Eleonora Bafunno: “The ‘democratic’ piano is reality”
Already star of the Start Up/PMI Innovative Award in Zurich, the young artist and entrepreneur makes upright pianos as functional as grand pianos
There is an entrepreneur in Switzerland who is preparing to revolutionize the world of music and, in particular, to transform for the better one of the most famous instruments in the world, all thanks to a brilliant intuition of her father Pasquale: it is the piano, known to work through strings struck by hammers, operated by a keyboard. Italian is the name of the instrument and Italian, in particular Sardinian, is the parental association in charge of transforming it: Bafunno Mechanics is their company name.
Eleonora Bafunno, now living in Canton Ticino, was born in Cagliari in a family of established artists, her mother an opera singer and her father a piano tuner since 1978. At an early age she trained in various disciplines, attending the Conservatory of Music and a renowned dance school in the city of Verona, where she had meanwhile moved with her parents.
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After obtaining her high school diploma, she chose to devote herself to her true passion, obtaining the Diploma of Interior Designer at the Design Palladio Institute in her city of residence, dealing since then with interior design and having the opportunity to come in contact with the great companies of Italian design: since 2016 she lives and works in the wonderful city of Lugano.
Eleonora Bafunno defines herself as a multidisciplinary artist, who contaminates different areas of style and really thinks outside the box. She believes in the value of uniqueness and wants her interlocutors to be able to express their personal style without limits as well.
Not only that: it dates back to June 2019 the launch of the project for the innovative startup destined to shape the piano sector in a new way, incubated at the USI Startup Centre, emanation of the Università della Svizzera Italiana, thanks to the support of the Agire Foundation within the framework of the listed activities of Innosuisse, the Swiss agency for the promotion of innovation…
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How would you describe your company? What can you tell us about its development? What are its mission, values and vision?
“Bafunno Mechanics is a startup born from an idea of Pasquale Bafunno, piano tuner and technician since 1978, who patented a special mechanic that allows the upright piano to have the same performance as the same grand instrument. Why this idea? Professional pianists need to perform on the grand piano, which is imposing, expensive, not always available in the rehearsal rooms of schools: a luxury good, by now. The upright pianos on the market allow to save space and costs, but they don’t have the same peculiarities, not to mention the digital keyboards. Bafunno Mechanics wants to solve this gap, allowing everyone to enjoy a high quality instrument, combining cost, performance and space: a ‘democratic’ piano, in short”.
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What projects do you have in the pipeline and what do they consist of? Which are the leading products of your business activity and which are worthy of development?
“The product we are proposing is a mechanism within upright pianos, covered by patent and with international PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty, ndr), which can be integrated in the production of new upright pianos as well as being inserted in existing ones, giving among other things the opportunity for technicians in the sector to reinvent their business. We have developed a demonstrator piano ready for actual market validation, which will allow to collect real feedback to be submitted to investors and partners to enter the market, and the Swiss innovation system has been the key to bring our project to this advanced stage. We want, in the near future, to give space to new generations and young talents with a Community, investing on complementary projects such as an online ‘Global Academy’ dedicated to music, the creation of new concept events and the implementation of research in the field of musical instruments”.
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How do you fill your free time? Is there anything you would like to do that you haven’t had the opportunity to do yet, the very famous personal “dream in the drawer”?
“Personally, I am very satisfied with my professional path and the results I have achieved: my free time is dedicated to travel, celebration, cultural and artistic activities. My dream in the drawer? To continue to grow in my main activity as a designer on an international scale, to always improve with continuing education and to become the best version of myself.”
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What do you expect from your co-workers and friends? What attitudes bother you the most and what attitudes do you appreciate in others? Are you a tolerant person, or do you find it difficult to forgive misunderstandings or insults? What “sanctions” or reward mechanisms do you adopt, if any?
“I don’t like demanding in the strict sense of the word: I believe that any employee should be able to believe in the values of a company and feel comfortable working in a team naturally. Passion and ambition can never be bought. I certainly ‘demand’ in terms of quality of work from others, also because I demand a lot above all from myself. I’m a perfectionist: it’s the end result that counts and I strive for excellence. I’m quite tolerant, but the determination to achieve goals absorbs me completely. Luckily, there are people on my team who can get me back on track when I start to overdo the perfectionism, but it’s important to be complementary.
What are your biggest regrets and regrets? Is there anything you have regretted doing or, conversely, not doing, in life as well as in your career? Why?
“I have no regrets or regrets fortunately. I have always followed my instincts, both in life and in work, sometimes making ‘unpopular’ choices, but which have given me a lot of satisfaction over time. You have to practice going out of your comfort zone, and sometimes you have to exercise a little ‘healthy’ rebellion”.
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How was your experience as a finalist for the “Swiss Federalism, Global Chamber of Business Leaders and Milton Friedman” International Award for Innovative Start Up/SMEs, held in Zurich on September 18, 2021?
“The experience at the Swiss Federalism, GCBL and Milton Prize in Zurich was incredible: a strong emotion and a great satisfaction, both for me and for my father, who sees a continuation of his work in a contemporary and future-oriented key. I thank everyone again for this opportunity”.
How do you see the evolution of the Music Tech market in the coming years and how does your exclusive product fit into this context?
“I believe that Music Tech has always had great potential and that right now, thanks to these years of great change, it can finally accelerate with important innovations. The language of music is universal, social, nationality and gender differences no longer exist: the power of music is the essence of life itself. That’s why we love our project so much and want to spread it on an international scale.”
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Based on your professional career, do you feel that a woman is “treated” differently than a man? If so, in what way? What is a useful recipe for a woman entrepreneur to succeed in this world? Tell us about your experience…
“In the past, I have noticed differences in treatment and prejudices, not only because I am a woman, but also because of my young age. However, I believe that this should not discourage those who want to do and get involved. Women entrepreneurs today are increasing and this is a positive thing, although I like to think in the future to a society where men and women work in harmony, each with their own peculiarities”.
From her Linkedin profile we read that since 2019 she has undertaken a project for an innovative company incubated at the USI Startup Centre in Lugano. In relation to this context, how much do you think the territory-business relationship has influenced the fate of your business?
“It has been decisive! The startup is always inherent to the Bafunno Mechanics project, I would like to emphasize that. The contact with the Swiss and Ticino institutions started the development of this activity and allowed me to advance the project in all its aspects up to the recent award of the competition of Swiss Federalism, GCBL and Milton Friedman, and everything is still in progress”.
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