Wearable Robotics Secures €5M for Arm Exoskeleton Expansion
▼ Summary
– Wearable Robotics, a Sant’Anna School spin-off, raised €5 million in Series A funding led by CDP Venture Capital to expand internationally and complete its product portfolio.
– Its flagship product is the ALEX RS, a CE-certified bilateral upper-limb exoskeleton for post-stroke rehabilitation deployed in over 50 units across 20 countries.
– The investment consortium includes SIMEST, whose participation signals a targeted international expansion push, particularly into North America.
– The company holds eight proprietary patents and operates its biomedical division under the Nexum Robotics brand.
– The funding will be used for new market approvals, commercial expansion, and addressing a large global patient population needing neuromotor rehabilitation.
An Italian innovator in medical technology has secured significant backing to scale its advanced rehabilitation solutions globally. Wearable Robotics, a company originating from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, has closed a €5 million Series A funding round. This capital injection will drive international growth and finalize the company’s robotic rehabilitation product lineup.
The investment was spearheaded by CDP Venture Capital via its Accelerators Fund. They were joined by a consortium including MITO Technology, LIFTT, SIMEST, RoboIT, and Toscana Next. CEO Lucia Lencioni leads the firm, which has focused on neuromotor recovery since its 2014 founding. The company’s core technology integrates wearable robotic devices with augmented and virtual reality systems for therapeutic use.
Its premier offering, the ALEX RS bilateral upper-limb exoskeleton, is engineered for post-stroke rehabilitation. The device replicates 92% of the human arm’s natural movement range and is certified as a Class IIa medical device in Europe. To date, over 50 units have been installed in hospitals and clinics across 20 countries.
The company’s technical foundation is protected by a family of eight patents covering areas from exoskeleton design to sensor and actuation systems. Its biomedical division operates under the Nexum Robotics brand. The participation of SIMEST is particularly strategic, as this state-backed institution supports Italian companies expanding abroad under a mandate from Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its involvement clearly signals North America as a primary target for market entry.
This funding round represents a coordinated Italian public-private push behind a clinically validated firm. CDP Venture Capital provides startup infrastructure, LIFTT brings a deep-tech investment focus, and RoboIT supports national robotics technology transfer. LIFTT has been an investor since 2023.
The new funds are allocated for several key initiatives: completing the product portfolio, securing regulatory approvals in new markets, expanding commercial and distribution networks, and optimizing production capacity. The commercial potential is substantial, with the company citing an estimated 200 million patients worldwide who require neuromotor rehabilitation after stroke, traumatic brain injury, or spinal cord injury.
Current traditional physical therapy methods result in full mobility recovery for only about 10% of patients. Robotic rehabilitation systems like those from Wearable Robotics aim to close this gap by delivering more intensive, measurable, and personalized treatment protocols.
(Source: The Next Web)