Stroke rehabilitation spinout Neubond is fundraising to support clinical trials and to seek regulatory approval for its home therapy device.
Stroke patients can face lengthy periods of rehabilitation as they learn how to use their limbs again. Physiotherapists guide this process, but patients do most of the work on their own. Neubond's mission is to help them, with a device that helps reinforce the connection between nerves and muscles by providing a physical feedback sensation when they attempt to move.
Many users have experienced a sense of hope after using the device, and this is exactly what we aim to deliver. Jumpei Kashiwakura Co-founder, Neubond
"While our primary goal is to support the recovery of mobility impairments through neurorehabilitation, we are seeing more than just scientific results through user trials," says Jumpei Kashiwakura, who co-founded Neubond with Dr Patrick Sagastegui. "Many users have experienced a sense of hope after using the device, and this is exactly what we aim to deliver."
Mr Kashiwakura and Dr Sagastegui met on a project in the Department of Bioengineering to develop a prosthetic hand. When they explored the options for commercialising this research, they found that one element of the system had a potential all of its own: the interface that detects the urge to move the hand.
"While the market for prosthetics was quite small, crowded and competitive, we started to see a specific use-case for the interface, first in research but then a clinical connection and some traction for stroke rehabilitation," says Dr Sagastegui.
Making a movement
Working with Professor Dario Farina, their academic mentor, they developed this interface into a wearable device that can support rehabilitation. The bracelet features a high-density grid of miniaturised muscle sensors that are integrated with stimulators. This means they can precisely target of every muscle in the limb.
When the device detects that a patient wants to move, it can deliver precise stimulation to the muscle to reinforce the nervous signal. This real-time feedback strengthens the connection between intention and execution, enhancing motor re-learning and accelerating recovery.
"We've now tested over 10 patients on the level of effectiveness of the device. After 15 days of intervention, there was an increase in muscle amplitude in the targeted muscle, which was wrist extension movement, as well as improved coordination," says Dr Sagastegui. "We also observed an increase in the range of motion in proximal areas, such as the shoulder joints, suggesting that the intervention enhanced the neural drive to these areas."
For one participant, this resulted in improvements in daily living activities, such as opening a door, handwriting and self-hygiene. In another case, the increase in muscle activation allowed the participant to cuddle her granddaughter on her lap. "This was something that had not been possible before she underwent the trial," Mr Kashiwakura says. "It was a beautiful moment when she shared this story with me."
Seeking investment
Neubond's development was supported by the Innovate UK ICURe programme and Imperial's Venture Catalyst Challenge, where it finished first in the 2024 Health & Wellbeing track. To date, it has raised £720,000 in grant funding, including a prestigious European Research Council Proof-of-Concept award worth €150,000.
Now with six full time staff members, Neubond is currently taking part in the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering MedTech Venture Builder programme. At the same time, it has found a design and manufacturing partner in South Korea that will turn its prototype into a production-ready device.
To support this development, Neubond has opened a seed funding round that it hopes to close by the end of the year. "Within that seed round the main objectives are finalisation of the industrial design, then to seek certification in the UK and US. We also want to start clinical testing in order to be ready for randomised clinical trials and the clinical launch," says Dr Sagastegui.
Regulatory approval can be a lengthy and expensive process for a new company, which potential investors can see as risky. To manage this risk, Neubond will first of all release a version of the device that monitors movement intention and guides rehabilitation by helping patients visualise which muscles they are using.
This requires a less demanding regulatory process than the full device, which would need to demonstrate a therapeutic effect through clinical trials.
Visualising movement
The monitoring device already addresses a significant gap in the market. "When patients are discharged from hospital they often have no support on how to continue rehabilitation and whether or not they are doing well," says Mr Kashiwakura. "Monitoring muscle activity, and activity levels, can provide guidance how they can continue rehabilitation correctly."
The device will also synchronise data in real time via a mobile app, so that clinicians can track the progress of their patients. By analysing movement, stimulation and activation patterns, the device reports the progress, promoting correct limb usage and maximising rehabilitation outcomes.
Meanwhile, the Neubond team is continuing to work with colleagues at Imperial on other uses for its technology. For example, one group is working on an exoskeleton, where the device might act as a neural control interface.
"Our device can also be used as an interface in other neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease or spinal cord injury," Mr Kashiwakura says. "So, we are actively looking for partners who can collaborate with us on academic, clinical or commercial projects."
