The promise of seeing inside a sealed box without opening it has long been a trade-off between safety and speed. X-ray systems offer a view but require shielding and trained operators, creating a bottleneck in the flow of goods. ThruWave Inc., a Seattle-based hardware and software company founded in 2017, is betting that a different kind of wave,specifically, low-power, high-frequency millimeter waves,can break that compromise. Its core proposition is a human-safe imaging system that integrates directly into existing conveyor lines, allowing for 100% inspection of packages and mail without slowing down operations [ThruWave].
The wedge between safety and throughput
ThruWave's technology is built around a proprietary 3D millimeter-wave imaging sensor paired with reconstruction and analytics software. The company emphasizes that its systems use radio waves, not ionizing radiation, meaning they are inherently safe for operators and can be installed without protective shielding or special training [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. This safety claim is central to its market entry, particularly in environments like mail processing facilities where personnel are in constant proximity to scanning equipment. The hardware is designed as a retrofit for existing conveyors and robotic material-handling systems, aiming to minimize disruption during deployment [ThruWave].
A dual-market strategy
The company has carved out two primary, and notably distinct, application wedges. The first is supply chain and logistics optimization. Here, the X2 mmWave Imaging System is marketed as the world's only patented high-speed 3D system for inspecting inside closed containers like corrugated boxes and plastic totes [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. It promises to automatically dimension, count, and detect anomalies,such as leaks, breaks, or incorrect items,for warehouse, fulfillment, and manufacturing customers. The second, more recent, and perhaps more pointed wedge is security. ThruWave now positions itself as offering the world's first fully automated mail contraband detection solution, screening envelopes and parcels in real time to flag hidden drugs, firearms, or tobacco [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. This dual focus provides diversification but also requires navigating two separate regulatory and customer landscapes.
The team behind the patents
Technical credibility appears to be a core asset. The founding team includes Claire Watts, who serves as CEO and brings prior executive experience from Walmart and Limited Stores; Andreas Pedross-Engel, the Founder and CTO; and Matt Reynolds, a Founder and Chief Scientist [RocketReach, retrieved 2026]. The company notes that team members have been named on over 100 patents and patent applications related to mmWave imaging and radar systems [ThruWave, retrieved 2026]. In 2021, the company brought on Pieter Krynauw as CEO, a move that likely signaled a shift toward commercial scaling [ThruWave, March 2021]. The collective expertise spans applied physics, electromagnetics, signal processing, and machine learning, a foundation necessary for translating a complex sensing modality into a reliable industrial product [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024].
| Founder | Title | Notable Background |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Watts | CEO, Co-Founder | Former SVP of Merchandising, Walmart; former executive, Limited Stores [Osage University Partners, retrieved 2026] |
| Andreas Pedross-Engel | CTO, Co-Founder | Technical lead on mmWave imaging systems [RocketReach, retrieved 2026] |
| Matt Reynolds | Chief Scientist, Co-Founder | Professor; technical expert in radar and sensing systems [LinkedIn, retrieved 2024] |
| Pieter Krynauw | CEO (effective March 2021) | Brought on to lead commercial operations [Automation.com, retrieved 2026] |
Traction and the path to scale
ThruWave operates at the seed stage with an estimated 15 employees as of mid-2025 [LeadIQ, retrieved 2026]. Public funding details are sparse, but data aggregators report a total raised of approximately $8.6 million across multiple rounds from investors including In-Q-Tel, the National Science Foundation, E14 Fund, and Ubiquity Ventures [Tracxn, retrieved 2026]. The company has earned industry recognition, winning a Best New Product award at the 2021 MHI Innovation Awards [PR Newswire, April 2021]. Its public traction narrative relies on generic customer descriptions,"supply chain and logistics customers" and "mail processing facilities",rather than named deployments, which is not uncommon for a hardware company selling into sensitive operational and security contexts [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024].
Where the wheels could come off
For all its technical promise, ThruWave's bet faces several credible counterpressures. The market it seeks to serve is not vacant. Established competitors like L3Harris and Smiths Group PLC offer mature inspection solutions, though they may rely on different technologies like X-ray. Furthermore, the company's dual-market strategy, while diversifying revenue, also splits focus. Selling to a logistics VP about throughput is a different conversation than selling to a security director about contraband detection; each has its own procurement cycles, compliance hurdles, and incumbent relationships. Finally, as a hardware-centric business, scaling manufacturing and field service presents capital intensity and execution risks that pure software companies avoid. The company's most plausible answer to these pressures lies in its patented technology wedge and the operational simplicity it claims. By being both safe and fast, it aims to open up inspection use cases that were previously impractical, such as scanning 100% of items on a high-speed parcel sortation line. If it can prove reliability and ROI in early lighthouse deployments, it could define a new category between traditional quality control and security screening.
The next twelve months
The coming year will likely be defined by commercial proof. Key milestones to watch include the announcement of a first major, named customer in either logistics or mail security, which would provide a concrete traction signal. Given its stage and headcount, another funding round to support manufacturing and sales expansion is a reasonable expectation. Technically, advancements in its AI-powered analytics software, which turns raw sensor data into "actionable items" for warehouse management systems, will be critical for moving beyond mere imaging to providing integrated operational intelligence [ThruWave].
For the operations managers in fulfillment centers and the security teams in mail facilities, the current standard of care involves a choice. They can accept the risk of uninspected goods moving through their systems, they can sample manually,a slow and inconsistent process,or they can install shielded, human-operated X-ray systems that create bottlenecks and safety protocols. ThruWave's proposition is to remove that choice altogether by making inspection continuous, automated, and safe. The patient population, in this case, is the global flow of physical goods, and the disease state is the hidden error, leak, or threat inside a sealed container. The company's next phase will test whether its unique wavelength can become the new standard.
Sources
- [ThruWave] Home - ThruWave | https://thruwave.com/
- [RocketReach, retrieved 2026] Founder titles and background | https://rocketreach.co/
- [ThruWave, retrieved 2026] Patent portfolio claim | https://thruwave.com/
- [ThruWave, March 2021] Pieter Krynauw Joins ThruWave as CEO | https://www.thruwave.com/pieter-krynauw-joins-thruwave-as-ceo
- [Osage University Partners, retrieved 2026] Claire Watts CEO profile | https://www.osageuniversitypartners.com/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2024] Matt Reynolds profile | https://www.linkedin.com/company/thruwave-inc
- [Tracxn, retrieved 2026] Funding total | https://tracxn.com/
- [PR Newswire, April 2021] 2021 MHI Innovation Award | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thruwave-3dmm-wave-imaging-named-best-new-product-innovation-2021-mhi-innovation-awards-301269691.html
- [Automation.com, retrieved 2026] Pieter Krynauw CEO announcement | https://www.automation.com/
- [LeadIQ, retrieved 2026] Employee count estimate | https://www.leadiq.com/