It’s good to be in ‘fight or flight’ every now and then. It’s part of our nature. But if you fall into the trap of constant ‘fight or flight,’ then it leads to chronic stress, depression, anxiety.”
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
|
13-15 October 2026
Forenza claims Awear helps users proactively block excessive stress before it leads to adverse health effects.
Awear is a Startup Battlefield 200 finalist at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, where it won the health category pitch competition.
While Stanford University’s psychiatry department is currently testing the device to detect confusion and disorientation in elderly patients after surgery, Forenza’s primary focus is on selling Awear to individual consumers, similar to the approach taken by the Oura ring and other consumer wearables.
Earlier this year, Awear closed a pre-funding round led by Hustle Fund, Niremia Collective, Techstars and The Pitch Fund, and the company plans to raise a $5 million seed round in early 2026.
Currently, Awear is only available for purchase through the Early Access Program. The device is available to early adopters — a group that already includes many other startup founders, a hard-pressed group — for $195, which includes a free lifetime subscription.
After raising the seed round, the company will launch a Kickstarter campaign, following a strategy used by devices like the Peloton and Oura. “It’s a path that’s worked for a lot of other wearables. It gives you a lot of visibility and it’s a good way to get customers,” Forenza said.
