As 2024 comes to a close, we sat down with Dr. Taj Manku, CEO & Co-Founder of Cognitive Systems, to discuss the evolution of Wi-Fi Sensing, the company’s milestones, and what’s on the horizon for 2025. In this interview, Dr. Manku shares his perspective on market trends, the growing demand for caregiving solutions, and the innovative strides Cognitive is making in the industry.
Q: How has market demand for Wi-Fi Sensing evolved, and what trends did you notice in 2024?
Dr. Manku: One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen is how Wi-Fi Sensing is moving from being a “nice-to-have” technology to something companies see as essential. There is now pressure among the ISP market to launch Wi-Fi Sensing before their competitors. In the telecommunications space, you hear a lot about ISPs who are concerned about net promoter score and average revenue per user. And this has grown to the point where Tier 1 ISPs are no longer just curious—they’re engaging with us, exploring the technology, and putting it on their roadmaps. It’s validating to see that shift because it confirms the long-term potential of what we’re building.
Another standout trend has been the pull we’ve seen for wellness monitoring and caregiving solutions—to an extent that has honestly surprised us. Eldercare, in particular, is becoming a key focus because it addresses a gap in the market for an aging population that overwhelmingly wants to do so from the comfort of their own home. People are looking for pre-care solutions—ways to monitor and support loved ones before they reach a crisis point. That level of demand isn’t just a chance to lead and define a new market but to have a profound impact on millions of people.
Q: Reflecting on 2024, what were Cognitive’s standout achievements, and what made this year unique for the company?
Dr. Manku: 2024 was a milestone year for Cognitive. We didn’t just maintain the momentum we’ve built up over the last decade, but we’ve also built on it in some pretty remarkable ways. This was a year of incredible growth and global expansion for WiFi Motion, thanks in large part to the fantastic partnerships we’ve both established and nurtured.
A moment that I’m particularly proud of is that we’re commercializing our caregiving solutions through our collaboration with Electronic Caregiver. The caregiving and wellness monitoring industries are only growing, and there are clear gaps that need filling when it comes to accessible and affordable solutions. Together, we’ve created the opportunity to reach over 150,000 homes—a truly meaningful milestone when you consider the lives we’re helping to improve.
And on the technology front, we achieved something I’m incredibly excited about—integrating our motion sensing algorithm into inexpensive chipsets that are now in production. This brings motion-sensing capabilities to low-cost hardware like smart plugs, making the technology more accessible to entirely new markets and, most importantly, more users. The flexibility of delivering WiFi Motion onto client-based devices means our technology is accessible by more clients for more unique applications, which will ultimately help us be more forward-thinking as we continue to grow.
Q: Every year has its challenges. Were there any in 2024 that shaped how Cognitive approaches Wi-Fi Sensing or its applications?
Dr. Manku: Absolutely – there’s nothing easy about trying to innovate a relatively novel technology while simultaneously defining and expanding the market for it. One of our biggest challenges was figuring out how to grow beyond just the traditional router and access point model. For a long time, Wi-Fi Sensing was tied to ISPs and their infrastructure, but not every business operates in that space—or has access to that hardware.
We tackled this head-on by developing a solution that works with those low-cost smart plugs I mentioned earlier. These devices are affordable, easy to deploy, and incredibly effective at delivering motion-sensing capabilities. It was a strategic move that not only opened up new markets but also allowed us to adapt to different customer needs.
These challenges also reminded us how important it is to be agile and innovative. Expanding beyond the ISP space has positioned us to serve a broader range of industries, and I think that’s going to be a game-changer moving forward.
Q: As you look to 2025, what trends or advancements do you think will shape the future of Wi-Fi Sensing?
Dr. Manku: 2025 is going to be the year of integration. One trend I’m particularly excited about is data fusion—the idea of combining Wi-Fi Sensing with other data sources to create richer, more actionable insights. For example, in security or eldercare, it’s not just about detecting motion anymore. It’s about understanding patterns, behaviors, and changes over time. With so much untapped data and a complex web of IoT devices lacking a clear communication hub, I believe companies will increasingly recognize the value of investing in Wi-Fi Sensing technology. AI will play a critical role here too. The sheer volume of data we’re working with means we’ll rely more on AI to analyze and synthesize information—it’s the only way we can keep up. AI helps us uncover patterns and insights that would be impossible or impractical for a person to recognize on their own. It’s a natural next step in the evolution of what we’re building.
On the technology front, the ratification of the 802.11bf standard is a major milestone. It’s the official Wi-Fi Sensing standard, and it’s like laying the foundation for a much bigger house. With this standard in place, adoption becomes easier, integration gets faster, and innovation accelerates. It’s a signal that Wi-Fi Sensing is here to stay. As well, frameworks like prpl and RDK-B are integrating sensing into their development, which is another big step forward. These are widely used platforms in the industry, so having sensing built in means companies can adopt the technology without extra hurdles. It’s becoming a natural part of the Wi-Fi ecosystem, which speeds up deployment and opens the door for new applications.
And with Wi-Fi 7 on the horizon, we’re looking at improved performance, scalability, and efficiency. Faster speeds and lower latency mean Wi-Fi Sensing can handle larger-scale deployments with ease, even in demanding environments. Altogether, these advancements are making Wi-Fi Sensing more accessible, reliable, and impactful, which is exactly where we want to be heading.
Q: How do you plan to stand out in 2025, and what are your key goals for the year ahead?
Dr. Manku: When thinking about future planning, it’s easy to fall into the trap of expecting big, sweeping changes. When really, it all starts with the fundamentals. We want to continue to grow and strengthen the foundation we’ve built for ourselves by developing technology that is reliable, accurate, and backed by a solid patent portfolio. The science is there, and it will only get better. But what really sets us apart is our team. Our team’s expertise and our approach to partnerships go hand in hand. We have some of the most dynamic and agile engineers in the industry, capable of integrating our solutions with new chipsets quickly and at scale. Our team is able to deliver end-to-end products, bringing Wi-Fi Motion innovation into every part of the solution—whether it’s device integration, the cloud, or the user application. That’s exactly what we’ve done with our caregiving product—WiFi Motion for Caregiving. But what truly sets us apart is how we collaborate with our partners throughout the process. We don’t just deliver technology and walk away—we work closely to ensure their deployments are seamless, impactful, and tailored to create real value for their customers. This combination of technical excellence and thoughtful partnership builds trust, fosters long-term relationships, and drives success on all sides.
Looking ahead, one of our key goals is to see Wi-Fi Sensing deployed on more platforms and adopted by more ISPs by the end of 2025. At the same time, we’re deeply focused on expanding our caregiving solutions. Helping people live safer, more independent lives through our technology is incredibly rewarding, and I’m confident we’ll make meaningful strides in that area.
What excites me most is the potential we’re unlocking. Wi-Fi Sensing has moved beyond just some numbers on a whiteboard—it’s now a proven technology that’s being integrated into people’s daily lives in impactful ways. By deepening our partnerships with ISPs and pushing forward with caregiving applications, we’re driving real change. 2025 feels like a year where innovation and transformation will come together, and I’m excited to see how much we can achieve.