Ernesto Gismondi is the founder of Artemide Group. He was born in Sanremo on December 25, 1931. In 1957 he gained a degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the Milan Polytechnic and in 1959 he gained a degree in Missile Engineering at the Professional School of Engineering in Rome.

Since the early '60s he has been devoting to the planning and production of lighting equipment, founding Studio Artemide, from which the Artemide Group was to develop, together with designer Sergio Mazza. He became established as an international designer, participating, as one of the inventors, in “Memphis”, an avant-garde movement that brought about a profound evolution in the design sector both in Italy and worldwide, and designing various successful appliances for the Group.