Spotlight: Interview with Dr Emanuela Maggioni

Emanuela Maggioni is a leading researcher in olfaction and sensory science and a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship awardee.  

Her deep tech venture, Hynt sits at the intersection of scent science, AI and sleep tech. it translates over a decade of validated research into a scalable AI platform that personalises scent delivery using real‑time sleep and biometric data to address structural failures in sleep‑tech outcomes

We spoke to Hub Member Emanuela, at a critical time in the scaling of this deep tech venture, as she is currently raising a pre-Series A round.

What is the core innovation that makes your approach genuinely different and difficult to replicate

More than 1.3 billion people track sleep, yet outcomes haven’t improved. Engagement collapses quickly: around 70% abandon sleep apps within 100 days, while wearables experience 30–70% churn, significantly eroding lifetime value across the category.

Hynt is the first patented, science‑driven AI platform to convert real‑time sleep data into personalised scent interventions, delivered at specific sleep stages and physiological states. By activating biological pathways other modalities cannot reach, we improve sleep outcomes non‑invasively rather than optimising tracking alone.

Unlike competitors, Hynt is a full‑stack platform combining adaptive AI, a smart scent‑delivery device, and proprietary olfactory, chemical and biometric datasets generated in live use. This creates compounding defensibility over time.

Our IP covers the platform end‑to‑end: smart devices, embedded sensing, adaptive systems, proprietary databases, scent capsules and algorithms, supported by trade secrets, trademarks, design protection and copyright. Hynt currently holds more than 14 international patents pending and three granted across the US and EU.

Emanuela Maggioni, Enterprise Fellowship awardee and co-founder of Hynt Labs. Currently raising a pre‑Series A round.

Commercially, Hynt turns passive wearable data into real‑time active intervention. For partners, this delivers measurable outcome improvement, reduced churn and new recurring revenue streams, directly increasing retention and lifetime value

You’ve demonstrated measurable improvements in sleep outcomes. How did you validate these results, and why should partners and investors trust the underlying science?

We’ve clinically validated Hynt in both a medical‑grade sleep lab (with the Surrey Sleep Research Centre) and longitudinal home studies, combining objective sleep metrics with subjective outcomes. Results show reduced sleep onset latency, faster transitions into deep sleep, improved deep‑sleep continuity and increased overall sleep efficiency.

From an execution standpoint, we’ve de‑risked the entire system: industrial design by Pentagram, a working recyclable scent‑capsule system, embedded authentication and anti‑counterfeiting (with TTP), and fully certified hardware and software (CE, UKCA, FCC). Our results are published in Nature Communications Engineering (2024), with further six‑month longitudinal validation via the Smell Care project, published in Rhinology Journal (2026).

Commercially, Hynt turns passive wearable data into real‑time active intervention. For partners, this delivers measurable outcome improvement, reduced churn and new recurring revenue streams, directly increasing retention and lifetime value.

Data sits at the heart of your platform. How does Hynt’s data flywheel strengthen the business over time, and what does that mean for long‑term competitive advantage?

Hynt’s business model is centred on B2B licensing to wearable and sleep‑tech companies. The Hynt Data & AI Platform powers partner‑branded devices and scent capsules, generating licence fees and royalties while continuously optimising performance through accumulating data. This creates a defensible flywheel where each deployment strengthens both outcomes and IP over time. The platform can also be licensed across adjacent applications and revenue streams.

Major wearable partners ship approximately 3 million devices annually. From the first 1 million devices at a £249 retail price, Hynt can generate ~£20 million in device revenue and ~£7 million per year in consumables. Every device in market expands Hynt’s data moat, reinforcing long‑term competitive advantage. We are targeting our first licensee in 2027, with a £0.5–2 million upfront fee and a mass‑market launch in 2029 with £70 million+ lifetime value potential.

You’re currently raising a pre‑Series A round. What are the most important milestones this capital will unlock over the next 18–24 months?

Hynt is raising £4 million, with £2 million already committed from an existing VC and an equity‑free grant, providing a 24‑month runway. This capital will accelerate first‑licensee deployment, deliver commercial proof‑of‑concepts with partners, and scale the Hynt Data & AI Platform to support global roll‑out. To date, Hynt has raised £2.9 million in equity and £1 million in research grants, establishing a science‑validated platform, a scalable licensing model and significantly reducing technical and execution risk.

Hear more from Emanuela at Demo Day 

Meet Emanuela, along with fifteen high potential deep tech and life sciences ventures from our Hub portfolio at the Demo Day on 12 May, in our London Enterprise Hub.

With presentations taking place across two stages, the format offers time to engage directly with founders addressing complex global challenges through credible technology and early traction.

Register for Demo Day