Psyonic

Psyonic has created the Ability Hand, a prosthetic device that offers faster and more functional mobility than other prostheses.

Leveraging proprietary bionic technology, this hand replicates touch-sensation for amputees. It uses dynamic fingertip sensors to detect pressure, and uses vibration to communicate sensation. This makes it the first device with multi-touch sensing capabilities — it enables wearers to actually feel what they're touching.

Psyonic was awarded more than two million dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation. Its device is already on the market and it's covered by Medicare, making it accessible at an affordable cost.

Despite some advances in mobility technology, many of today’s options for amputees still fail to deliver in terms of comfort, agility, and controllability. Many people with a limb difference consider hooks to be inconvenient, while 3D-printed, myoelectric, or multi-articulated devices tend to be costly and lack functionality. These options don’t offer the kind of touch feedback that is so important to users.

That’s why Psyonic built something better. It designed its Ability Hand to be lightweight, lightning fast, intuitive, and strong, while also featuring what it believes is the first multi-touch sensing technology of its kind.

By 2050, the global market for prosthetics and orthotics is projected to reach close to three billion dollars. And the robotics industry alone is projected to reach six billion dollars by 2025.

Since launching in 2021, Psyonic has raised more than three million dollars from investors, and earned positive press from several media outlets. It even earned a million-dollar offer from three “sharks” on the hit TV show “Shark Tank.” In 2022, Popular Mechanics, a science and technology magazine, named the Ability Hand the “World’s Most Badass Prosthetic Arm.”

From 2021 to 2023, sales revenue (excluding revenue derived from federal grants) grew by 6x.

Team Background

Aadeel Akhtar - Founder & CEO

In addition to his role with Psyonic, Aadeel is an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Illinois.

Prior to starting Psyonic, he spent seven years at the University of Illinois as a research assistant, focusing on neuroengineering. While there, he also completed a fellowship at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, developing algorithms for upper-limb prosthetics to achieve more accurate and natural reaching capabilities.

Earlier, he was an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago, teaching computer-science classes. He was also a research technician at the University of Chicago Medical Center, developing software for computer-aided diagnoses of breast cancer.

Aadeel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Loyola University Chicago, a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois.

Jesse Cornman - Director of Engineering

Jesse has more than ten years of robotics experience.

He joined Psyonic in November 2015, starting as the company’s senior-robotics engineer. In 2022, he was elevated to Director of Engineering.

Jesse studied at the University of Illinois.

Whitney Akhtar - Director of Human Resources

Prior to joining Psyonic, Whitney was an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois’ School of Social Work. Before that, she was a counseling supervisor at Community Elements, an Illinois-based social- and mental-healthcare provider.

She began her career as a social worker with Harbor Light Hospice, conducting psychosocial assessments to identify areas of need for patients. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.

Co-Investors