Phononic Vibes raises €25m to expand lighter noise-control technology
Developed with Deutsche Bahn’s DB Bahnbau Gruppe, MetaWindow is a transparent railway noise barrier that also absorbs sound (image: Phononic Vibes)
Phononic Vibes, a noise-control company founded at Politecnico di Milano, has announced €25 million in financing led by Jolt Capital to expand internationally and develop further applications for its acoustic metamaterials.
Announced on 22 October, the transaction includes participation from Eureka! Venture, CDP Venture Capital and Simest, alongside the acquisition of early investor 360 Capital’s stake. It marks another step in the company’s journey from university research to manufacturing products for railways, vehicles and industrial installations.
One of those products makes its engineering approach particularly tangible: MetaWindow, a transparent railway noise barrier that also absorbs sound.
Transparent barriers preserve views and daylight, but can reflect sound back towards its source or surrounding surfaces. Absorbing some of that sound offers an additional way to manage the acoustic environment. Developed with Deutsche Bahn’s DB Bahnbau Gruppe, MetaWindow combines those functions in a panel certified for railway applications.
Behind the panel is a broader idea: changing a material’s geometry can change how it interacts with sound.
From Politecnico di Milano research to Phononic Vibes
Chief executive Luca D’Alessandro reached acoustics through civil engineering. After studying at Politecnico di Milano, he worked as an engineer and developed software to automate structural calculations. Doctoral research subsequently took him to Milan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he began studying metamaterials.
Returning to Italy, he wanted to turn that research into industrial products. Support through Politecnico di Milano’s innovation ecosystem helped him explore commercial applications. Giovanni Capellari and Stefano Caverni joined the project, and the three founded Phononic Vibes in 2018.
Their backgrounds brought complementary skills. Capellari’s doctoral research involved machine-learning algorithms for optimising sensor placement in structural monitoring. Caverni’s civil-engineering thesis examined metamaterials for acoustic and vibration applications. At launch, they took responsibility for operations and technology respectively, alongside D’Alessandro as chief executive.
Early projects helped the founders identify applications in infrastructure, transport and household appliances. Financing followed: approximately €500,000 in 2019, €2.3 million in 2020 and a €6 million capital increase in 2022, led by CDP Venture Capital. The latter supported product development and the move towards industrialisation and sales.
How acoustic metamaterials control noise and vibration
Noise control involves several related tasks. Absorption reduces reflected sound by dissipating acoustic energy. Insulation limits sound passing through a barrier. Vibration control tackles movement transmitted through a structure, which can itself radiate sound.
Acoustic metamaterials use deliberately engineered structures to influence how sound travels. Phononic Vibes applies this principle through repeating cells that create frequency ranges in which sound or vibration is strongly attenuated. Resonators incorporated into a component can also be tuned to suppress vibration around selected frequencies.
Engineers adjust the arrangement to address the noise source involved. These structures can use familiar substances, including polymers, steel, aluminium, concrete and rubber. Geometry provides an additional design tool alongside the properties of the material itself.
The company reports weight reductions of up to 30% at equivalent acoustic performance, depending on the application. A specific example is MetaDesign, developed with Mercedes-Benz and automotive supplier Adler Pelzer. This insulation sits at the firewall separating the engine compartment from the passenger cabin. Phononic Vibes says it is approximately 28% lighter at the same acoustic performance and is in series production.
Other products address limited space. MetaPanelAbsorbing uses a thin layer of recycled plastic or metal for sound absorption, particularly for high-frequency noise. According to the company, it can provide absorption comparable to bulkier wool or foam alternatives while using substantially less material.
From railway trials to industrial manufacturing
Turning those designs into products has involved years of development with industrial partners.
By 2022, Phononic Vibes had developed and tested its transparent panel with Deutsche Bahn. It was also working with property developer Lendlease on construction-site barriers at Milan’s MIND development, while transport and appliance projects were progressing towards production.
Alongside the barrier work, Deutsche Bahn tested MetaVibration at scale in 2022. That product addresses vibrations travelling through the ground from railways towards nearby buildings. The company also records its first household-appliance installations that year, followed by Mercedes-Benz pilots in 2024.
Manufacturing became a larger part of the business in 2025, when Matis joined the group. Founded in 1979, the Italian manufacturer brought experience in industrial cabins, machinery enclosures and acoustic installations.
Phononic Vibes now employs a group of around 100 people, with three production sites in Milan and Parma. Its research and acoustic testing are based in Milan, linking development with the teams that manufacture and install the products.
The acoustic-insulation market and competing technologies
Phononic Vibes operates within a substantial established industry. Grand View Research estimates that the global acoustic-insulation market was worth $16.6 billion in 2025. That category includes glass wool, rock wool and foamed plastics used in construction, industry and transportation, rather than measuring acoustic metamaterials alone. Suppliers include Saint-Gobain, ROCKWOOL and Knauf Insulation.
Other specialist developers are exploring different routes to lighter or more compact noise control. British university spin-off Metasonixx develops acoustic metamaterial panels that allow airflow, addressing the challenge of reducing noise while maintaining ventilation. Ireland’s Lios combines a responsive material with a cellular structure in its SoundBounce technology.
These companies address overlapping problems, although their products and applications differ. Phononic Vibes combines its structural designs with in-house manufacturing and installation, supplying both components for other manufacturers and complete noise-control systems.
What the €25 million financing will support
The new financing will support international expansion, further applications and stronger delivery capabilities. Targeted acquisitions will add industrial capabilities and extend the technology’s reach, building on the approach taken with Matis.
Data centres provide one example of where that work is heading. Phononic Vibes reports that Equans has selected its compact silencers for installations where equipment, ventilation and noise control compete for space.
A railway barrier must preserve a view; a car component must fit around other systems; cooling equipment needs air to keep moving. Across these settings, the company’s engineers work with the physical constraints surrounding the sound. Their answer takes shape in the component itself: its cells, cavities and internal arrangement, designed around the noise it needs to control.
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