Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Materials technology company developing metal foams for advanced thermal management in data centers, electronics, and HPC.
Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Apheros is a materials technology company that develops and manufactures highly porous metal foams for advanced thermal management and liquid cooling applications. The company's patented low-density structures are specifically designed to improve heat dissipation and reduce overall energy consumption across commercial data centers, advanced artificial intelligence hardware, hydrogen production facilities, and high-performance computing infrastructure. Operating as an official ETH Zurich spin-off, the enterprise has successfully secured $1.85 million in pre-seed funding led by venture capital firm Founderful, alongside an additional CHF 150,000 grant from the Venture Kick program. The business currently utilizes this newly raised capital to scale its proprietary manufacturing processes and expand its commercial collaborations with major engineering and electronics partners, including Maxon Motors and Boyd Corporation. Apheros was founded in 2023 by Julia Carpenter and Gaëlle Andreatta.
Apheros has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
Apheros has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Apheros has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Apheros's investors include btov Partners, Founderful, Join Capital.
Apheros has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in August 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2024 | $2M Seed | — | Btov Partners, Founderful, Join Capital | Announced |
Apheros is a Zurich-based technology company specializing in patented metal foams for advanced thermal management and cooling solutions. It produces novel materials with ultra-high surface area, fully open porosity, and low density, enabling superior heat exchange as drop-in replacements for traditional systems.[1][2][3] Serving industries like electronics, automotive, aerospace, energy, data centers, green hydrogen production, energy storage, catalysis, and high-temperature filtration, Apheros solves critical thermal challenges while advancing sustainability—its vision is to catalyze a transition to a sustainable future through materials innovation.[1][3]
The company demonstrates strong growth momentum, including a Platinum Award at MassChallenge Switzerland 2025 and the NZZ Sustainable Shapers award in October 2025, highlighting its commercial traction and recognition in scaling innovative manufacturing processes.[3]
Apheros emerged from CEO Julia Carpenter's PhD project in materials sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where she developed the core metal foam technology for fluid-based cooling systems.[2] She partnered with co-founder Gaëlle Andreatta, whose background in physical chemistry positions her as chief technology officer (CTO), forming a leadership team with expertise in research, business development, and tech transfer.[1][2]
The company name "Apheros" reflects this academic roots: derived from Greek "aphrós" (foam), combined with Latin "ferrum" (iron) for "iron foam," chosen for its uniqueness, pronounceability, linguistic nod to metals, and nerdy appeal to scientists.[2] Early pivotal moments include patenting the technology and recent accelerator wins, humanizing the firm's journey from lab innovation to commercialization.[2][3]
Apheros rides the wave of escalating thermal management demands driven by AI data centers, electric vehicles, and renewable energy infrastructure, where traditional cooling fails under extreme heat loads.[3][4] Timing is ideal amid the 2025 push for energy-efficient tech—its foams boost data center performance and support green hydrogen, aligning with global net-zero goals.[1][3][4]
Market forces like rising compute density and sustainability mandates favor Apheros, influencing the ecosystem by enabling compact, efficient designs that lower energy use and unlock high-performance computing.[3][4] As a materials innovator from ETH Zurich, it exemplifies Europe's strength in deep-tech commercialization, accelerating adoption across high-growth sectors.[2]
Apheros is poised for expansion through partnerships in data centers and clean energy, leveraging 2025 awards to secure scaling funding and pilot deployments.[3][4] Trends like AI-driven heat intensification and hydrogen economy growth will propel demand for its foams, potentially evolving its role from niche supplier to standard in thermal solutions.
With proven tech from ETH origins, Apheros exemplifies how materials innovation catalyzes sustainable tech transitions—watch for global licensing and production ramps ahead.[1][2][3]