Partnership to advance neuromuscular interface system for intuitive prosthetic control

Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc., a company developing novel neuromuscular interfaces and next-generation prosthetic control solutions for people with limb loss, announced a strategic partnership with Ottobock, developer of prosthetics, neuro-orthotics, and wearable human bionics. The collaboration is anchored by a $5 million investment from Ottobock, serving as lead investor to kick off Blue Arbor’s Series A financing. Ottobock will also hold the position as a major investor and have a seat on Blue Arbor’s Board of Directors. The partnership aims to redefine what is possible in upper and lower limb prosthetics by delivering a clinically validated, fully implanted neuromuscular interface capable of restoring more natural and intuitive movement for people living with limb loss.

“Blue Arbor’s neuromuscular interface represents a highly promising innovation for the next technological leap in prosthetic control – one that aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance human mobility through meaningful innovation,” says Oliver Jakobi, chief executive officer of Ottobock. “We were impressed by their first-in-human case at the Medical University of Vienna and are excited to partner with them as they move into clinical trials.”

The investment builds significant momentum for the next phase of clinical validation, product development, and commercial readiness of Blue Arbor’s flagship RESTORE Neuromuscular Interface System. The platform directly connects advanced prostheses to a patient’s residual muscles and peripheral nerves. The RESTORE System is designed to enable independent and simultaneous control of the fingers, wrist, and elbow, unlocking levels of dexterity, speed, and reliability that approach natural limb movement and provide unparalleled control of today’s most advanced prostheses.

“The RESTORE System is about restoring intuitive, volitional movement – not asking patients to adapt to technology, but designing technology that adapts to human biology,” says Tod Borton, chief executive officer of Blue Arbor Technologies. “Ottobock’s investment and strategic partnership validate the transformative potential of this platform and position us to move faster toward broad clinical impact.”

Unlike conventional prosthetic control approaches – and other neuromuscular interface systems still in development that have yet to demonstrate fully implanted, in-human performance – the RESTORE System provides a direct link to muscles connected to the patient’s nerves, delivering consistent, reliable signals for prosthetic control. These signals are processed through a wireless sensing unit to enable simultaneous, multi-degree-of-freedom movement commands for commercially available robotic prostheses. In early feasibility human trials, the system has demonstrated stable, high-quality motor signal capture for more than five years, addressing one of the most persistent limitations of current and emerging solutions.

Clinical momentum for the RESTORE System continues to build. In December 2025, surgeons at the Medical University of Vienna implanted the first patient with the RESTORE External Sensing Unit. RESTORE System electrodes were implanted into multiple targeted muscle reinnervation sites. Within days, the patient was able to demonstrate functional use of the system with a state-of-the-art Ottobock prosthetic – highlighting both the intuitiveness of the interface and the efficiency of its clinical integration.

“What makes this technology remarkable is how quickly patients can translate intent into movement,” says Dr. Oskar Aszmann, director of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Restoration of Extremity Function at the Medical University of Vienna. “We are seeing control that feels more natural and responsive than anything currently available, which has profound implications for patient independence and quality of life.”

Blue Arbor’s approach is built on deep leadership at the intersection of neuromuscular science, reconstructive surgery, and neural engineering. Over the past 17 years, the company’s three founders – Dr. Paul Cederna, president; Dr. Theodore Kung, chief medical officer; and Dr. Alex Vaskov, chief technology officer – have collectively been awarded more than $60 million in direct research grant funding, driving the foundational science behind the RESTORE System. Their work has resulted in more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

The RESTORE System received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and has been accepted into the FDA’s Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC) Advisory Program (TAP) Pilot – milestones that underscore its potential to fundamentally change prosthetic control for people with limb loss.