A Sound Investment: Lios Secure €2m European Space Agency Co-Funded Contract As Acoustic Tech Prepares For Lift-Off
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Dublin-based start-up, Lios, is renewing its contract with the European Space Agency for the second-time. Valued at almost two million euro in co-funding, the development contract supports the deployment of Lios’ advanced acoustic material, SoundBounce, as Fairing Acoustic Protection (FAP) for space flight.
Noise and vibration cause major problems during the launch and separation stages of space flight, damaging sensitive and expensive payloads such as satellites. SoundBounce protects these payloads while saving space, increasing the usable volume for the next generation of space exploration.
This Phase 3 contract focuses on scaling up manufacturing of the SoundBounce panels over a two-year period and running flight qualification testing for the extreme space environment.
Lios has been working with ESA as part of the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme since 2021, improving lightweighting by 50% as they adapt SoundBounce to suit space conditions. The programme supports European industry in developing the technologies, systems, and partnerships needed for a modular, reusable, and commercially viable space transportation ecosystem. Lios collaborates with two of Europe’s leading space manufacturers in this project.
Lios CEO Rhona Togher explains that the acoustic materials industry is at a turning point:
“SoundBounce offers a competitive edge that legacy materials cannot match. Through this new technology we are able to solve complex noise issues for our customers in aerospace, construction, home appliances, and beyond. We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with ESA, and look forward to, one day, sending SoundBounce into space on a European launcher.”
Barry Jennings, National Delegate to ESA at Enterprise Ireland, said:
“This is a significant achievement for Lios and another positive development for Ireland’s growing presence in the European space sector. The Irish Delegation to ESA is delighted to support Lios’s continued progress through FLPP, and we wish the team well as SoundBounce moves towards its first flight on a European launcher.”
About SoundBounce
SoundBounce is an advanced acoustic material using technology never seen before in the field. Awarded the European Patent Office Invention of the Year in 2023, this acoustic insulation material is thinner, lighter and more powerful than conventional materials used to reduce noise and vibrations. SoundBounce, a composite material made up of an active fluid and a cellular structure, excels at low frequencies, which is a significant challenge for products with engines, vibrations, and airflow.
About Lios
Based in Dublin, Lios is an advanced materials company dedicated to eradicating harmful noise pollution. Founded by physicists Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll, the company leverages advanced materials to develop elegant, practical solutions for a quieter world.
Lios’ advanced acoustic material, SoundBounce, is a revolutionary, sustainable alternative to traditional acoustic solutions. Its thinner, lightweight profile is high-performing, particularly at stubborn low-frequencies which conventional materials struggle to attenuate. With applications across construction, aerospace and home appliances, SoundBounce is poised for global impact.
Over the last decade, the business has grown to foster a spirit of innovation and a passion for developing real-world solutions. Lios has built a team of experts in material science, acoustics, licensing, design, marketing, predictive modelling, project management, and sales. In 2025, Lios was awarded funding of a €2.5M grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme to help bring their breakthrough acoustic material, SoundBounce, to commercial scale.
Lios’ accolades include the European Patent Office’s Invention of the Year, EU Prize for Women Innovators, She Loves Tech Global Winner, INAM Advanced Materials Competition, JEC Startup Booster, Hello Tomorrow New Materials Prize, and the Irish Times Innovation Awards.
About ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
The ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) fosters key-enabling technologies capable of increasing performance and reliability coupled with reduced costs.
ESA’s programme dedicated to the preparation of this future, the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP), funds research and product development projects to foster new technologies capable of delivering performance and reliability coupled with reduced operational costs for European launch vehicles and low impact on the environment. FLPP is instrumental in the European strategy for space transportation systems development.
Contact:
Úna Harty | Head of Marketing and Communications