Technogel Italia S.r.l. is a manufacturing company based in Vicenza, Italy. It makes cushioning products based on a proprietary

gel A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still di ...

History

Technogel dates back to 1990 in Italy, when Massimo Losio--also an executive of

Selle Royal Selle Royal Spa is a company from Vicenza, Italy, founded in 1956 by Riccardo Bigolin, producing saddles for bicycles. In 1965, a formal establishment of Selle Royal Sp.A. was made in Vicenza for the production and distribution of bicycle sad ...

Group--founded Royal Medica to use the patented gel material to relieve the discomfort of individuals bound to wheelchairs and hospital beds. By the mid-90s, Royal Medica had expanded into office furniture, providing applications of Technogel for seat cushions, armrests & ergonomic desk accessories. In 1998, Royal Medica formed a joint venture with Otto Bock. The partnership took the namesake of the material and gave rise to the company now known as Technogel. Partnerships have included furniture and fashion houses such as Vitra, Saporiti, Steelcase, Humanscale, and

Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...

, to name a few. Special projects have also been produced with designers and artists such as

Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. Life Starck was born on ...

and

Mariko Mori is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist. She is known for her photographs and videos of her hybridized future self, often presented in various guises and featuring traditional Japanese motifs. Her work often explores themes of technology, spirit ...

. Technogel is a multinational corporation with primary manufacturing operations in Italy and Germany and an administrative headquarters in the United States in Pittsburgh. Established in 2010, Technogel’s US branch focuses on the development and sales of Technogel Sleeping products, as well as new innovations.

The material

Initially developed and patented by

Bayer Material Science Covestro AG is a German company which produces a variety of polyurethane and polycarbonate based raw materials. Products include isocyanates and polyols for cellular foams, thermoplastic polyurethane and polycarbonate pellets, as well as polyureth ...

, and now licensed exclusively by the Technogel company, Technogel is a polyurethane gel made without plasticizer oils.

Consumer goods

Technogel launched its first line of consumer products in 2008 as the Technogel Sleeping brand of gel mattresses and pillows. The Technogel Sleeping collection is sold through various licensees and retailers in more than 50 countries. In 2013, the Technogel Sleeping VIVE line of luxury gel mattresses and pillows and the Technogel Living seating supports collection were both launched. And the company continues research and development and new product releases.

References

* *{{cite web, url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/28-12-2013/ciclismo-froome-made-italy-sky-bici-materassi-201931972509.shtml, title=Ciclismo, Froome made in Italy: non solo bici, nostri pure i materassi - La Gazzetta dello Sport, publisher=gazzetta.it, accessdate=2014-02-28 Manufacturing companies established in 1990 Manufacturing companies of Italy Companies based in Veneto Italian companies established in 1990