Milan-based SunCubes, a company that claims to be pioneering energy transfer via laser technology, has secured €1.1M in Seed funding.
The round was jointly led by RoboIT and CrossConnect, both programmes of CDP Venture Capital’s National Accelerator Network. The round also saw participation from Plug and Play Tech Center and ELIS.
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The investment will enable the Italian startup to develop the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of its laser-based in-flight charging system for drones.
The funding will be allocated towards developing the company’s wireless charging technology that converts electrical energy into laser beams for drone power transmission. The system is designed to be plug-and-play compatible with common drones, addressing the problem of limited flight autonomy by enabling perpetual flight capabilities.
SunCubes has already gained industry recognition through awards, including the T-TeC prize and Test-It Award in collaboration with aerospace company Leonardo, signalling early validation of its wireless power solutions.
Transforming drone autonomy with laser-powered wireless charging
SunCubes’ technology addresses a fundamental limitation in drone operations – battery life constraints that restrict flight duration and operational scope.
The company’s laser-based system uses a transmitter to convert electrical energy into laser beams, which are then converted to electricity through receivers installed on drones. This fully wireless approach eliminates the need for physical connectors and charging stops, paving the way for continuous urban drone deliveries, uninterrupted industrial monitoring, and space-based applications.
The startup operates in a competitive landscape where most solutions rely on conductive charging stations or solar-powered alternatives. Companies like Germany’s Skycharge focus on contact-based UAV charging stations, while others develop solar-powered charging infrastructure.
SunCubes’ laser transmission approach represents a unique positioning in the wireless power transfer market, targeting applications where physical docking is impractical or impossible.
From Politecnico di Milano to European Space Agency incubation
The founding team comprises young engineers who graduated from Politecnico di Milano with expertise spanning aerospace engineering and management.
CEO Alberto Chiozzi leads the venture alongside COO Federico Ognibene, CIO Davide Russo, CTO Tommaso Aresi, and CCO Angelo Lannutti.
The company emerged from Italy’s leading technical university before gaining acceptance into the prestigious ESA BIC Milan programme, part of the European Space Agency’s business incubation network supporting space-related startups.
“With this funding, SunCubes takes a decisive step toward creating a technology that will radically change the way we think about drone autonomy and their future applications,” says Alberto Chiozzi, CEO of SunCubes.
€1.1M development roadmap: from MVP to market deployment
The investment from RoboIT and CrossConnect reflects CDP Venture Capital’s strategic focus on robotics and industrial automation technologies. RoboIT serves as Italy’s National Technology Transfer Hub for robotics, while CrossConnect operates within CDP Venture Capital’s accelerator network, supporting early-stage ventures.
The backing provides SunCubes with access to Italy’s national innovation ecosystem and potential partnerships with established industrial players.
SunCubes plans to use the funding to advance its wireless power solutions, including the development of products like SunCubes Light and SunCubes Lucy. The company aims to establish itself as a leader in wireless energy transmission, targeting applications across urban logistics, industrial monitoring, and aerospace sectors.
With its incubation at PoliHub and acceleration through ESA BIC Milan, the startup says it is positioned to leverage both academic research capabilities and space industry expertise as it develops its charging technology.
