Intelligent valves for digital, sustainable fluid and gas control across industries
In today’s industrial world, true innovation isn’t just about technology—it stems from bold vision, complementary expertise, and strategic positioning in markets that previously didn’t exist. That’s exactly how Dolphin Fluidics came to life: not as yet another valve manufacturer, but as a pioneer able to create a “blue ocean” in its field—following the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy, the framework that urges companies to win without competing, by unlocking uncontested market space and delivering new value.
“Our goal was never to replace what already existed,” says Francesco Butera, co-founder and Managing Director of Dolphin Fluidics, “but to bring fluidic devices to the market that offer new functions and shift the performance-to-cost ratio in ways that redefine what’s possible with conventional technologies.”
A well-backed industrial startup
Founded in 2014 in Corsico, near Milan, Dolphin Fluidics is a rare example of a corporate-born mechatronic startup that combines agility in product development with the industrial strength of a long-established group. On one side stands Francesco Butera’s expertise—he’s a European pioneer in the field of smart materials and shape memory actuators, with a background in R&D at Fiat and Saes Getters. On the other side, the fluidic legacy of the Andreis family, founders of Fluid-o-Tech, a company with over 70 years of experience in precision dosing systems.
This synergy gave rise to an autonomous, flexible and streamlined company that also benefits from the logistical infrastructure, industrial know-how, and global commercial network of its parent group—a true startup with strong shoulders, as Butera likes to put it.
From droplet to shower: the power of precision control
Dolphin Fluidics’ motto is clear: “From droplet to shower.” It perfectly captures the versatility of its smart valves, capable of precisely regulating fluid and gas flows—from microliters to hundreds of liters per hour—with unmatched precision and responsiveness.
Separated proportional valves – Smart dosing and mixing sensorized valve – Mass flow meter
So what makes these valves so revolutionary?
Shape Memory Alloy Actuators: made of ultra-thin nickel-titanium wires, these actuators contract when heated by a low electric current, functioning like artificial muscles. The result is extreme compactness, no motors or bulky parts, silent operation, and power consumption up to 10 times lower than traditional valves.
Embedded digital microcontroller electronics: each valve features a 32-bit microcontroller that precisely controls the actuator’s position in a closed-loop system. It integrates internal sensors (flow, temperature, pressure) and supports communication with external systems such as PCs, cloud platforms, and mobile devices. The valves are fully IoT-ready and generate data for diagnostics, traceability, and predictive maintenance.
Compact, customizable design: by integrating actuator, sensors, and electronics in a single module, Dolphin’s valves replace multiple separate components with one smart, multifunctional unit. Each device can be tailored not only in its geometry but especially in its embedded software, simplifying the machine architecture, reducing space, cost, and potential failure points.
A systemic, collaborative approach
Unlike traditional suppliers who offer off-the-shelf components, Dolphin Fluidics acts as a technology partner, co-developing solutions with its clients. It doesn’t just sell valves—it provides integrated functional building blocks, combining actuation, sensing, control, and communication in one device.
This system-level approach helps clients simplify their product architecture, shorten time to market, reduce energy consumption, and enable entirely new functions.
“We don’t aim to replace an existing valve,” Butera explains. “We enable new functions in our customers’ systems. Our technology often becomes the trigger for broader innovation inside the machines where it’s integrated.”
Real-world applications: from IV therapy to cappuccino
Dolphin Fluidics’ innovation model has already earned the trust of some of the most respected global brands, especially in the medical and food & beverage sectors. The unique combination of smart electronics, innovative actuation, and compact design unlocks new capabilities while promoting energy efficiency and sustainability.
In medical applications, Dolphin’s valves are used in infusion, dialysis, and respiratory therapy devices, where silent, accurate and compact control is critical. They can be battery-powered and easily integrated into portable or home-care solutions, reducing hospitalization needs and healthcare costs while improving patient comfort.
In food & beverage, Dolphin transforms the way drinks are dispensed. In high-end coffee machines, a single smart valve controls steam and air to emulsify milk, replacing multi-component systems. In soft drink dispensers, the intelligent mixing of carbonated water and syrup is performed with consistent precision and can even be customized by the user via a mobile app. The result is reliable, traceable quality—remotely monitored.
Dolphin’s innovation is also expanding into industrial automation, particularly in filling and dosing applications. Here, the company’s smart valves help reduce equipment size, enhance flow control accuracy, and generate real-time data for process optimization—delivering measurable benefits for machine builders and system integrators.
Charting the next course in the blue ocean
With a strong foothold in its core markets, Dolphin Fluidics is now steering toward new application areas: dental systems, intelligent climate control, and precision automation in large-scale industrial equipment. All of these fields can benefit from digitized fluidics as a key enabler of smarter, more sustainable solutions.
More than a tech startup, Dolphin Fluidics is a lab for applied innovation, capable of turning industrial challenges into compact, connected, and intelligent solutions.
The dolphin as a symbol was not chosen by chance: it stands for agility, intelligence and positive energy—the very same qualities with which Dolphin Fluidics is reshaping the future of industrial fluidics, charting its own course in the blue ocean of digital transformation.
