Teijin, a Japanese chemical, pharmaceutical and information technology company, acquired 25,000 shares, or 20% of the outstanding shares of Elitac B.V., a Utrecht, Netherlands-based startup that develops textiles and clothing integrated with wearable sensing devices. The shares were purchased through Teijin Aramid B.V., the core company of the Teijin Group’s aramid business, located in Arnhem, The Netherlands.
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As part of the acquisition, Gerben de Bree, leader of Teijin’s Total Safety Solution Provider (TSSP) platform, was appointed as a member of Elitac’s board, says a Press Release.
The two companies now aim to co-develop solutions that will strengthen and evolve Teijin as a TSSP of initiatives for safety, security and disaster mitigation. The investment reflects Teijin’s strong belief in the value of integrating new technologies into apparel for firefighters, police, emergency personnel and other first responders who frequently work under high stress and in hazardous conditions.
Elitac develops innovative smart textiles and clothing integrated with technologies for tactile information, navigation and wearable sensing devices. In 2017, the company developed the Sentaz tactile navigation system through Sentaz B.V. Opening a new window, a 50:50 joint venture between Teijin Aramid and Elitac.
“The ability of Elitac to quickly develop ideas from concept to first prototype by working closely with end users convinced us to deepen our relationship by taking an equity stake in the company,” said Ton de Weijer, Director of Solution 2.0 in Teijin Limited’s New Business Division.
“Teijin’s TSSP strategy perfectly fits with our aim to develop wearables for professionals by integrating electronics and textiles. The investment of Teijin enables us to professionalize and scale our wearable development. It is the starting point of the Elitac Wearable Innovation Lab for electronics in textile wearables,” said Merijn Klarenbeek, CEO and co-founder of Elitac.
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Teijin is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the areas of environmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased health consciousness. Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibers such as aramid, carbon fibers & composites, healthcare, films, resin & plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT products.
