Blue Arbor Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership with Ottobock and $5 Million Investment to Advance RESTORE™ Neuromuscular Interface System

FDA breakthrough–designated RESTORE™ System designed to enable intuitive prosthetic control, restoring natural movement for patients with upper limb loss

First-in-human RESTORE™ procedure recently completed at the Medical University of Vienna

GRASS LAKE, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blue Arbor Technologies, Inc., a company developing novel neuromuscular interfaces and next-generation prosthetic control solutions for people with limb loss, today announced a strategic partnership with Ottobock, the listed global leader in 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,” said 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 first-of-its-kind 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,” said 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 years¹, 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,” said 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 groundbreaking 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.

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

About Blue Arbor Technologies

Blue Arbor Technologies is a medical device company devoted to the development of next-generation robotic control systems for people with limb loss so they can intuitively, accurately, and reliably control a prosthetic device with unparalleled degrees of freedom. The RESTORE™ System is a neuromuscular interface system that provides a direct connection between the patient’s peripheral nervous system and their robotic prosthetic limb. Blue Arbor Technologies is a privately held company located in Grass Lake, Michigan. For more information, please visit https://bluearbortech.com and connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

About Ottobock

Ottobock, a listed global MedTech champion, combines over 100 years of tradition with outstanding innovative strength in the fields of prosthetics, neuro-orthotics and exoskeletons. Ottobock develops innovative fitting solutions for people with limited mobility and is driving the digitalization of the industry. Founded in Berlin in 1919, the company has business activities in 45 countries with nearly 9,300 employees (FTEs) worldwide and operates the largest international patient care network with around 400 patient care clinics. Ottobock is shaping the future of human bionics with a strong R&D ratio in the products and components business and over 2,600 patents and patent applications. Ottobock’s mission of improving freedom of movement, quality of life and independence is deeply rooted in the company's DNA, as is its social commitment: Ottobock has been a partner and supporter of the Paralympics since 1988. For more information, visit Ottobock.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Legal Notice

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the company, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any offer or sale of the company’s securities, if made, will be made only pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and in accordance with applicable securities laws. This press release contains forward‑looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the development, clinical and regulatory plans, potential benefits, safety and efficacy of the RESTORE™ Neuromuscular Interface System, the anticipated timing and design of current and future clinical trials, the company’s business strategy and plans, and the company’s financing and partnership activities. Forward‑looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, without limitation, risks related to clinical development, regulatory review and approval, product safety, market acceptance, reimbursement, competition, intellectual property, and the company’s ability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or at all. Forward‑looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the company undertakes no obligation to update any forward‑looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The RESTORE™ Neuromuscular Interface System is an investigational device and is not approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority for commercial distribution in any jurisdiction.

¹ Tian, Y., et al Merging Humans and Neuroprosthetics through Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces. Semin Plast Surg. 2024 Feb 6;38(1):10-18. DOI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38495064/