Adaptronics, a deep tech start-up specialising in the development of electro-adhesive robotic manipulation solutions for industrial and space applications, announces that it has closed a €3.15 million funding round.
The transaction is led by 360 Capital, with Galaxia, the aerospace technology transfer hub created on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital’s Tech Transfer Fund, also participating in the investment, together with Obloo Ventures, which already invested in the pre-seed round in 2023. The capital raised will be used to support the company’s growth, enhance production capacity and promote commercial expansion in Italy and Europe, consolidating Adaptronics’ organisational structure.
Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of the University of Bologna, Adaptronics was established by Lorenzo Agostini (CEO), Camilla Conti (COO) and Rocco Vertechy (R&D lead) with the aim of revolutionising the way robots grasp and interact with objects, both on Earth and in space. Combining expertise in electromechanical transduction, advanced materials and digital printing for flexible electronics, the founding team draws on the results of over 20 years of scientific research and leads a highly specialised operational team that now numbers 15 people.
Adaptronics aims to redefine the standard of robotic gripping and manipulation. Thanks to its proprietary EAAL (Electro-active adhesive layer) technology, robots can grasp and move objects with extreme versatility, enabling controllable adhesive gripping on objects of various shapes, sizes, materials and weighing up to several kilograms, greater speed with activation and release in less than 10 milliseconds, and unprecedented energy efficiency up to a thousand times more efficient than standard systems. Based on electrostatic forces and integrated tactile feedback, EAAL technology detects contact and proximity to objects, ensuring extremely precise and delicate handling and eliminating the need for pneumatic, mechanical or magnetic systems. Furthermore, with only two components in the product, an electronic control module and a replaceable gripping system, operating and maintenance costs are reduced to zero.
The applications are manifold: from industrial automation and packaging, where speed and reliability are essential, to space, where the technology enables operations in orbit such as debris removal and satellite maintenance. Adaptronics sets new standards for robotic manipulation by combining innovation, performance and multi-sector impact.
“This round is a significant milestone for Adaptronics,” said Agostini, pictured here with Conti, in a statement. “It represents recognition of investors’ confidence in our vision of a deep tech company committed to developing enabling technology across multiple sectors, and it allows us to accelerate our technological innovation, expand our headquarters with a pilot plant, and promote the commercial internationalisation of our products.”
“We are excited to support Adaptronics and its exceptional team at the intersection of advanced electronic materials and automated systems. We believe Adaptronics’ electro-adhesive solution for object handling has the potential to redefine the standards of industrial automation. Adaptronics’ revolutionary technology, based on excellence in research and built for industrial scalability, perfectly reflects 360 Capital’s vision of supporting deep-tech start-ups that are transforming the European industrial landscape,” says Alessandro Zaccaria, partner at 360 Capital.
“We are very pleased to have believed in Adaptronics from the outset: its proprietary EAAL technology represents a real paradigm shift in robotic manipulation, opening up new concrete application scenarios in increasingly crucial sectors, from industrial automation to space. The team has demonstrated clear vision, deep expertise and excellent execution skills, and we believe it has the potential to make Adaptronics a continental benchmark in the sector,” says Claudia Pingue, head of CDP Venture Capital’s Tech Transfer Fund.
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