Foam that pulls in under pressure.
Zetic® is our patented auxetic polyurethane foam. Press it and it draws material toward the load instead of spreading out. We make it in one foaming step at industrial scale, and it is already on the market inside Huggah® mattresses.
- Process
- One foaming step, no post-processing
- Patents
- Granted in the US, Canada, China, Japan and the Netherlands; European patent pending
- On the market
- Huggah® mattresses since December 2025
- Developed with
- University of Malta Metamaterials Unit
Watch the sides as the load goes on
Ordinary foam bulges outward when you press it, so material moves away from the point that needs support. The cells in Zetic® foam fold inward and gather material under the load. The harder the press, the firmer the support, all from a single layer.
Zetic® foam
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Wider when stretched
Zetic® is auxetic: stretch it and it gets wider, where ordinary foam gets thinner. That is what a Poisson's ratio below zero means.
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Open-cell structure
The thin walls between Zetic® cells are open, so the cells connect and air can pass through the foam.
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Made in grades
Zetic® can be made in different grades: formulation and process set each grade's density, firmness and how strongly it pulls in.
Auxetic foams in published research
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Curves into a dome
Bend a sheet of auxetic foam and it curves into a dome, where ordinary foam forms a saddle. This synclastic curvature can help it wrap rounded shapes.
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Resists indentation
Under a load on a small area, auxetic foams draw material in beneath it, and lab studies report this can make them harder to press into.
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Impact research
In published low-energy drop tests, auxetic foams recorded lower peak forces than the ordinary foams they were compared with.
Made in one step, at industrial scale
Auxetic foam was first made in a laboratory in 1987, by compressing, heating and cooling ordinary foam one sample at a time. The method was slow, costly and limited to small pieces, so the material rarely left the lab.
Our patented process forms the auxetic structure while the foam is being made: one foaming step on standard equipment, producing full-size blocks. It took nearly a decade of work with Prof. Ruben Gatt and the Metamaterials Unit at the University of Malta, and more than 5,000 trial batches.
The old route
Lab scale- Chemicals
- Standard foam
- Compress, heat, cool
- Auxetic sample
Our route
Industrial scale- Chemicals
- One-step foaming
- Auxetic foam block
Huggah: The first application of Zetic® technology
The mattress that hugs you back.
Huggah® is a mattress built around a single adaptive Zetic® core, in place of the stack of glued foam layers inside a typical premium mattress.
- In Malta since December 2025
- 100-night home trial
- 10-year warranty
A typical premium mattress: several glued foam layers
Huggah: one adaptive Zetic® core
Where Zetic® foam goes next
Mattresses came first because we can test the material directly with the people who sleep on it. Every other use will need its own grade of Zetic®, adjusted and tested for that application. We are looking for partners in each of these fields to develop those grades with us.
Sleep
Mattresses.
On the market as Huggah®Furniture and seating
Seats, sofas and cushions.
Open to partnersSports and protection
Protective padding and helmet liners.
Open to partnersMobility
Vehicle and transport seating.
Open to partnersFootwear
Insoles and midsoles.
Open to partnersAcoustics and filtration
Sound absorption and filter media.
Open to partners
The team behind Zetic®
Smart Materials was founded in Malta in 2020 to take auxetic foam from the laboratory to industry. Our founders bring together materials science, engineering and commercial experience, and our lab and production line are in Qormi.
Dr Keith M. Azzopardi
Co-founder and CEO
Edward Borg
Co-founder and CTO
Andrei Andy Linnas
Co-founder and COO
Prof. Ruben Gatt
Chief Scientific Officer
Recognition and support
Backed by Malta Enterprise, MGVC and private investors. Accelerated by Plug and Play and the International Network of Advanced Materials.
- 2026Finalist, Start-Up Business of the Year, Malta Business Awards
- 2025Disruptor of the Year and Founder of the Year, Startup Festival
- 2023, 2024Deep Tech Pioneer, Hello Tomorrow
- 2023Scientific Initiative Award, Malta Intellectual Property Awards
- 2023Winner, Pitch Black
Partner with us
We offer licences and co-development to foam producers, brands and manufacturers. Tell us what you make and what the foam needs to do.
Start a conversationInvestors
Smart Materials is a materials company whose first product is already selling. We share our investor materials on request.
Request the investor deckIn the news
All news and press releases-
Smart Materials named a finalist for Start-Up Business of the Year
One of three finalists in the 2026 Start-Up Business of the Year category.
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The mattress that could change how we sleep
A feature on Huggah and the decade of research behind Zetic® foam.
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Malta Enterprise-supported startup Smart Materials launches Huggah
Malta Enterprise announces the launch of Huggah, following first customer deliveries in December 2025.
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From lab to bedroom: Smart Materials brings breakthrough foam technology to market
Our announcement of the first Huggah mattress deliveries and the partners helping us reach customers.
Talk to us
Write to us about partnerships, licensing, investment or press, and the right person will reply.
You can also follow us on LinkedIn.