Revolutionizing Stress Management With Awear’s Wearable EEG Technology

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

December 8, 2025

Background and Inspiration

Antonio Forenza, formerly the head of research and development at Rakuten Symphony, recognized early on that managing stress required a novel approach. After shedding 40 pounds with the help of an Apple Watch that meticulously tracked his steps and calorie burn, Forenza began contemplating whether a similar wearable could be developed to monitor stress levels.

The Birth of a New Health Solution

Confronted with the absence of a device dedicated to stress measurement, Forenza leveraged his engineering expertise to bridge this gap in the consumer health market. His breakthrough came with the decision to adapt the century-old technology of the electroencephalogram (EEG)—traditionally used in clinical settings for diagnosing conditions such as epilepsy and sleep disorders—to track stress-inducing high-frequency beta brainwaves. Prolonged exposure to these rapid beta waves has been linked to exhaustion, insomnia, and mental strain.

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Introducing Awear

In collaboration with leading data scientists and biomedical engineers, Forenza developed Awear, a compact device designed for continuous monitoring of brainwave activity. According to Forenza, the device acts as an early warning system, alerting users before prolonged stress transitions into more serious health issues. The accompanying app not only details mood trends based on real-time data but also delivers AI-enhanced coaching to bolster emotional resilience.

Clinical Testing and Market Strategy

While preliminary trials, such as those conducted by Stanford University’s psychiatry department, are assessing Awear’s efficacy in detecting post-surgical confusion in elderly patients, Forenza’s primary goal remains to market the device to individual consumers. This approach mirrors the strategy employed by other popular wearables like the Oura Ring.

Funding and Future Growth

Awear’s innovation has already attracted significant attention in the startup ecosystem. The company recently secured a pre-seed funding round led by Hustle Fund, Niremia Collective, Techstars, and The Pitch Fund, and is preparing for a $5 million seed round in early 2026. Currently available through an early-access program, Awear is priced at $195 for early adopters—many of whom are startup founders familiar with the pressures of high-stress environments—and includes a complimentary lifetime subscription to the app. Following the seed round, Forenza plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign, a move that has proven effective for other leading wearable brands such as Peloton and Oura.

Looking Ahead

Forenza’s innovative use of EEG technology in a consumer-facing product not only offers a proactive solution for stress management but also signals a broader shift in how personal health monitoring devices can evolve. By merging traditional diagnostic technology with modern AI-driven coaching, Awear is positioned to redefine the landscape of stress management and consumer health monitoring for years to come.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.

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