Phononic Vibes, a spin-off of Politecnico di Milano, announced a €25 million financing round on October 22, 2026. The round was led by Jolt Capital, Europe's largest private equity firm specializing in deeptech growth companies, with participation from existing investors Eureka! Venture SGR, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Simest SpA. The company designs and manufactures acoustic metamaterials that make noise control systems up to 30% lighter at equivalent acoustic performance.
Funding Structure and Strategic Priorities
Jolt Capital led the investment through Jolt Capital V, a fund targeting €1 billion and nearing its final close. The fresh capital will enable Phononic Vibes to scale its proprietary design engine internationally, expand into new applications, and strengthen its delivery capabilities. Targeted acquisitions are expected to complement this strategy by extending the technology's reach and adding industrial capabilities to the group.
Acoustic Metamaterials and Competitive Edge
Phononic Vibes develops acoustic metamaterials whose shape delivers the performance that conventional mass would provide. Its products weigh up to 30% less at equivalent acoustic performance or perform better at the same weight. The company's proprietary design engine is protected by 18 patent families and draws on application libraries that grow with every project, allowing new markets to start from proven designs rather than a blank sheet.
Commercial Validation and Market Adoption
Deutsche Bahn has certified the company's transparent noise barrier for the German rail network, the first see-through panel rated as highly absorbing. Mercedes-Benz uses Phononic Vibes technology in series production, representing the first metamaterial in a series-production car. Contractors such as Webuild and Eteria select its barriers because they install faster than conventional alternatives.
Growth Trajectory and Industry Context
Founded in 2018 by Luca D'Alessandro, Giovanni Capellari, and Stefano Caverni, Phononic Vibes designs and manufactures its products in Italy. Revenue has doubled every year since 2018, and the company reached break even in 2025. The company also leads a group of established European manufacturers that includes Matis, founded in 1979.
Market Need and Timing
The timing of the investment reflects rising demand for lighter, smaller, and certified noise control across multiple industries. The World Health Organization ranks noise second only to air pollution among environmental health risks, and one in five Europeans lives with harmful noise levels. Data centers, rail networks, energy assets, and electric vehicles all require noise control solutions that can be deployed wherever they are built.
Executive Commentary
Luca D'Alessandro, CEO and co-founder, said weight has always been the price of quiet, but the company has shown it is a design choice. Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner at Jolt Capital, described noise control as reaching a turning point and noted that conventional products have hit their physical limit. He added that this is Jolt Capital V's first investment in Italy, a country with an increasingly dynamic deeptech ecosystem.
Investor Support and New Identity
Stefano Peroncini, CEO at Eureka! Venture SGR, said the firm has reinvested at every funding round because execution is what builds a company. Cesare Maifredi, General Partner at 360 Capital Partners, highlighted the journey from university lab to certified products trusted globally. The transaction includes the acquisition of 360 Capital's stake, and Phononic Vibes also launched a new identity and website.
The €25 million round provides Phononic Vibes with the capital to accelerate international expansion and pursue targeted acquisitions. The company's deployments with Deutsche Bahn and Mercedes-Benz underline the industrial credibility of its acoustic metamaterials. With break-even achieved and a growing application library, Phononic Vibes is positioned to make lighter noise control a standard across data centers, rail, energy, and industry.