A
apheros
High surface area metal foams for thermal, catalysis, and battery applications
About apheros
Apheros AG is a thermal management company addressing the escalating energy consumption of data centers and high-power computing industries. Founded in August 2023 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, the firm is strategically positioned within the rapidly expanding liquid cooling market, a segment propelled by the growth of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The business model centers on providing advanced cooling solutions that can be easily integrated into customers' existing systems, offering a direct path to reduced energy consumption and lower operational costs.
Read full description
The company was co-founded by CEO Dr. Julia Carpenter and CTO Dr. Gaëlle Andreatta. Dr. Carpenter's work on the novel metal foam manufacturing process earned her recognition as one of MIT Technology Review's "Innovators Under 35" and one of Switzerland's "Top 10 Founders to Watch". Dr. Andreatta contributes over 16 years of experience in R&D, technology transfer, and startup development, creating a leadership team with deep expertise in materials science and commercialization.
Apheros' core product is a high-performance metal foam created through a patented and scalable manufacturing process. This material features a unique structure with completely open porosity and an exceptionally high surface area—reportedly up to 1,000 times greater than traditional solutions—which translates into superior heat transfer and fluid flow properties. Designed for liquid and two-phase cooling applications, these foams facilitate more efficient heat dissipation. A key benefit is their seamless integration as a drop-in replacement for existing thermal management components, allowing clients to upgrade their cooling capabilities without undertaking a complete system redesign. In August 2024, Apheros secured $1.85 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Founderful to scale production, enhance R&D, and expand its market presence.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Employees
- 14
- Open positions
- None listed
- Dealroom signal
- 76.8/100
- Sub-industry
- Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage
- Sector
- Energy, Spinout, Sustainable Development Goals, Cooling Tech, Urban Tech, Space Tech, Thermal Engineering, Advanced Materials, Climate Tech
- Technology
- Hardware, Deep Tech
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Knowledge graph
More headlines
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEED✓Equity / VC | Aug 2024 | $1.9M | $7.4M | Founderful | ↗ |
| SUPPORT PROGRAM✓Other financing | Jan 2024 | $0 | — | Swissnex | — |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for apheros is 620 monthly website visits, up 17% over the last three months. apheros's team grew 40% over the past year.
Similar companies
Company identity and context are open; selected comparison metrics preview what is available on the platform.
Investments and acquisitions
Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed2 investors entered at this stage
Venture Kick
Founderful
Other known investors3 additional known investors
ETH Zurich
Swissnex
Stage Two
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about apheros on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
See apheros’s full profile on Dealroom
Request a free trial to see the complete deal history, financials, people graph and growth signals.
Takes under a minute. Already use Dealroom? Log in.