Collaboration type: One-off project (funding announcement)
Vertical: AI infrastructure, robotics, automation
Timeframe: September–October 2025
Startup HQ: Milan, Italy 🇮🇹
Overview
Cyberwave is a Milan-based deep tech startup building the operating layer between AI and the physical world. Founded by serial entrepreneurs Simone Di Somma (Askdata, acquired by SAP) and Vittorio Banfi (exited Botsociety, later worked for Google), the company has developed a developer-first platform that abstracts hardware complexity through digital twins. These allow AI agents to sense, control, and orchestrate machines with a few lines of code. In other words, Cyberwave makes it easy to make the physical world programmable with digital twins and AI. Cyberwave is backed by investors such as United Ventures, The TechShop, Vento (Exor) Ventures, and Pi Campus.
Challenge
Cyberwave was preparing to announce its €7 million seed round while still pre-launch, operating in a technically complex and emerging category, AI infrastructure for physical automation. The challenge was to convey its long-term vision in a way that appealed both to investors and to vertical-specific media such as robotics and manufacturing publications.
The announcement also coincided with Italian Tech Week, creating an opportunity to capture attention within Europe’s deep-tech and VC ecosystem, but also the risk of news saturation during one of the region’s busiest tech events. Italian Tech Week was also very close to the project start date.
Making the physical world programmable
Black Unicorn PR partnered with Cyberwave to craft a clear and compelling narrative. We led with “making the physical world programmable.” Drawing from in-depth founder interviews and the company’s digital-twin positioning, we built messaging that connected Cyberwave’s technical innovation to global industry trends like Europe’s re-industrialisation, AI-driven automation, and labour shortages. In addition, analogies like ‘the Hugging Face of robotics” helped make Cyberwave’s model crystal clear for journalists.
The PR rollout was a joint international effort between Black Unicorn PR, and an Italian agency that focused on Italian media. We secured a Sifted feature as a key win, supported by coverage in robotics trade outlets, startup press, and VC newsletters. The coordinated cross-market approach ensured Cyberwave’s message reached both investors and industry insiders. And Cyberwave’s photography, fun and relevant to robotics, gave the story the right visual appeal.
Results
The campaign achieved 67 articles across multiple languages (including English, Italian, Spanish, Korean, and others), including:
- Startup publications Sifted, Tech.eu, EU Startups, Startups Magazine, Silicon Canals, Tech Funding News and more
- Newsletters by FORTUNE, Axios, TechCrunch/StrictlyVC
- Robotics trade media: Robotics 24/7, Robotics Tomorrow and more
- Italian top tiers such as Forbes, Il Sole 24 Ore
The announcement generated tangible awareness among key audiences. We supported the founders with amplification to make sure they make the most of their results with investors, talent/developers, and industrial partners.
In a very short space of time, we positioned Cyberwave as a European pioneer in AI-powered physical automation. Beyond metrics, the campaign built long-term trust and visibility in the right channels for Cyberwave’s stage, establishing the foundation for future launches and fundraising milestones.
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