PSYONIC
Category: Robotics / Embodied AI
San Diego-based bionic technology company making the Ability Hand, the world's fastest and first multi-touch sensing bionic hand, now also supplying dexterous hands and manipulation data/models to robotics developers. PSYONIC was founded in 2015. The company is led by Dr. Aadeel Akhtar. Based in San Diego, CA, United States. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $10.0M. Latest round: Grant. Key investors include Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Alumni Ventures, Chaanakya Capital, Illinois Ventures, America's Seed Fund (NSF), StartEngine (crowdfunding).
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- San Diego, CA, United States
- Team size
- 101-500
- Total funding
- $10.0M
Value proposition
Delivers the fastest, only multi-touch sensing bionic hand on the market — Medicare-covered and made in the US — while leveraging its prosthetic user base to generate real-world manipulation data for training robotic hands.
Products and solutions
Ability Hand (multi-touch sensing bionic prosthetic hand, ~200ms close speed, 32 grips), Ability Hand for robotics research (Open API, integrated into NVIDIA Isaac Lab), planned robotics manipulation models trained on prosthetic-user data, Ability Fund (access/subsidy program with Limbs for Life).
Unique value
Only multi-touch sensing bionic hand on the market, Medicare-covered and US-made; unique data flywheel from paying prosthetic users to record everyday manipulation to train robotics models.
Target customer
Upper-limb amputees and prosthetics clinics (human prosthetics); robotics researchers and humanoid/robotics companies (robotics segment).
Industries served
Medical devices / prosthetics, Robotics / physical AI, Humanoid robotics, Research & academia.
Technology advantage
Patented motor control and sensory feedback system; proprietary tendon-driven prosthesis and sensored brushless motors; multi-touch sensing; 3D-printed/agile manufacturing (Formlabs) enabling low-cost production; real-world tactile manipulation dataset from prosthetic wearers.
How they differentiate
Only multi-touch sensing hand with sensory feedback; fastest closing speed (~200ms); Medicare-covered and US-made for affordability; dual human-prosthetics + robotics strategy with a proprietary real-world manipulation data flywheel.
Main competitors
Ottobock (bebionic/Michelangelo), COVVI (Nexus hand), Open Bionics (Hero Arm), also Mobius Bionics (LUKE), Össur (i-Limb).
Key partnerships
NVIDIA (Ability Hand integrated into NVIDIA Isaac Lab, announced at GTC 2026), ABB Robotics (Ability Hand + GoFa cobot arm for robot dexterity), Koalaa (London, soft fabric sleeve deployment for developing markets), Limbs for Life Foundation (Ability Fund).
Notable customers
NASA, Meta, Apptronik, Toyota, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Amazon, ABB Robotics, NVIDIA
Major milestones
Founded 2015, Ability Hand launched nationally 2021, featured on 60 Minutes (2022), Shark Tank appearance and $1M deal (2024), NVIDIA Isaac Lab integration announced at GTC 2026, ABB Robotics partnership, Semafor feature on paying prosthetic users to train robotics models (Sept 2026).
Growth metrics
Grew from ~7 employees (2022) to ~50 employees (2025), planning to nearly triple headcount; FY2025 operating expenses $5.36M (up from $2.78M FY2024); >$10M equity and grant funding secured by Sept 2025; preparing for Series A.
Market positioning
Premium-but-accessible bionic hand maker positioned at the intersection of advanced prosthetics and physical AI/robotics; a leading US dexterous-hand supplier to robotics researchers.
Geographic focus
United States (primary, Medicare-covered); expanding to developing markets (Pakistan, India) via Koalaa partnership; competes globally with European bionic-hand makers and Chinese robo-hand startups (e.g., Unitree).
Patents and IP
Multiple US patent applications: artificial tendon-driven prosthesis (63,148,378); advanced prosthetic hand (62,904,483); prosthetic hand with sensored brushless motors (62,826,981); compliant four-bar linkage robotic finger (62,663,820).
About Dr. Aadeel Akhtar
Founder & CEO of PSYONIC (founded 2015 while a student); PhD in Neuroscience and MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Loyola University Chicago alum (BS '07, MS '08). Named MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 (2021) and Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare (2016).
Latest news about PSYONIC
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Official website: https://www.psyonic.io/