Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA is strengthening its innovation and market leadership with a strategic investment in Blue Arbor Technologies, Incorporated. As part of the Series A financing, Ottobock is investing five million dollars in the spin-off from the renowned University of Michigan. Through the capital investment, Ottobock will also hold the position as a major investor and have a seat on Blue Arbor’s Board of Directors.

Strategic investment in future technology.

"With this strategic investment, we are consistently driving forward our technology leadership. The further development of the human-machine interface is crucial to improve prosthesis control, make movement patterns even more natural and give users more intuitive freedom of movement," says Oliver Jakobi, CEO of Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA.

Novel neuromuscular implant technology.

Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc. has developed the RESTORE system, a novel neuromuscular interface that enables much more intuitive control of arm prostheses. Electrodes are implanted directly into muscles that are connected to the patient’s nerves. A sensing unit captures and processes the body's natural electrical signals and transmits them wirelessly to a receiver in the prosthetic shaft. This "translates" the information into movement commands for the prosthetic hand. This technology opens up the possibility of independent and simultaneous control of fingers, wrists and elbows – thus increasing dexterity, speed and reliability of prosthesis control.

"The RESTORE system is designed to restore intuitive, voluntary movements. This is not about patients adapting to the technology, but about designing a technology that adapts to human biology," says Tod Borton, CEO of Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc..

Successful test at MedUni Vienna.

In December 2025, surgeons at the Medical University of Vienna implanted the novel technology in a human body for the first time. They inserted the electrodes into several specifically selected, newly connected muscle sites. After just a few days, the patient was able to use the system functionally together with an Ottobock prosthesis.

"What makes this technology remarkable is how quickly patients can translate their intention into movement," says Prof. Dr. Oskar Aszmann, director of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for the Restoration of Limb Function at the Medical University of Vienna. "We are seeing control that is more natural and responsive than anything currently available, which has a profound impact on patients' independence and quality of life."

The work of the three founders of Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc. – Dr. Paul Cederna, President; Dr. Theodore Küng, Chief Medical Officer; and Dr. Alex Vaskov, Chief Technology Officer – have already led to more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

The RESTORE system has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and has been included in the Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC) Advisory Program (TAP) Pilot. These milestones underscore its potential to revolutionize prosthesis control.

For more information about the RESTORE system and Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc., please visit https://bluearbortech.com