From academia to market
Our applied research sparked an entrepreneurial initiative, leading to the creation of a start-up focused on ultralow-power, beyond-CMOS transistor technologies.
EFESO: Pioneering the Future of Sustainable Electronics
EFESO (Electronics with FErroelectricity and Spin-Orbit) was founded with a clear mission: to pave the way for a new generation of innovative, energy-efficient electronic devices. A spin-off of Politecnico di Milano, the startup gained recognition by winning both the 2023 edition of Switch2Product and Startcup Lombardia 2024. Recently, EFESO secured a €300,000 investment from Tech4Planet, Italy’s National Technology Transfer Hub for Environmental Sustainability.
The startup’s foundation lies in the advanced materials research done at Politecnico di Milano. EFESO is the entrepreneurial expression of this research, aiming to turn groundbreaking scientific discoveries into real-world solutions.
A pressing global challenge drives its vision: the rapidly growing energy demand of digital technologies. By 2050, information technologies could consume up to half of the world’s electricity production. EFESO is committed to addressing this issue by developing post-CMOS electronics that drastically reduce energy consumption.
“The investment from Tech4Planet gives us the opportunity to move from vision to prototype. Our dream is to drive electronics to the post-CMOS era”, said the executive chief, Federico Fagiani.
GRANTS
2024 Tech4Planet CDP Venture Capital – Proof-of-Concept investment
2023 Fondazione Politecnico di Milano – Technology Innovation program Switch2Product, “Electronics with Ferroelectricity and Spin-orbit coupling (EFESO)”
PRIZES
2025
National Plan of Innovation (PNI) awards in “Information and communication technology” (tecnologie dell’informazione e dei nuovi media) — 25 k€ — Almaviva
EIT Digital Special Prize includes one voucher to access the Speed Master–Executive Course, a 3-month program designed for entrepreneurs looking to grow their startups.
SearchOn AI for Future Special Prize, awarded to the best finalist startups that have applied AI to improve quality of life. The prize includes an exhibition space at the AI Festival, powered by Search On and WMF We Make Future, taking place in Milan on February 26–27.
Young Entrepreneur Program (YEP) Special Prize, which includes a 7-day stay at two Pépite centers (Pôles Étudiants pour l’Innovation, le Transfert et l’Entrepreneuriat) within the France network. The program features personalized meetings aimed at fostering entrepreneurial skills development.
2024
Best start-up award – category “Industrial” — 25 k€ – StartCup Lombardia 2024
2023
Early Stage Researcher Award (3rd edition) to the founder Christian Rinaldi at the International conference “Trends in Magnetism” (TMAG 2023)
MEDIA MENTIONS
October 2024: Tech4Planet welcomes EFESO in its portfolio!
October 2024: Our accelerator celebrates the Proof-of-Concept with Tech4Planet
December 2025: EFESO recognized by the MUSA (Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action) network