AdapTronics: €3 Million Round and European Expansion Plan

The world of tech startups continues to prove that growth can arise from targeted rounds and international expansion strategies. A standout example is AdapTronics, which closed a €3 million round and is looking to Europe to broaden its market opportunities. Behind the project is a path that starts from the founders' academic experience and leads to a technology ready for industrialization, with a clear ambition for international scale.

From the academic project to a concrete startup

Camilla Conti and Lorenzo Agostini studied together at Politecnico di Milano and in 2013 chose to go abroad, to Waterloo in Canada, to explore the world of startups. The overseas experience fueled their entrepreneurial vision and led, in 2022, to the founding of AdapTronics, a company specializing in the development of electro-adhesive solutions for robotic manipulation in industrial and space contexts. The idea of transferring years of academic research into industrial applications was the initial push to give life to the company.

The journey was supported by equity-free incubation programs that provided entrepreneurial training and visibility to customers and investors, including recognitions such as the PNI in the Industrial category. These experiences paved the way for structured growth, with a team now comprising about 15 full-time employees and 5 external collaborators, engaged in developing a technology that promises a more flexible and efficient robotic grip.

The key technology: Electro-Active Adhesive Layer

AdapTronics' technology is based on a thin film that acts as a controllable adhesive, activated by electrostatic forces and integrated tactile feedback. The result is a gripper capable of grabbing and moving objects with unprecedented versatility, adapting to shapes, sizes and materials. The system enables activation and release in under 10 milliseconds and offers energy efficiency significantly higher than traditional pneumatic or mechanical systems. Its applications are broad, from industrial automation and packaging processes to space operations, including debris removal and satellite maintenance.

Customers, workforce and collaboration with research

The main customers of AdapTronics are machinery and robotic system manufacturers, mainly from Germany and the United States. The current team collaborates closely with research institutes and universities, including Politecnico di Torino, Università di Bologna, Sant'Anna di Pisa and Politecnico di Milano, where both founders completed part of their training. The company plans new hires to consolidate growth: 10 professionals across electronics engineers, production technicians and commercial roles to be added in the coming year.

The €3 million round and the immediate growth plan

After closing in 2023 a €685k pre-seed round with Galaxia and A11 Ventures, AdapTronics completed, at the corporate level, a second funding round of €3.15 million with 360 Capital, supported by Galaxia's follow-on. The funds will allow to consolidate the team and to increase production capacity through the installation of a pilot plant aimed at scaling production by 2027. The goal is to build a broader and more sustainable production base capable of responding to orders potentially on an international scale.

A key aspect of the strategy is the European dimension: AdapTronics is targeting a more structured European presence, including opening foreign branches by 2027. The company also intends to expand toward Asia, where markets have significant volumes and demand for advanced robotic manipulation solutions is growing.

Projects in the works and future horizons

Among the projects in the works, the company has planned several pre-industrialization activities with clients who could become supply contracts in the near term. A first commercial product is already planned for mid-2026, followed by an internationalization path aiming to establish a presence in Europe and beyond. In 2027, AdapTronics aims to launch new foreign subsidiaries in Europe and open opportunities in Asia as well, reaffirming its intention to grow as a global player in robotic solutions.

An Italian ecosystem and a critical perspective

The Italian ecosystem, thanks to the academic environment and the commitment of companies like AdapTronics, shows signs of strengthening in deep-tech skills and in research-business collaborations. However, the company remains aware of challenges related to talent, market costs and the infrastructure needed to support disruptive growth. AdapTronics' example demonstrates how targeted investments and an international expansion strategy can transform a technological breakthrough into a global industrial reality, but also how crucial a public policy context that facilitates foreign capital inflows, standardization of regulations, and concrete exit paths for innovative startups is.

In conclusion, AdapTronics represents an emblematic case of how a niche technology can become an innovation hub with global ambitions. The startup's evolution mirrors a broader trend in the European tech landscape, where capital, talent and markets intertwine to propel solutions that could change the way industrial and space robotics are designed and used.

Fonte startupitalia.eu