About VYTL Works

The journey begins

The MetaSafe™ technology rose out of a challenge that had become increasingly urgent in the automotive world. Vehicles were getting heavier every year, especially battery electric vehicles, because safety requirements kept rising. Engineers were asked to protect passengers and batteries more effectively while also reducing weight, yet the traditional approach to lightweighting was reaching its limits.

For decades the standard response had been to use stronger materials. Increasing strength meant that a component of the same thickness could carry more load, which in theory should have enabled lighter structures. But in practice the benefits were limited. The stiffness of a vehicle structure is governed by the thickness of the material, and that thickness cannot be reduced without compromising rigidity. Strength could increase dramatically, but stiffness could not follow, and so the geometry imposed a hard lower limit on weight.

At the same time, moving to ever higher strength materials brought its own problems. Forming became more difficult, manufacturing became more expensive and the gains in performance became increasingly incremental. The industry was pushing against the ceiling of what conventional materials could offer.

We wanted to find a way to break out of this pattern. Instead of relying on stronger alloys, we asked whether geometry itself could be used to dissipate more energy while still remaining stiff and load‑bearing. That question led us to look at something that most materials research tried to avoid: failure.

By embracing plasticity and controlled material failure, we discovered a behaviour that had been overlooked in metamaterial research. Rather than preventing failure, we used it as a functional mechanism. This led to the discovery of a new material property we call yield buckling. It allows a structure to fail in a stable, predictable manner, carrying load when needed and dissipating energy when required. The first time we saw a prototype demonstrate this behaviour, we realised we had found a genuine paradigm shift.

Why we chose to build a company

The first applications were clear. Automotive protection systems needed to become lighter without compromising safety, and our metamaterials offered a way to achieve both. They could be designed to remain stiff under normal conditions and then dissipate energy efficiently during impact, all without relying on exotic alloys or complex assemblies.

As we explored the technology further, we saw that the same principles could benefit many other sectors. Protective equipment, aerospace and space structures and even construction materials all face similar challenges. They need to carry load, resist damage and absorb energy, often in unpredictable environments. Our metamaterials provide a way to meet these demands without the traditional trade‑offs.

It became clear that no existing supplier was positioned to bring this technology to market. The work was too novel and too interdisciplinary to fit within established materials pathways. To turn the research into something manufacturable, certifiable and deployable at scale, a dedicated team was needed. VYTL Works was founded to bridge that gap and to make advanced safety an inherent property of the material itself.

What we are building

Our patented yield-buckling mechanical metamaterial architecture exploits a controlled interaction between geometric buckling and material plasticity, producing a stable, repeatable force plateau during deformation. Each metamaterial layer is engineered to buckle precisely at the onset of yielding, enabling:

• Stiff, load‑bearing structures that also absorb significant energy
• Lightweighting without compromising protection
• Safer automotive protection systems and battery enclosures
• New possibilities for protective equipment, aerospace and space structures and construction applications
• Reduced material usage and simpler manufacturing routes

Our aim is to make engineered safety accessible, reliable and ready for real‑world conditions.

The people behind the work

VYTL Works BV is founded by two co‑inventors of the technology and co‑authors of the Nature paper that introduced it. Bernard brings industrial product development leadership from years of developing and industrialising advanced components for real‑world applications, while Corentin led the scientific work that uncovered the fundamental behaviour behind yield buckling. Spyros joined the company to provide hands‑on mechanical engineering expertise, translating breakthrough research into practical engineering solutions. Together, this team combines scientific discovery, industrial experience, hands‑on engineering and commercial acumen to move VYTL Works BV from breakthrough technology to market‑ready solutions.

What guides us

At the heart of MetaSafe™ is a simple principle: keeping people safe. Everything we design, test and build is shaped by that commitment. Our metamaterials are created to take the force of an impact so that people, structures and critical systems do not have to. It is why our motto is: we absorb shocks so you do not have to.

• Scientific rigour: every claim is backed by evidence
• Transparency: performance is clear and measurable
• Reliability: proven through testing
• Lightweight solutions: improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact
• Sustainable use of materials
• Collaboration: helping partners solve their challenges

These principles keep us focused on creating technology that is both innovative and practical, always anchored in the real-world need to protect people and the systems they rely on.

Moving forward

MetaSafe™ is now progressing from research to deployment. We are working with early partners in the automotive sector to integrate our metamaterials into next‑generation protection systems, validate performance at scale and prepare for commercial rollout. At the same time, we are exploring opportunities in protective equipment, aerospace, space and construction, where the same principles can unlock new levels of performance and safety.

Our long‑term ambition is to redefine how safety is engineered across industries, making advanced protection lighter, smarter and more sustainable.