Phononic Vibes has developed vibration damping and sound absorbing metamaterials

Apparently, metamaterials will become the next trend in the audio industry: recently KEF noted with them, and now the Italian company Phononic Vibes, specializing in the development of such materials, has appeared on the radar.

Founded in 2018 by researchers at the Polytechnic University of Milan, this startup primarily develops vibration-damping and sound-absorbing metamaterials, offering negative ratio arrays that are more efficient solutions than traditional ones. The peculiarity of metamaterials is that their properties primarily depend on the shape and structure of the cells, and not on the material from which they are made. The company’s technologies exist not only in theory, but are also used in practice: for example, vibration and noise protection from Phononic Vibes has already been successfully tested on a section of the German railway.

The startup is actively investing: last year, the investors were Poli360, a technology development fund, and Pantecnica Spa, a vibration isolation system. This year, they are joined by the Eureka! Foundation, focusing on companies exploring new materials.

Phononic Vibes co-founder Luca D’Alessandro said the investment will enable the company to grow in these challenging times and continue to engage with both local and international customers. The company’s catalog already contains acoustic panels, primarily providing sound insulation from neighbors and the street. Also, Phononic Vibes technologies are being introduced into modern appliances – though not audio, but household appliances, often unpleasantly loud: washing machines, hoods, etc.