Milan's Phononic Vibes Raises $27M to Make Noise Control Lighter

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-23

Milan-based Phononic Vibes just closed a $27 million (€25 million) funding round. The company makes noise and vibration products for rail, energy, industry, construction, and mobility. It's also launching a new identity and website today. The round was led by Jolt Capital, a Paris-based private equity firm focused on DeepTech growth companies. Jolt invested through its Jolt Capital V fund, which is targeting $1.1 billion (€1 billion) and nearing final close. Eureka! Venture SGR, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Simest SpA also joined in. As part of the deal, 360 Capital's stake, held since the seed round, was acquired. Back in 2020, Phononic Vibes raised $2.5 million (€2.3 million). ### The technology: metamaterials that break the mass law Phononic Vibes designs metamaterials—structures whose shape does the work that mass used to do. Traditional noise barriers, enclosures, and silencers follow the mass law: more quiet means more material. Phononic Vibes claims to break that law. Its products weigh up to 30% less while delivering the same acoustic performance, or they perform better at the same weight. At the core is a proprietary design engine protected by 18 patent families. "It turns the physics of metamaterials into certified products, drawing on application libraries that grow with every project," the company says. That means each new market starts from proven designs rather than a blank sheet. ### Traction with industry giants Deutsche Bahn certified Phononic Vibes' transparent noise barrier for the German rail network—the first see-through panel it rates as highly absorbing. Mercedes-Benz uses the technology in series production, which the company says is the first metamaterial in a series-production car. Contractors like Webuild and Eteria choose its barriers because they install faster. Revenue has doubled every year since 2018, and the company reached break-even in 2025. > "Weight has always been the price of quiet. We have shown it is a design choice, with two of Europe's most demanding customers," said Luca D'Alessandro, CEO and co-founder. Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner at Jolt Capital, added: "Noise control is reaching a turning point. Conventional products have hit their physical limit, and infrastructure needs quieter assets with less weight and space." ### What's next Phononic Vibes plans to use the fresh capital to scale its design engine internationally, expand into new applications, and strengthen delivery capabilities. Targeted acquisitions will complement this strategy by extending the reach of its technology and bringing additional industrial capabilities. ### Why it matters for European startups This deal highlights a growing trend: European deeptech startups are attracting serious capital. Jolt Capital's first investment in Italy signals confidence in the country's innovation ecosystem. For founders, it's a reminder that breakthrough science combined with industrial scale-up can win big. Phononic Vibes was founded in 2018 by Luca D'Alessandro, Giovanni Capellari, and Stefano Caverni as a spin-off of Politecnico di Milano. It manufactures in Italy and leads a group of established European manufacturers, including Matis, founded in 1979. As noise regulations tighten and infrastructure ages, the demand for lighter, high-performance noise control is only going up. Phononic Vibes is positioning itself at the center of that shift—and investors are taking notice.