Our Purpose
The mattress industry thrives on confusion. Endless options, vague promises, and materials that force you to choose between comfort and support.
We believe sleep is too important for compromise. That's why we built Huggah—one mattress, engineered from breakthrough material science, designed to deliver what your body actually needs.
Our Vision
To bring real comfort, pain relief, and restorative sleep to 1 million lives, helping people combat the weariness of modern life.
Our Mission
To revolutionize sleep through material science and innovation—creating the foundation for sustained energy, improved mood, and better days.
Huggah is powered by Smart Materials, a spin‑out born in Malta and rooted in decades of world‑class research at the University of Malta.
The Question That Changed Everything
It started with a question scientists have chased since the late 1980s: What if materials could do the opposite of what nature intended? In 1987, researchers first described auxetic materials - structures that expand when stretched instead of thinning out. On paper, they were extraordinary. In reality? Nobody could make them work beyond the laboratory.
The Breakthrough That Sat on a Shelf
In the 2010s, a research team at the University of Malta discovered something radical: a way to create auxetic foam not by reshaping standard foam after production, but by controlling the chemistry from the molecular level up. It was a genuine breakthrough. And it sat on a shelf, waiting for someone to see what it could become.
We Saw What Others Missed
In 2018, we revisited that discovery. What if this wasn't just fascinating science? What if it could actually change how people sleep? We began testing. Refining prototypes. Exploring whether a lab marvel could become something people could buy. By 2020, Smart Materials was founded to make it happen.
Then came five years of relentless work. We tested thousands of formulations. Built and rebuilt production equipment. Worked alongside industry veterans who'd spent decades perfecting polyurethane foam. We pushed this technology that we now call Zetic through every challenge until it became what it is today:
- A metamaterial with auxetic effect - a third-generation foam that adapts instantly to your body
- Breathable and temperature-neutral throughout the night
- Durable and fully recyclable
The Industry That Needed This
But we didn't stop at making a great material. We asked: Where could Zetic truly change lives? The answer was obvious: mattresses.
An industry with urgent problems. Millions of beds dumped in landfills every year. Layered constructions impossible to recycle. Foams that lose support long before the mattress is ready to retire. And consumers forced to choose between comfort and support, softness and durability. Zetic solves all of it.
Its single-core structure eliminates multiple foam layers, making recycling straightforward. Its auxetic properties adapt dynamically to every sleeper - delivering comfort and support that memory foam, latex, and conventional foams simply can't match.
Born in Malta. Built for the World.
Huggah is the world's first mattress built entirely on Zetic technology.
Tested, refined, and proven in Malta. Now ready to bring a new kind of sleep and a sustainable future to the world.
Our Team
Behind Huggah is a circle of founders, scientists, and dreamers, each carrying a deeply personal reason for building a better sleep experience and a brighter future for sleep.
Dr. Keith M. Azzopardi
More than a materials scientist, Keith is the driving force leading the entire journey — from the earliest spark of the Zetic technology to its transformation into a market‑ready product. Having lived through the agony of a slipped discs and back injuries himself, Keith turned his own struggle into a mission: to create a mattress that truly heals and supports, night after night.
Edward Borg
A brilliant engineer who makes sure our production machinery adapts perfectly to the Zetic process and keeps running like clockwork. Edward’s inspiration is forward‑looking he dedicates his work to his two children, building a world where comfort and sustainability are simply expected.
Andrei Andy Linnas
With a keen instinct for extracting value from the most complex scientific breakthroughs, Andy has spent his career turning ideas into products that disrupt industries. His personal drive comes from caring for his elderly parents, helping their bodies rest, recover, and last longer.
Dr. Lynn Marie Barbara
A materials scientist who has conducted thousands of formulation tests to ensure Zetic delivers the best sleep experience, fueling innovation with deep curiosity, care, and commitment to engineering materials that advance both science and well-being.
Prof. Ruben Gatt
One of the world’s leading researchers in metamaterials and auxetics, Prof. Gatt discovered how to produce auxetic foams through the Zetic method. His devotion is personal, driven by a partner who has battled back pain for years.
Joanna Ding
Joanna has 10+ years experience building lifestyle brands at lululemon, Häagen-Dazs, Levi's, and Pernod Ricard. She specialises in translating innovation into brand stories, executing go-to-market strategies. At Huggah, she's building a brand where material science meets wellbeing- proving breakthrough innovation can transform everyday life.
Marco Satta
Anoop Shibu
