Maltese deep-tech company Smart Materials is preparing a new funding round to support the international expansion of its Huggah mattress brand, following a first commercial year that saw the product enter the hospitality sector and attract interest from professional athletes.

The company is planning to introduce Huggah to Rome and Denmark through local partners over the next three to six months, marking its first move into European markets beyond Malta.

The expansion comes as Smart Materials increases production capacity locally and evaluates the possibility of establishing a larger manufacturing facility in mainland Europe.

The company’s immediate priority is to secure the funding and production capabilities needed to support that growth, building on investment and assistance already received from Malta Enterprise, MGVC and private and institutional investors.

Smart Materials is preparing to open a bridge funding round following its seed investment stage, although the company has not disclosed how much it intends to raise.

The plans follow a year in which Huggah, the first commercial mattress developed using the company’s proprietary Zetic foam technology, has moved beyond its initial customer base into hospitality and professional sport.

One of its most significant commercial developments has been the installation of a Huggah mattress in an executive penthouse suite at ME Malta, the five-star hotel within Mercury Towers in St Julian’s.

The hotel forms part of the international ME by Meliá brand, giving the Maltese manufacturer a reference within the premium hospitality sector and an opportunity to explore a market beyond direct consumer sales.

“Having experienced the comfort of the Huggah mattress firsthand, I wanted to extend that same level of comfort and restful sleep to our guests,” ME Malta General Manager Neal Debono said.

Smart Materials has also established relationships with Maltese athletes, including Olympic weightlifter Yazmin Zammit Stevens and open-water swimming record-holder Neil Agius.

Internationally, the company says Huggah is being tested by football teams operating at Premier League level and athletes ranked among the world’s top ten in their respective sports, with the aim of developing formal partnerships.

Behind the product is nearly a decade of materials research carried out in collaboration with the University of Malta’s Metamaterials Unit.

Zetic is an auxetic polyurethane foam designed to respond differently to pressure from conventional mattress materials. Smart Materials says its patented manufacturing process allows the foam to be produced in a single step, potentially reducing production complexity and making the material easier to recycle.

The technology has secured patent protection in the United States, Canada, Japan and China, while its European application remains pending.

Smart Materials says its first year has produced an average customer feedback score of 9.3 out of 10, providing an early indication of how the product has been received locally.

“Year one was about proof,” said CEO and co-founder Dr Keith M. Azzopardi. “Year two is about validating international markets and getting ready for full scaling.”

The company has also been selected for the EIT Regional Innovation Booster programme, supported by Xjenza Malta and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and participated in the INPHO Venture Summit in Bordeaux, where emerging technology companies present to international investors.

With its initial commercial launch behind it, Smart Materials is now seeking to translate its research and early market traction into a business capable of manufacturing and selling its technology internationally.