Toyota Mobility Foundation and MaRS select participants for Mobility Unlimited Hub Toronto's third cohort

Ten innovative startups will receive tailored resources to bring new active mobility solutions to market.

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2026 /CNW/ -- Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), in collaboration with MaRS Discovery District and with the support of the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) and OBIO, are pleased to announce that 10 startups have been selected for the third cohort of the Toronto Mobility Unlimited Hub (MUH). Over the next two years of the program, these companies will receive key support as they work to commercialize novel solutions that help improve or overcome active mobility and cognitive health challenges that affect independence.

The power of the ecosystem

MUH was launched in Toronto in 2024 in response to a clear need. According to recent data from Statistics Canada, nearly a quarter of Canadians are living with one or more disabilities, and more than 20 percent of them report their requirements for aids or assistive devices have not been met.

Results from the first two cohorts in the program demonstrate that early-stage innovation moves significantly faster when backed by the right formula, which combines strategic marketing, investor access, regulatory navigation and expert advisory support. In the past year, Mobility Unlimited Hub ventures have raised more than $22 million in private and public funding; this year, they are on track to generate a combined revenue of $33 million. Now, the stage is set for an even bigger impact. After receiving more than 100 applications from across the globe, MaRS, TMF, OBIO, CABHI and OBI, along with the advisory committee, have selected 10 innovative startups to participate in the third MUH cohort.

Here are the companies in the 2026–2028 cohort:

1. Better Bionics: This Niagara Falls–based startup has developed a neuroprosthetic hand with human-level dexterity, which helps restore functional independence for people with upper-limb differences.
2. Emagix: This Halifax-based startup provides precision disease monitoring software that detects blinding retinal diseases early by analyzing routine eye exam images without requiring visits to specialty clinics.
3. Ethnocare: This Montreal-based startup has developed an air-based interface that retrofits into existing lower-limb prostheses, allowing amputees to dynamically adjust fit as limb volume fluctuates.
4. Genny Factory SA: This Ticino, Switzerland–based startup's two-wheeled self-balancing powered wheelchair enables seamless indoor and outdoor active mobility.
5. HeadFirst: This Kitchener-based startup has developed rapid, saliva-based diagnostic tests that detect concussion and traumatic brain injury biomarkers within minutes.
6. IRegained: This Sudbury-based startup has developed a neurotherapeutics platform that harnesses neuroplasticity to help stroke, musculoskeletal disorders and brain injury survivors to recover unassisted hand function.
7. PROVA Innovations: This Hamilton-based startup has developed a wearable smart-insole platform delivering real-time biofeedback cues during everyday walking to accelerate gait rehabilitation.
8. Sielo Robotics: This Ottawa-based startup has developed an affordable wheelchair-mounted robotic arm enabling individuals with spinal cord injuries and neuromuscular conditions to perform daily reaching and grasping tasks.
9. Vessl Prosthetics: This London, Ont.–based startup has developed an automatic volume-management system that continuously adjusts fit as an amputee's lower-limb volume changes, without batteries, sensors or motors.
10. XRAI: This Wilmington, U.S.–based startup has developed multimodal AI captioning and real-time translation software across smart glasses, mobile devices and venue audio feeds in more than 300 languages for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.

Learn more about the participants in this MaRS roundup here.

"We at MaRS are thrilled to welcome the members of the Mobility Unlimited Hub's third cohort. Drawing on the strength of the ecosystem, the founders in this program will continue to develop and refine technologies aimed at helping people around the world smash barriers, gain independence and enjoy active mobility," says Grace Lee Reynolds, CEO of MaRS Discovery District. "We will provide them with the tools, expertise and guidance they need to scale up their technologies so they can make an even greater impact on the lives of people around the world." 

"The Toyota Mobility Foundation is not standing still; we work with MaRS to continually improve the hub and our understanding of what constitutes and enables active mobility and the active independence and agency it provides," says William Chernicoff, program manager at Toyota Mobility Foundation. "The additional support of CABHI, OBI and OBIO validates our vision around creating, anchoring and scaling an ecosystem that will bring in new and impactful collaborators and deliver more solutions to more people more quickly."

"We're excited to join the Mobility Unlimited Hub and learn from our fellow cohort members and the broader network of experts and partners at MaRS and the Toyota Mobility Foundation," says new cohort member Andrew Cordssen-David, CEO of HeadFirst. "For us, the timing is especially valuable because we're at a transition point, building on our R&D and moving toward commercialization. Having access to the resources and expertise of the Toyota Mobility Foundation and MaRS will help us take that next step and scale up." 

About MaRS Discovery District

MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and one of North America's largest urban innovation hubs, helping Canadian science and technology companies commercialize and scale. Building on a 25-year legacy of supporting founders, MaRS connects ventures with capital, customers, talent and expertise -- through venture programming and partnerships, MaRS IAF (one of Canada's most active seed-stage venture funds), MaRS Connect (a digital marketplace linking commercially ready ventures with buyers, partners and sources of capital), and more than 1.5 million square feet of world-class lab, office and event space across the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront in downtown Toronto. Since 2010, MaRS-supported ventures have generated $11.5 billion in cumulative revenue, raised $19 billion in funding and created and maintained more than 33,000 jobs. For more information, visit marsdd.com.

About Toyota Mobility Foundation

Toyota Mobility Foundation was established in August 2014 by Toyota Motor Corporation to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores Toyota'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 to address mobility issues around the world.

"TMF aims to create a truly mobile society that will help people live better lives no matter where they are," says Akio Toyoda, chair of TMF.

SOURCE MaRS Discovery District

For media inquiries, please contact: MaRS Discovery District: Greg Hubert, [email protected]; Toyota Mobility Foundation: Alison Powell, [email protected], 469-292-3074