GTechPlasma: when plasma physics meets the market
The first spin-off arising from research developed at IPFN, GTechPlasma, was highlighted in a recent interview with IPFN’s President, Bruno Soares Gonçalves, conducted as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Lab2Market@Técnico.
In the interview, Bruno Gonçalves, Coordinator Researcher at Técnico and co-founder of the spin-off, recalls that when the team joined Lab2Market@Técnico, the technology had already moved beyond the proof-of-concept stage. The science was robust, the patents had been secured, and the technology worked.
The challenge laid elsewhere: understanding how to turn that knowledge into a business. As he notes, the team knew “how to develop the technology”, but was still trying to understand “how to turn it into a business”.
This reflection was also at the centre of the seminar “Enduring Pain: When Plasma Physics Meets Market Reality”, delivered by Bruno on 17 June within the Scientific Area of Plasma Physics, Lasers and Nuclear Fusion of the Department of Physics at IST. Held in the Abreu Faro Amphitheatre, the seminar explored the journey of transforming a technology developed in an academic context into a solution with market potential.
GTechPlasma is based on a plasma technology developed from research carried out at IPFN, aimed at producing graphene and graphene derivatives in a single step. According to Bruno, this approach seeks to address challenges related to the scalability, sustainability, and adaptation of these materials to different applications.
Initially, the strategy was focused on producing and commercialising graphene as a material, or possibly selling the equipment capable of producing it. However, engagement with the market led the team to rethink that approach. The central question was no longer simply how to sell graphene, but rather understanding “who really needed” that graphene, and why.
This shift in perspective proved decisive. In a market already marked by materials of varying quality and by expectations around graphene that were often inflated, the team realised that the value of the technology would not lie in competing within a commodity-based logic, but in developing solutions to critical problems.
According to Bruno Gonçalves, Lab2Market@Técnico played an important role in this process by helping the team challenge assumptions and look at the technology through the lens of market needs. Participation in the programme showed that “technology alone does not create impact” and that it was necessary to understand how innovation could respond to concrete problems.
The turning point came when the team moved away from an approach centred on selling graphene and towards the development of high-added-value variants designed for specific needs. This evolution opened the way to applications in advanced materials capable of absorbing radar and electromagnetic radiation, with potential in dual-use areas.
This trajectory was also highlighted during the seminar, in which Bruno addressed the challenges of deep-tech entrepreneurship and the often demanding process of transforming frontier science into real-world impact. The presentation underlined precisely this transition: from the scientific promise of graphene to the identification of concrete applications where the material can solve problems sufficiently relevant to justify market adoption.
The scientific path that gave rise to GTechPlasma began more than a decade ago at the Plasma Engineering Laboratory (PEL) of the N-Prime group, when Elena Tatarova, PI of the lab, initiated a new research direction focused on the use of microwave plasma for the synthesis and engineering of graphene and its derivatives. For the researcher, this marked “one of the greatest challenges” of her career.
Elena recalls that this work represented “a major paradigm shift”, moving from fundamental plasma research in molecular gases to the field of advanced nanotechnology. Developing this new area required building new expertise, establishing international collaborations, and creating a long-term strategic vision.
At the heart of GTechPlasma’s technological development are two international research projects. The first, PEGASUS, funded under the European Innovation Council FET Open programme, assembled multidisciplinary teams to develop a multifunctional plasma platform for the continuous production of graphene and a wide range of tailored graphene derivatives.
Building on the success of PEGASUS, the researcher initiated and currently coordinates the AEGIS project, funded through NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme. The project aims to develop ultralight graphene-based nanocomposites with exceptional electromagnetic shielding performance, using advanced plasma technologies.
According to Elena, coordinating projects of this scale is a challenge that “extends far beyond scientific excellence”. For her, the greatest challenge has not been only the scientific ambition of these projects, but also the responsibility of “transforming innovative ideas into impactful results” that advance both science and technology.
As part of this trajectory, the team developed six distinct formulations of high-performance graphene-based coatings for electromagnetic shielding and stealth applications. These formulations operate across a broad frequency range, from 5 to 70 GHz, demonstrating the potential of the technology for critical applications.
GTechPlasma is currently in a transition phase between technological validation and industrialisation. Founded at the end of 2025 and supported by technology licensing agreements with Instituto Superior Técnico, the company is developing a new industrial generation of its plasma system and preparing its first commercial solutions based on the technology developed at IPFN.
With a more clearly defined market strategy, the company has secured its first pre-seed investment and is preparing a seed round with the aim of accelerating the industrialisation of the technology. In parallel, it is also exploring new application areas, including solutions for the selective extraction of rare earth elements and uranium, as well as solid-state hydrogen storage technologies.
Reflecting on this journey, Bruno Soares Gonçalves underlines that one of the main lessons learned was that market focus is as important as technological excellence. “The initial idea is not always the best one”, he says, adding that what is “essential is to identify the application with the greatest potential for impact and adoption”.
The creation of GTechPlasma represents a milestone in the valorisation of research developed at IPFN. The journey presented at the seminar and revisited in the Lab2Market@Técnico interview shows how plasma physics can move beyond the laboratory and give rise to technological solutions with real impact, when combined with strategic vision, international collaboration, and a clear understanding of market needs.
