Adaptronics, a leading Italian deep-tech startup founded as a spin-off company of the University of Bologna and supported by EmiliaRomagnaStartup from the outset, has announced the successful closing of a significant €3.15 million investment round. The deal marks a major milestone for the company, which specialises in developing innovative robotic manipulation solutions based on electro-adhesive technology.
The new capital will support the company’s ambitious industrialisation phase, significantly strengthen its production capacity and consolidate its commercial expansion strategy across the Italian and European markets.
The investment round was led by 360 Capital, one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms. The round also attracted strategic investors with a strong national presence, including Galaxia, the Technology Transfer Hub for the aerospace sector, established through an initiative of CDP Venture Capital SGR’s Tech Transfer Fund, together with Obloo Ventures, which had already invested in the company’s previous pre-seed round.
Further strengthening the project’s regional and sectoral significance, the LV 360 Parallel Fund, an initiative promoted by Lombardia Venture and managed by Finlombarda, also participated in the round.
This combination of investors, bringing together international expertise and institutional backing, underlines the confidence in Adaptronics’ potential to redefine global standards in robotics.
Claudia Pingue, Head of CDP Venture Capital’s Tech Transfer Fund, commented:
“The Adaptronics team has demonstrated a clear vision, deep expertise and outstanding execution capabilities. We firmly believe they have the potential to make Adaptronics a leading European player in adaptive and precision robotics.”
What makes Adaptronics’ technology innovative?
Founded in 2022 by engineers Lorenzo Agostini (CEO), Camilla Conti (COO) and Rocco Vertechy (R&D Lead), Adaptronics aims to revolutionise the way robotic systems interact with objects. At the heart of its innovation is its proprietary Electro-Active Adhesive Layer (EAAL) technology.
EAAL is an electro-adhesive interface that uses electrostatic principles to provide controlled, versatile and efficient gripping, overcoming the limitations of conventional vacuum and mechanical gripping systems.
The technology’s key features include:
- Unprecedented versatility: EAAL enables controlled adhesive gripping of objects in a wide range of shapes, sizes and materials, including porous, fragile and irregular surfaces. An interface the size of a credit card can lift up to 10 kg.
- Extremely fast operation: Adhesion can be activated and released in less than 10 milliseconds, a crucial factor for high-speed industrial automation and production lines.
- Superior energy efficiency: The system can achieve energy efficiency up to 1,000 times greater than conventional gripping systems, helping to make automation more sustainable while reducing operating costs.
- Adaptability to extreme environments: The technology has been developed using principles and materials suitable for operation in extreme conditions, including the vacuum and microgravity environments of space.
From Industry 4.0 to the space economy
Adaptronics’ solutions target fast-growing strategic markets, with applications across multiple sectors:
- Industrial automation and logistics: In manufacturing and packaging, where precision and speed are critical, EAAL technology offers a reliable solution for the rapid handling of a wide range of products.
- Space economy and aerospace: Adaptronics is actively developing critical applications for in-orbit operations, including Orbital Debris Removal, In-Orbit Servicing and the assembly of complex structures in microgravity.
A success story from Emilia-Romagna
Adaptronics is a clear example of the dynamism and quality of applied research in Emilia-Romagna. Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of the University of Bologna, the company quickly attracted the attention of investors and institutional stakeholders thanks to its tangible results and disruptive potential.
Its growth and innovation journey has been recognised through a number of prestigious awards, including winning the Start Cup Emilia-Romagna 2021, the PNI 2021 Industrial category, the CNA Premio Cambiamenti 2023 and, most recently, the 2025 IMSA Award (Italian Master Startup Award).
A note from EmiliaRomagnaStartUp’s editorial team
We have had the pleasure of supporting Adaptronics since its early days, and we would like to congratulate the team on this important milestone and on the positive impact its technology has the potential to make on the global technology landscape.
