Deep Tech Takes: Smart Materials Ltd

Written By Nahida Chowdhury

Startup Snapshot

Who: Smart Materials Limited

Where: Malta, EU

What: A startup developing Zetic™, an auxetic polyurethane foam delivering pressure relief and support in a single, recyclable core.

Founders: Dr Keith M. Azzopardi, Andrei-Andy Linnas, Edward Borgm founded November 2020 .

The Technology

Smart Materials is commercialising Zetic™, a new class of auxetic polyurethane (PU) foam. Conventional foams thin locally under load, creating uncomfortable pressure points. Auxetic foams behave differently at the cell level  by forming a self‑bracing structure that resists bottoming out while keeping a soft, contouring surface feel. The initial use case is a novel mattress, Huggah™, a premium mattress brand that showcases its auxetic properties.

Traditional mattresses combine multiple layers for comfort and support. Those layers are glued together, hard to recycle, and often introduce trade‑offs. Many people experience limited contouring across different body types and sleep positions, leading to pressure points and premature sagging.Zetic’s single adaptive core redistributes weight evenly, reducing joint pressure and supporting healthy spinal alignment. Unlike multilayered mattresses, it adapts comfortably to diverse body types and sleep positions.

What makes it innovative

  • Single‑core architecture: comfort and support come from one material with tunable auxetic properties eliminating multi-layer construction.

  • Scalable process: a patented and proprietary foaming method creates auxetic behaviour in the initial foaming step, not via post‑processing, and is designed for industrial scale‑up.

  • Circular by design: a mono‑material core simplifies disassembly and end‑of‑life handling compared with multi‑layer, multi‑glue constructions.

The science in plain terms

Zetic works at the microscale. In conventional foam, cell ribs bend, which causes the network to thin under load and concentrate pressure. In Zetic, cell ribs buckle and rotate together allowing neighbouring cells to share the load, spread pressure and resist bottoming out. The result is a soft feel with steady, spring‑like support that provides a more linear force‑displacement response as the sleeper sinks in. This increases the effective contact area, equalises pressure, and delivers tailored support across different body types and sleep positions.

IP and proof points

  • Patents: granted in China, Japan, and Canada; pending in the EU and US for the foaming method and auxetic architecture.

  • Prototypes: the team has produced full-size mattress cores and application-specific foam blocks. Independent sleep‑lab tests are scheduled to validate pressure mapping and durability.

  • Industry interest: early user feedback indicates reduced back pain and better pressure relief compared with specialty latex. There is confirmed interest in hospitality pilots and in co‑manufacturing and OEM partnerships.

Where it matters most

Sleep and wellness: primary application is the Huggah mattresses, built on Zetic, to target pressure relief and cooler sleep through open‑cell airflow. The approach is particularly relevant for back pain and recovery.

Future potential

Mobility and automotive seating: auxetic foam supports pressure equalisation and vibration dampening, enabling thinner, lighter, and more durable seating systems.

Protective equipment and sports gear: high energy absorption and resilience allow for lightweight protective panels and padding. Improved pressure distribution and impact moderation enhances comfort and protection in helmets, pads, insoles, and technical wear.

Why it matters

  • Health and ageing: better pressure distribution and spinal alignment support sleep quality, recovery, and long‑term musculoskeletal health.

  • Sustainability and circularity: a single, recyclable core reduces adhesives and mixed materials, which eases end‑of‑life processing. Millions of mattresses are discarded each year, and many are landfilled or incinerated because disassembly is costly and time consuming.

  • Manufacturing efficiency: eliminating multi‑layer lamination reduces complexity, waste, and cost variability, which helps advanced materials move toward mainstream price points.

Coming Up

Funding and runway

Smart Materials closed its seed round in July 2025 to complete certification testing, expand production tooling, and scale the first manufacturing for mattress‑grade Zetic foam

Product milestones

  • Huggah launch in Malta: planned for Q4 2025 initially targeting early adopters, such as people experiencing back or neck discomfort from their current mattress and those seeking faster recovery, and superior sleep experience.

  • Industrial scale‑up: increasing block size and production throughput to meet OEM requirements, and advancing recycled‑content formulations.

What ‘s next for Smart Materials Ltd

  • Early customers: early adopters as well as mattress retailers and hospitality groups for pilot deployments.

  • Manufacturing partners: foam producers, converters, and bedding OEMs for co‑development and licensing.

Connect

Learn more about Smart Materials and Huggah, or connect with the team online:

Join our community

Smart Materials is part of INAM’s deep tech network of deep tech. We bring together startups, corporates, and researchers working on real-world applications of materials innovation. Learn more about our services here. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Nahida Chowdhury
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