MaRS and Toyota Mobility Foundation select participants for the Mobility Unlimited Hub's second cohort

These 10 high-potential startups are working on affordable prosthetics, smart exoskeletons and other innovative solutions to support active mobility. 

TORONTO, Aug. 6, 2025 /CNW/ - MaRS Discovery District and the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) today announced the 10 high-potential startups that will be participating in the second cohort of the Mobility Unlimited Hub (MUH) in Toronto. These companies bring novel technological approaches to active mobility and transformational devices and will leverage the Hub's network to accelerate the commercialization of their solutions in both Canada and globally.

Building on the success of the first cohort, this program is once again focused on active mobility, including rehabilitative, adaptive and assistive solutions, with the aim of fostering a more inclusive and accessible society. The human-centered philosophy behind the MUH is simple: When people are free to move, they can fully realize their potential.

The power of the ecosystem

The MUH was launched in Toronto in 2024, in response to a clear need. According to a recent Canadian Survey on Disability, 27 percent of Canadians aged 15 years and older — eight million people — have one or more disabilities that limit their daily activities. Additionally, 30 percent of people living with disabilities in Canada report that their requirements for assistive devices have not been fulfilled.

After receiving more than 70 applications from across the globe, MaRS and TMF, along with their advisory committee, have selected 10 innovative startups to participate in the second cohort.

The new MUH cohort members include:

• Bionic Power Inc. - This Vancouver-based startup has developed a smart orthosis to address knee-related gait deficiencies, allowing people with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and post-polio syndrome to move more easily, safely and independently.
• GiveVision - This London, U.K. startup has developed sight-enhancing wearable headsets that allow visually impaired users to watch live sports and cultural events.
• Human in Motion Robotics Inc. - This Vancouver-based startup has developed a wearable self-balancing lower‑limb exoskeleton designed for rehabilitation and personal mobility.
• ImaginAble Solutions Inc. - This Hamilton-based startup has developed an assistive device to help people with limited hand mobility write, draw, paint and use touchscreens.
• Kinesix XR Inc. - This Montreal- and Chile-based startup leverages virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to deliver AI-powered rehabilitation therapy for patients recovering from strokes and traumatic brain injuries and those living with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic pain and other ongoing conditions.
• Ora Medical Inc. - This Montreal-based startup has developed a hands-free gait trainer designed to support walking rehabilitation for children with mobility challenges.
• Possibility Neurotechnologies - This Calgary-based startup has developed a mobile app that transforms EEG headsets into brain-computer interfaces, allowing users to control devices and communicate using only their thoughts.
• smartARM Robotics Inc. - This Toronto-based startup has developed an intuitive, affordable, AI-powered bionic arm with vision-based grip recognition.
• Steadiwear - This Toronto-based startup has developed hand-stabilization gloves to assist adults with tremors, including those caused by Parkinson's disease and strokes.
• Victoria Hand Project - This Victoria-based non-profit partners with local clinics to manufacture 3D-printed upper-limb prosthetics for amputees in low-resource and conflict-affected regions.

"Mobility means moving forward with new ideas. Our first cohort proved the power of the community to scale new active mobility solutions faster and more effectively, and bring needed change to the industry," says William Chernicoff, program manager at Toyota Mobility Foundation. "Founded on a commitment to human-centred design, the Hub was created to position this market as one worth investing in, and we are seeing that transformation. There remains a wide range of unmet needs and challenges that limit active mobility, which is why we are expanding the next cohort's scope to allow for more diversity in the problems the startups are seeking to solve."

Critical to the MUH's success is the ongoing commitment from MaRS Discovery District, which includes expanded access to state-of-the-art working spaces at the MaRS Centre in downtown Toronto. This highly effective collaboration demonstrates that change can happen rapidly in the context of a holistic ecosystem designed to drive innovation in active mobility.

"The Mobility Unlimited Hub is more than a program — it's a powerful example of what happens when innovation is driven by purpose," says Morgan Lorimer, senior manager of cohort programs in innovation ecosystems at MaRS. "With a new dedicated co-working space at the MaRS Centre, we're creating the environment these startups need to scale, turning bold ideas into inclusive mobility solutions that improve lives and expand access."

"Joining this cohort is a game changer for ImaginAble Solutions as we enter our next phase of growth, scaling Guided Hands® to reach more children and adults with hand disabilities around the world," says Lianna Genovese, CEO and founder of ImaginAble Solutions Inc., part of the new MUH cohort. "Access to industry experts in manufacturing and research will accelerate our ability to expand into schools, hospitals, and homes."

Entrepreneurs speed toward scalability

The first cohort's successes far exceeded the initial expectations held by both participants and program organizers, demonstrating that the path from early-stage innovation to market scale can be accelerated with the right combination of resources. Those resources include marketing and public relations support, funding opportunities, regulatory advice and guidance to improve manufacturing efficiency and supply chain optimization.

"The Mobility Unlimited Hub has been instrumental in accelerating our growth. The opportunity to collaborate with others in the mobility space has enhanced our production capabilities and streamlined our business processes, ultimately delivering a better experience for our customers," says Eugene Cherny, CEO and co-founder of Cheelcare, a member of the inaugural MUH cohort.

Since the inception of this program, startup members have hit key milestones.

Highlights include:

• More than $8.1 million in funding secured across the cohort.
• AWL-Electricity established a partnership with Infineon Technologies, Germany's largest semiconductor manufacturer, gaining a global distribution partner to revolutionize wireless power transmission.
• Axtion Independence Mobility secured agreements with distribution partners across Canada, the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States, facilitating the venture's entry into the market in the fall of 2025.
• Braze Mobility Inc. received two patents, helping the company expand into Europe and scale in the U.S.
• Cheelcare raised $3.5 million and is now publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange following its reverse takeover of Departure Bay Capital Corp.
• Deaf AI secured multi-year R&D funding from Transport Canada, NSERC and Mitacs, in partnership with top academic institutions, including the University of British Columbia, Toronto Metropolitan University and Sheridan College.
• Trexo Robotics Inc. users have taken more than 100 million steps — a giant leap in the company's mission to help children with mobility challenges gain independence.

Visit the Mobility Unlimited Hub web page for more information about the program.

About Toyota Mobility Foundation
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) was established in August 2014 by the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores TMC's ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and respect for people. It utilizes Toyota's expertise and technologies to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. TMF works in partnership with universities, governments, non-profits, research institutions and other organizations, creating programs that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address mobility issues around the world.

About MaRS Discovery District
MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and North America's largest urban innovation hub dedicated to helping Canadian technology companies succeed. With a focus on climate, health sciences and other emerging technologies, MaRS supports startups tackling some of the world's most pressing issues.

MaRS spans more than 1.5 million square feet of cutting-edge office, lab, meeting and event space in downtown Toronto. MaRS has helped ventures generate $11.5 billion in cumulative revenue, raise $19 billion in funding, and create and maintain more than 33,000 jobs. The MaRS platform also includes MaRS IAF, one of Canada's top seed-stage venture funds. Through its world-class facilities, strategic programs and partnerships, MaRS accelerates the adoption of groundbreaking Canadian technology and bolsters a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.

SOURCE MaRS Discovery District

Toyota Mobility Foundation, Alison Powell, [email protected], 469-975-1685 MaRS Discovery District, Tammy Thorne, [email protected], 416-822-7910