Italian Design Icons, The B!POD Company
This article was originally published in Italian in Panorama on 17th April 2026.
Please note that this is a courtesy translation of the Italian language article originally published in the Panorama Magazine Issue at: https://www.panorama.it/attualita/economia/italian-design-icons-the-bpod-company
In the Italian Design Icons series, we explore the leading figures of Italian design and the companies that embody its excellence. Among these, The B!POD Company stands out as the B2C division of SAES Getters S.p.A., headquartered in Lainate, near Milan. For over 80 years, SAES has been a pioneer in innovation and in the development of advanced materials and cutting-edge technologies that shape the future of industry.
At the creative helm of B!POD is Filippo Batavia, Head of SAES Design and co-founder of the company. Born in Lucca in 1993, Batavia studied Industrial Design and Automotive Design at the Politecnico di Milano, collaborating with major names such as Audi and Ferrari and taking part in international projects in automotive, marine, and industrial design. In 2020, he joined SAES as Lead Industrial Designer, bringing an experimental and interdisciplinary approach to the group’s projects.
Together with his team, Batavia created Kabuto, a sophisticated interface between the wine bottle and the DROID vacuum device, winner of the Red Dot and iF Design Awards. Kabuto is, however, more than technology: it is a sensory experience in which craftsmanship and innovation merge, transforming every gesture related to wine into a moment of pure design.
In this exclusive interview, Batavia shares the philosophy behind B!POD’s functional minimalism, the value of Made in Italy, and how design can engage with everyday life—one sip at a time.
Q1. Kabuto’s design reflects B!POD’s minimalist and sustainable approach while embodying the essence of Italian design. Could you share the core philosophy behind the brand’s product design, and what the concept of “Made in Italy” means to you?
For B!POD, design means creating at the point where technique, function, and culture of use converge. Every product is built on the idea that, in order to be truly relevant, technology must be easy to understand, intuitive in the user experience, and, as much as possible, invisible. This requires meticulous work on performance, materials, ergonomics, and sensory quality; form is then the synthesis of that process.
In the case of Kabuto, this philosophy takes shape in an object that is both essential and high performing, designed to accompany the ritual of wine without oversimplifying it or contaminating it with gestures that do not belong to its nature. For B!POD, minimalism never means reduction for its own sake, nor does it mean impoverishing the product. On the contrary, it means precision: removing the unnecessary to concentrate and elevate what is truly essential, technically, sensorially, and formally.
For us, “Made in Italy” represents exactly this: a design tradition built on care, sensitivity to materials, attention to detail, and the ability to transform technical complexity into something useful, legible, and, at the same time, deeply beautiful. More than a geographical origin, it is a design
culture, a way of giving form to innovation without separating it from human experience.
Q2. Kabuto’s central system completes high-performance vacuum cycles in just 30 seconds and works for different types of wine and food preservation. What kind of user experience do you aim to offer to hospitality professionals, wine enthusiasts, and everyday consumers? How do you combine innovative technology, Italian craftsmanship, and market positioning?
The experience we want to offer is that of a high-performance tool capable of fitting naturally into very different contexts, from hospitality to more mindful domestic use. Kabuto was designed to combine technical precision, operational speed, and quality of gesture, without turning wine preservation into something complex or intrusive.
From a technical standpoint, the central system is capable of bringing 1.6 liters down to 50 millibars in about 30 seconds. This means that, in real use with wine, even in the case of half-empty bottles, the process is generally completed in less than 10 seconds. This is an important figure, because it makes it possible to achieve a high-quality vacuum in a timeframe that is compatible both with the pace of professional service and with the naturalness of an everyday gesture.
For a restaurant, this means being able to rely on a fast, precise, and dependable tool that does not slow down service and helps maintain a high-quality customer experience. For a wine enthusiast, it means seriously protecting the characteristics of the wine, such as its aromatic profile and structure, without placing a technical barrier between the product and the ritual of tasting. For the everyday consumer, it means gaining access to a technology that is typically perceived as specialist, through an object that is intuitive, immediate, and easy to integrate into domestic life.
Q3. Last year, Kabuto’s debut in Shanghai marked B!POD’s official entry into the Chinese market. Are there plans to collaborate with local designers, restaurants, or lifestyle partners in the future? What are your expectations for B!POD’s development in China and across Asia?
We have begun introducing B!POD into the Chinese market in a structured way, completing the certifications required for the import of our full product range and laying the groundwork for a short to medium term commercialization plan. For us, entering China does not simply mean opening a new market, but building a solid infrastructure for long-term development, one capable of supporting the brand consistently from both a commercial and a production standpoint.
Today, product design is developed entirely in Italy by me and my team, because we believe it is essential to preserve a unified creative direction and strong design coherence. At the same time, we are opening to collaborations on several fronts, both with technology companies and with artisanal partners, to explore new development opportunities and expand the possibilities of product-driven applied research.
At the same time, we are building a new manufacturing chain in China, which we intend to use as a strategic base for Asia. This will allow us not only to become more efficient operationally, but also to move closer to Asian markets with a structure capable of supporting growth, local adaptation, and new industrial synergies.
Q4. What cultural differences did you notice when observing the Chinese market from Italy compared with experiencing it directly in China? How have these experiences influenced your understanding of the market and Kabuto’s operational approach?
When observing the Chinese market from Italy, the first impression is often of a system mainly defined by scale, speed, and strong competitiveness. But when you engage directly with the local context, a much more layered reality emerges. In China, I discovered the character and temperament of the people, their way of thinking, which is also reflected in the seriousness with which they approach projects. I found a culture of innovation that is both polymorphic and dynamic.
From a commercial perspective, in relation to Kabuto, I learned that having a good product is not enough. What is needed is clarity in positioning, precision in communication, and above all a strong ability to adapt the narrative to the local culture without losing the original identity.
Q5. Last November, Kabuto participated in the 10th edition of the Italian Design Icons exhibition in Shanghai. How did this experience contribute to brand promotion and to communicating the philosophy of Italian design in the Chinese market?
It was a very important experience because it placed Kabuto within a context of strong symbolic and cultural value. Taking part in an exhibition such as Italian Design Icons means placing our products within a broader narrative of Italian design as an expression of innovation, quality, and design sensitivity.
In a market such as China, where Italian design is recognized and appreciated, this kind of context helps make our philosophy more legible and positions the product within a clear and distinctive value segment.
Q6. Following Kabuto’s recent entry into the Chinese market, what lessons or practical advice would you share with other investors interested in launching a brand in China?
To be precise, the product has been presented, but now it is not yet available for sale, and this is partly connected to the first point. In China, speed is high, but so is the level of attention: if the positioning is not clear, if the value of the product is not immediately understandable, there is a risk of losing interest very quickly.
The second point is that the market cannot be approached only from a distance. It is essential to listen, observe directly, build strong relationships, and understand how the product is perceived in its real context. A direct presence in the market makes an enormous difference.
The third is that adaptation must not become a loss of identity. You need to be flexible in the way you communicate and distribute, but maintain deep coherence in the brand, in quality, and in vision.
By: Avv. Carlo D’Andrea, National Vice President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Chairman of the Board of the Shanghai Chapter, Founder and Managing Partner of D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel
