Antonio Forenza

Antonio Forenza, PhD, is a deep-tech entrepreneur, inventor, and neurotechnology pioneer with a career spanning more than two decades in wireless communications and artificial intelligence. Forenza holds a PhD in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science degree from Politecnico di Torino. He is an inventor with more than 250 patents issued worldwide, has contributed to wireless standards, and authored numerous IEEE publications.

Before transitioning to neurotechnology, Forenza built a track record in the wireless industry. He developed software and hardware products for 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular infrastructures, generated intellectual property for cloud-native 6G networks, and led engineering teams in startups and multinational corporations. He co-founded Artemis Networks, which pioneered Distributed Massive-MIMO vRAN technology for 5G mobile networks and achieved a tenfold connectivity speed improvement during deployment at the San Jose Sharks arena. Before founding AWEAR, Forenza served as senior vice president of research and development at Rakuten Symphony, where he led intellectual property management, standardization, and R&D lab development.

Forenza’s transition from telecommunications to neurotechnology was influenced by a personal challenge. While leading research and development at Rakuten Symphony, he sought better ways to manage stress levels. Having previously lost weight with the help of a wearable device, he identified a gap in the consumer health market for stress assessment tools. Drawing on his engineering background, Forenza developed a device using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to detect and measure electrical activity in the brain. His interest in neuroscience and experience with mindfulness meditation inspired him to create AWEAR, a wearable device focused on emotional well-being.

Forenza is the founder of AWEAR, a neurotechnology startup developing an emotion-aware wearable platform that uses EEG and artificial intelligence to provide individuals with real-time insights into their emotional well-being. He collaborated with data scientists and biomedical engineers to develop AWEAR, a discreet device worn behind the ear for continuous brainwave monitoring. The device transmits results to an app, which provides information about the wearer’s mood and offers AI-powered coaching advice for managing stress and improving emotional resilience. Stanford University’s psychiatry department has tested the device to detect confusion and disorientation in elderly patients after surgery.

AWEAR has received recognition in the startup and health technology communities. The company won the Best Stage Pitch for Health Award at TechCrunch Battlefield 200 and closed a pre-seed funding round led by Hustle Fund, Niremia Collective, Techstars, and The Pitch Fund. Forenza is recognized as a voice on the future of neurotechnology and mental wellness, participating at SXSW to discuss how artificial intelligence transforms neural signals into actionable insights, enabling real-time closed-loop systems, new human-computer interfaces, and advancements in neurotechnology. He has also spoken at the Ageless Evolution Longevity Summit and appeared on "The Pitch" podcast, where he discussed the importance of data-driven approaches to brain wellness.