Amsterdam-based Waving has closed a 2.6-million-euro pre-seed funding round for its AI-powered solution to detect humans using Wi-Fi, even through walls. The money is earmarked for trials already underway at Schiphol Airport and a new pilot with the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Safety. The investment comes from several venture capital firms and angel investors, including Caesar, SI Ventures, Lightfield Equity and I-Lab Angels.
Current security solutions like security cameras, infrared sensors and radar systems often offer insufficient protection for critical areas and assets. They frequently trigger false alarms, are sensitive to weather conditions and typically rely on a direct line of sight, creating blind spots behind walls or at greater distances. This leads to dependence on security personnel, which is in short supply due to the tight labor market. Moreover, security cameras raise potential privacy issues.
Waving’s solution creates a mesh network of Wi-Fi waves, serving as an invisible security layer that penetrates any size area, both inside and outdoors, under any weather condition. Proprietary AI models detect any movement or presence in real-time at defense-grade accuracy. They run on a small, energy-efficient edge chip, making Waving’s devices easy to deploy in concealed, out-of-sight locations. Fully privacy-proof, the technology integrates with any existing security system. It can also be deployed as a portable solution for response teams.
“A priority at a major international hub is to address constantly changing security challenges across thousands of hectares without compromising privacy or creating alert fatigue for our teams,” says Jasper Mutsaers, program manager security at Royal Schiphol Group. “Waving’s Wi-Fi sensing technology has successfully demonstrated its capability to detect human presence through walls and in complex areas where traditional systems fail. Securing three new proofs-of-concept with them is a strategic step forward in our mission to adopt innovative, privacy-first solutions for perimeter security and indoor presence detection across the airport.”
Waving is also collaborating with the Ministry of Justice and Security’s Startup in Residence program. “Together with them and a few interested organizations within the ministry, we’ll start a pilot to detect persons inside buildings using their Wi-Fi technology,” explains Arthur Admiraal, Startup Officer for the Ministry of Justice. “If this works, it could benefit the safety of our people in the field.”
“Waving addresses a critical gap in infrastructure security, essential for European resilience,” comments Carolin Gabor, managing partner and co-founder of VC firm Caesar. “We were immediately impressed by the team’s defense-grade expertise and advanced Wi-Fi wave technology. They’ve built a scalable architecture for complex sites that’s cost-efficient, privacy-preserving and complementary to existing systems.”
