Bionic Power Inc.
5 known investors
Bionic Power makes the Agilik smart orthosis, a powered knee brace that helps children and adults with knee-related gait deficiencies such as flex knee gait (from cerebral palsy or spina bifida) and lower limb hemiparesis (post-stroke or post-polio). The device assists with extending and flexing the knee to improve endurance and independence.
Also known as Bionic Power
Investors · 5
Also in the syndicate · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Bionic Power Inc. is a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that designs and develops lower-body smart orthoses intended to improve personal mobility and walking ability. Its product, the Agilik smart orthosis, is a powered knee device that provides dynamic assistance and resistance during the gait cycle. It is indicated for ambulatory patients with knee instability in the sagittal plane during stance, including crouch gait associated with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and other knee-extension-deficiency disorders, as well as hemiparesis following stroke or polio. The company states the Agilik is not an exoskeleton intended to hold up or ambulate a patient, but a mobility aid designed to improve the user's own gait.
The Agilik actuator weighs 550 g (1.2 lbs) and is fitted by an orthotist to a custom knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO), creating a personalized system suitable for users aged five and older. Sensors and joint motors measure knee angle, angular velocity, initial contact and toe-off, and modulate assistance across gait phases; the device can also resist muscle action to build strength. An Agilik Care desktop application lets therapists and researchers set torque and timing, and the device reports gait metrics such as range of motion and maximum flexion/extension angle and speed. A mobile app initiates Activities of Daily Living modes. The company positions the device for use in clinic, at home and in the community to support longer-term gait training and neuroplasticity, and reports an observed session-over-session "training effect" in ongoing trials.
Bionic Power holds IP on wearable technology built on more than 14 years of development and field testing, including with military users, and works with the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver. An earlier company profile describes a prior product, the PowerWalk, an energy-harvesting device generating an average of 12 watts from walking to recharge batteries in the field, with development funded by the Canadian Military, the U.S. Army and DARPA.
Business model
Bionic Power develops and commercializes a hardware medical device, the Agilik smart orthosis, which is prescribed by clinicians and fitted by orthotists onto a custom KAFO. The company provides information on purchasing, prescribing and insurance reimbursement, supplies research units, and runs demonstrations using an adjustable "Test Drive" unit. It also participates in and supports clinical trials with institutional partners.
Sales of the Agilik smart orthosis to patients and clinics, with insurance reimbursement pathways referenced on the company's website; research units are also made available.
Traction
The company states the Agilik is available for purchase and that ongoing trials show benefits in gait biomechanics and a session-over-session training effect, with published papers available. Dr. Thomas C. Bulea of the NIH Clinical Center is principal investigator on an NIH trial of the Agilik and a co-inventor of the system. As part of the Series A investment, Hanger Ventures is running a longitudinal study with the Agilik in the United States and recruiting patients. The website carries testimonials from users' families and a clinician who trialed the device at the AACPDM meeting.
Latest developments
On October 24, 2024 Bionic Power announced the second closing of its Series A Preferred share offering at CAD$0.2692 per share, bringing aggregate gross proceeds from the first and second closings to approximately CAD$5 million in cash and in-kind consideration. Proceeds are earmarked for commercial expansion and continued product development of its lower-body smart orthotic devices. Hanger Ventures is conducting a longitudinal study of the Agilik in the US and recruiting patients.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The company describes itself as a wearable medical technology developer addressing mobility assistance for patients with knee pathologies, differentiating its device from exoskeletons. Strategic investors include Hanger Ventures and Thuasne North America, both established participants in the orthotics and prosthetics industry.
Positioned as a lightweight, non-invasive mobility aid rather than an exoskeleton: the actuator weighs 550 g and attaches to a patient's custom KAFO, is adjustable as a patient's condition or growth changes, provides both assistance and resistance to build strength, and is intended for home and community use as well as clinic use. Clinician-facing software and device-generated gait metrics support therapy decisions.
Technology
The Agilik uses advanced sensors and joint motors to measure knee angle, knee angular velocity, initial contact and toe-off, enabling real-time gait detection that drives assistance or resistance for knee flexion and extension during specific gait phases. The 550 g actuator mounts to a custom KAFO. Companion software includes the Agilik Care desktop/laptop application for therapists and researchers to control torque and timing, and a mobile app for Activities of Daily Living modes. The company reports the platform derives from more than 14 years of development and field testing, including earlier biomechanical energy-harvesting work (the PowerWalk, generating an average of 12 watts from walking).
Go-to-market
Clinician-led adoption through orthotists, physiotherapists, orthopedic surgeons and physiatrists, supported by virtual and in-person product demonstrations, conference presence (for example an Agilik demonstration booth at the AACPDM meeting in Chicago), clinical trials and published papers, a newsletter, and distribution/strategic relationships with orthotics and prosthetics companies including Hanger and Thuasne.
Children (age five and older) and adults with knee-related gait deficiencies, including crouch/flex-knee gait from cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy, and lower-limb hemiparesis after stroke or polio; and the clinicians, orthotic providers and researchers who prescribe, fit and study such devices.
Geography
Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (2661 Lillooet Street). Clinical collaborations span Canada (BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver) and the United States (NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland), with US-focused commercial partners Hanger Ventures and Thuasne North America and a longitudinal study underway in the US.
History
A prior company profile lists Bionic Power Inc. as founded in February 2007 in Vancouver, at prototype stage with five employees, and focused on the PowerWalk energy-harvesting device that generated power from walking to recharge field batteries, funded by angels plus development funding from the Canadian Military, the U.S. Army and DARPA. The current business is centered on the Agilik smart orthosis, built on more than 14 years of development and field testing with military users. Gualtiero Guadagni was hired as CEO in Q3 2021. In July 2024 the company began a Series A Preferred share round with an initial closing from Hanger Ventures, followed by an October 2024 second closing including Thuasne North America and Viscogliosi Brothers Watermark Holdings, bringing aggregate gross proceeds to approximately CAD$5 million.
Risks & controversies
The company's website notes that references to the NIH or to clinical advisory board member Dr. Thomas C. Bulea, an NIH Clinical Center employee, should not be viewed as an endorsement of Bionic Power or its products. Device use is limited to forward walking on level surfaces with power on and is not intended for sports or aggressive use, and the Agilik cannot initiate joint movement. The company states it is seeking equity investors to increase production, and the duration, efficacy and ideal intensity of training are described as variable and dependent on multiple factors.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsAs part of its Series A investment, Hanger Ventures is running a longitudinal study with the Agilik in the United States and is actively recruiting patients.
Investments from Thuasne North America, Inc. and venture-capital firm Viscogliosi Brothers Watermark Holdings LLC closed on October 16, 2024; the round was announced on October 24, 2024 with aggregate gross proceeds from both closings of approximately CAD$5 million at CAD$0.2692 per Series A Preferred share, including cash and in-kind consideration.
The Series A Preferred share round began in July 2024 with an initial investment from Hanger Ventures, LLC that closed on July 16, 2024.
Gualtiero Guadagni, PhD, former president of Dialco Medical Inc., was hired as CEO in Q3 2021.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Bionic Power Inc.bionic-power.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Bionic Power Inc. do?
- Canadian medical device maker of the Agilik powered knee orthosis for people with crouch gait or hemiparesis.
- Who are Bionic Power Inc.'s investors?
- Bionic Power Inc.'s investors include Foresight, WUTIF Capital.