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

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-23

Milan's Phononic Vibes just raised €25 million (about $27 million) to scale its noise-control technology. The company's metamaterials are already used by Deutsche Bahn and Mercedes-Benz. This round was led by Jolt Capital, with participation from Eureka! Venture SGR, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and Simest SpA. The deal also involved acquiring 360 Capital's stake. Back in 2020, Phononic Vibes raised €2.3 million (around $2.5 million). Now, they're ready to grow. ### What's the Big Idea? 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 breaks that rule. Their products weigh up to 30% less while delivering the same acoustic performance, or they perform better at the same weight. That's a game-changer for industries where every pound counts. ### Proven in the Real World Deutsche Bahn certified their transparent noise barrier for the German rail network—the first see-through panel rated as highly absorbing. Mercedes-Benz uses their tech in series production, making it the first metamaterial in a series-production car. Contractors like Webuild and Eteria choose their barriers because they install faster. And revenue has doubled every year since 2018, reaching break-even in 2025. Not bad for a spin-off from Politecnico di Milano founded in 2018. ### The Engine Behind the Magic 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. So each new market starts from proven designs rather than a blank sheet. That's how they can scale quickly and reliably. > "Weight has always been the price of quiet. We have shown it is a design choice, with two of Europe's most demanding customers." – Luca D'Alessandro, CEO and co-founder ### What's Next? With this capital, Phononic Vibes plans 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. The company aims to make lighter noise control the standard across data centers, rail, energy, and industry. Andrea Traversone, Managing Partner at Jolt Capital, said, "Noise control is reaching a turning point. Conventional products have hit their physical limit, and infrastructure needs quieter assets with less weight and space. Phononic Vibes is a company combining breakthrough science, a patented design engine, and manufacturing at scale. We are excited to back the team in building a global leader in noise and vibration control." This is Jolt Capital V's first investment in Italy, a country with an increasingly dynamic deeptech ecosystem. So keep an eye on this Milan-based startup. They're making waves—quietly, of course.