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Overview
Afference.io develops neural interfaces and wearable haptic devices that let people feel digital objects. Its flagship Phantom device uses actuators and neural stimulation to create tactile sensations when users interact with virtual, augmented, or mixed reality environments. The technology works by pairing motion or touch data with targeted stimulation in a wearable form, translating digital contact into felt feedback. The company differentiates itself through decades of research in artificial sensations, a focus on tactile perception across VR/AR/MR, and a business model that combines direct device sales with licensing to other manufacturers, serving clients from game studios to movie producers and hardware makers. Its goal is to expand spatial computing by enabling realistic touch in digital experiences and to grow adoption by offering integrated hardware and licensing partnerships.
About Afference
Industries
Hardware
VR & AR
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$5.2M
Headquarters
Boulder, Colorado
Founded
2022
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Afference closed a $3.5 million seed round in October 2024 with Samsung Next.
- On 2026-07-14, LinkedIn listed Tyler Reynolds as Director of Enterprise Sales.
- Afference's site updated 2026-07-02, signaling continuing press visibility and CES momentum.
What critics are saying
- Afference still sells a niche prototype; no mass-market ship date appears on its site.
- Apple Vision Pro, Meta Ray-Ban, and Samsung XR compress pricing power in 2026.
- Without enterprise OEM contracts by 2027, Afference remains a hardware-funding treadmill.
What makes Afference unique
- Jacob Segil and Dustin Tyler built nerve-driven haptics, not vibration motors, by CES 2024.
- Afference Ring targets touchless interfaces for smart glasses, positioning around spatial computing.
- CES 2024 Best of Innovation and CES 2025 debut validate the technical moat.
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Funding
Total Funding
$5.2M
Below
Industry Average
Funded Over
3 Rounds
Industry standards
Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Company Equity
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↓ -4%2 year growth
↑ 4%Afference, a leader in neural interface technology, has secured $3.5M in an oversubscribed seed funding round. Investors include Hannah Grey VC, Konvoy, and Samsung Next. The funds will advance the development of Afference's haptic solutions, notably the Afference Ring, which will debut at CES 2025.
Six Northeast Ohio companies have won more than $1 million in Ohio Third Frontier grants.
Do you want to get the latest gaming industry news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily and weekly newsletters here. I got up early in Las Vegas to check out Afference, and I’m glad I did. In a suite at the Venetian during the CES 2024 tech trade show, founders Jacob Segil and Dustin Tyler showed me how they create artificial touch sensations by putting some wired rings on my fingers.They stimulated the rings with wires and I felt a haptic sensation in my fingers. The founders of Afference — — call it the Phantom. It can relay tactile information to the brain so that you feel things that aren’t there. It’s a new step in developing a neural interface for the brain and digital electronics.“For the first time, this is what we call neural haptic,” Segil said in an interview with GamesBeat
GamesBeat Next unites gaming industry leaders for exceptional content, networking, and deal-making opportunities. Join us on Oct 23-24 in San Francisco. Register Now Afference announced today that it has raised $1.5 million in funding to develop its new neural interface (or “artificial sensation”) platform, called Phantom. Konvoy led the round, and Afference plans to use […]
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About Afference
Industries
Hardware
VR & AR
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$5.2M
Headquarters
Boulder, Colorado
Founded
2022
Afference is Hiring for 5 Jobs on Simplify!
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today