In October 2025, Hypesound became the second start-up to make use of Planet B.io’s Flexible Bio Lab at Biotech Campus Delft. The company is developing a novel technology that uses sound waves to accelerate the growth of microorganisms such as algae, yeast, and bacteria - offering a low-cost, energy-efficient way to improve bioprocess efficiency across food, fermentation, and biotech applications.
For Hypesound, access to a fully equipped, ready-to-use lab was a crucial step in moving from theory to proof of concept.
From marine biology to biotech innovation
Hypesound was founded by Pietro Labruzzo, the company’s co-founder and CTO, whose background in marine biology sparked an unexpected discovery. While studying marine algae, he observed that algae never grow in still water - they are constantly influenced by waves. This led to a fundamental question: could wave-like stimulation be essential for cell growth?
Sound waves turned out to be the answer.
During his PhD research, Pietro began experimenting with audible sound frequencies and found that sound stimulation significantly increased algae growth. Further research showed that this effect extends beyond algae to other single-cell organisms, including yeast and bacteria. This discovery laid the foundation for Hypesound’s technology platform.
Today, Hypesound applies optimized sound stimulation to existing bioprocesses, enabling faster growth rates without adding chemicals or significantly increasing energy consumption.
A technology that integrates into existing processes
Rather than replacing current production methods, Hypesound works alongside companies that already have established bioprocesses. The company provides a combination of hardware, software, and expertise to tailor sound stimulation to each specific organism and process.
“The optimal frequency doesn’t just depend on the organism, but on the entire process,” explains Ilia Vialshin, CSO of Hypesound. “Even the same yeast behaves very differently in beer brewing, baking, or precision fermentation.”
By building a growing internal knowledge base of sound profiles and biological responses, Hypesound is developing both practical solutions and deeper scientific understanding of how sound influences cell growth.
Why Planet B.io’s Flexible Bio Lab was essential
Hypesound operates internationally, with hardware development and algae research in Italy and business operations in London and the Netherlands. When Ilia joined the team, finding a suitable lab for early-stage biotech experiments became a challenge.
“Normally, for proof-of-concept experiments, you spend more time setting up a lab than actually running experiments,” says Ilia. “At Planet B.io, we could rent a bench and start immediately - it’s truly plug-and-play.”
After searching across Europe, Hypesound found no comparable facility offering such fast, flexible access to a fully equipped biotech lab. The Flexible Bio Lab provided everything needed from day one: biosafety cabinets, shaker incubators, centrifuges, plate readers, fume hoods, and all the essential consumables that often cause delays for early-stage start-ups.
“Without this lab, I would probably only be starting experiments now,” Ilia explains. “Instead, we started already in October of last year. It saved us several months of time, and for a start-up, that’s invaluable.”
More than a lab: part of a biotech ecosystem
Beyond speed and affordability, Planet B.io’s focus on food and industrial biotechnology made the choice even more compelling. Unlike many shared labs that are primarily pharma-oriented, Planet B.io sits at the heart of a food-tech-driven ecosystem.
“We came for the fast, easy, and affordable lab access,” says Ilia. “We’re staying for the community and the potential partnerships.”
With nearby hubs in Delft, Leiden, and Wageningen, Biotech Campus Delft offers access to one of the highest concentrations of biotech talent in Europe. Hypesound is already exploring collaborations within the ecosystem and plans to grow its presence on campus.
Looking ahead
In the coming months, Hypesound is focused on closing its fundraising round and delivering clear value through pilot partnerships with biotech and food companies. Longer term, the company aims to grow into a focused team of 10–20 people, develop multiple hardware solutions, and build a strong pipeline of tailored collaborations.
For now, Planet B.io’s Flexible Bio Lab is playing a key role in turning a promising scientific insight into a scalable biotech solution - demonstrating exactly why flexible, ready-to-work lab infrastructure is essential for early-stage innovation.
Curious how sound can boost your bioprocess performance?
Get in touch with Hypesound to explore collaboration opportunities or learn more about their technology.
This Planet B.io initiative is supported by:
