Sunny Ray talks with Brent, co-founder and CEO of HapTech Holdings, about building hardware that turns audio into full-body vibration felt through the feet. Brent spent two decades in consumer goods and operations before pivoting to hardware, eventually acquiring the original haptic footwear technology from DropLabs and cofounding HapTech Holdings in March 2022 with clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Dansiger. What began as an immersive entertainment product for gamers and music lovers evolved into a wellness tool being tested for EMDR therapy, addiction treatment, Parkinson's disease symptom relief, and potentially Alzheimer's care. Brent describes how bilateral stimulation through the feet, rich with nerve endings, can reduce stress and anxiety, improve balance and motor skills, and increase spatial body awareness. He shares a striking observation of a Parkinson's patient regaining mobility within minutes of wearing the shoes. The conversation also covers HapTech's four core products, its low-inventory made-to-order model, upcoming theater and sensory room applications, and Brent's personal motivation tied to his mother's early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis.
A hardware founder explains how vibrating shoes that turn sound into feeling are being used to calm minds and treat Parkinson's.
In your own words, what are you guys building at HapTech Holdings?
We take audio and break it down into vibration you feel through your feet, since that's where you have the most nerve endings. It started as an entertainment product for gamers and music lovers, then my partner Steve, a clinical psychologist, saw it could be used in EMDR trauma therapy. Now we're exploring applications for Parkinson's, addiction treatment, and even Alzheimer's.
You spent 20 plus years in consumer goods and operations before building hardware. What was young Brent into?
Not really hardware specifically, but I always loved tinkering, taking things apart just to see how they worked and putting them back together, which annoyed my parents at times. My career actually started in corporate finance in apparel and fashion, then moved into e-commerce operations and startups. I later worked for a Japanese company where I got my first taste of wearable tech.
What was DropLabs about? Is that connected to HapTech?
DropLabs was the company that originally invented the technology, and we ended up acquiring their IP. It began with a former professional drummer feeling vibrations off a studio floor and wanting that feeling all the time. We saw the entertainment upside for gamers, proven out in a UCLA study on reaction time, but also a huge opportunity in health and wellness that wasn't originally on the radar.
Can you walk me through the moment the entertainment idea quietly became a health idea?
My partner Steve specializes in EMDR therapy, which uses bilateral stimulation to help reprocess trauma. When he tested the shoes, he realized he could use them in his own EMDR trainings and practice, combining the bilateral feeling in the feet with sound. From there we fell into other applications, like Parkinson's, almost by accident, and saw immediate impact.
You've said first to market isn't always the goal and that competition can help everyone. Can you explain that?
Haptics used to be a very white space, so early on we had to do a lot of explaining just to get people to understand what the product was. Now more companies use haptics, especially in gaming, and I see that as helpful because we're not the only ones breaking down that barrier anymore. In wellness specifically, we feel like we're leading, so we're excited to keep moving.
What broke or nearly broke you on the road to a shippable hardware product?
Investors are tougher on hardware because they assume you have to carry a lot of inventory sitting around. The beauty for us is we're basically made to order right now, so we're not carrying much inventory on our first product. We've also secured commitments, including pilot programs to get our floor mat product into on and off-Broadway theaters.
Was there a moment the mission stopped being just a line and became real for you?
Yes, when I saw the transformation in a Parkinson's patient I visited in Aspen. He put the shoes on and within minutes was standing on one foot and extending his leg, something his wife and longtime trainer said he couldn't do even five minutes earlier. My own mother has early-onset Alzheimer's, so proving this could help cognitive ability is a real passion project for me too.
What is it like for someone hearing about HapTech for the first time? What does it actually do when you put it on?
It's all wireless and battery powered, no wires involved. You connect through our app, play music from something like Spotify, and that sound transmits into vibration through the insoles or sandals. You can actually feel the difference between the bass, the vocals, and the highs and lows, almost precisely enough to tell what song you're listening to.
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