What Kinova Robotics does

Kinova Robotics (operating as Kinova Inc.) is a Quebec-based developer of robotic arms operating across two business units: assistive robotics and medical-grade collaborative robotics. Founded in 2006 by Charles Deguire (CEO) and Louis-Joseph L'Écuyer (CTO) and headquartered in Boisbriand, the company employs 101-250 staff and serves a global customer base across medical device manufacturing, healthcare and rehabilitation, research academia, and accessibility applications. Its product portfolio includes the Jaco wheelchair-mounted robotic arm for individuals with mobility impairments, the Gen3 research arm used by academic institutions such as MIT, Princeton, and the University of Edinburgh, and the KIMA medical robotic arm launched in June 2026.

The company's core technology centers on collaborative and medical-grade robotic arms with an open architecture. KIMA, the flagship medical product, is purpose-built for clinical environments rather than adapted from industrial designs, featuring IEC 62304 Class C software compliance, ISO 14971 risk management certification, redundant torque sensors in every joint, 3 kg payload capacity at under 13 kg total weight, and EtherCAT communication protocols for direct integration into medical platforms. Supporting infrastructure includes a curated ecosystem of technology partners — QNX (safety-certified OS), RTI (real-time data infrastructure), MedAcuity (regulated software development), MPE, and Acontis (EtherCAT) — established concurrently with the KIMA launch.

Kinova's revenue model is hardware-centric, with revenue streams from sale of medical robotic arms to OEMs and assistive robotic arms to healthcare and end-user channels. GTM is driven by enterprise field sales to medical device manufacturers, supported by channel partnerships and ecosystem-based collaborations. The company has raised approximately $72.3M in disclosed funding across rounds in 2017 ($25M, including Foxconn as strategic investor) and February 2022 ($47.3M combined, led by Graham Partners with Export Development Canada and the Strategic Innovation Fund).

Name

Kinova Robotics

Legal name

Kinova Inc.

Website

https://kinovarobotics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kinova Robotics is a Quebec-based developer of robotic arms serving medical device manufacturers, healthcare facilities, research institutions, and accessibility markets. Its portfolio spans wheelchair-mounted assistive arms (Jaco) and purpose-built clinical medical robotic arms (KIMA) for surgical and diagnostic applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Robotics

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Surgical Robotics & Computer-Assisted Surgery Platforms (HLAHADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Assistive Robotics (HDAAAIAC), Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL), Mobility Aids (Wheelchairs, Scooters, Walkers, Canes) (HLAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Medical robotic arms
• Collaborative robotics
• Assistive robotics
• Surgical robotics components
• Wheelchair-mounted arms

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical Robotic Arms: Sale of purpose-built medical robotic arms like KIMA designed for clinical environments, targeting medical device manufacturers and healthcare systems for applications including endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and surgical interventions.
2. Assistive Robotics: Wheelchair-mounted robotic arms for individuals with mobility impairments, serving healthcare facilities, assisted living, and home environments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Kinova designs and manufactures robotic arms across two business units: medical-grade collaborative robotic arms purpose-built for clinical environments (notably the KIMA arm) and assistive robotic arms mounted on wheelchairs for individuals with mobility impairments (the Jaco arm). The KIMA platform features IEC 62304 Class C software, ISO 14971 safety compliance, redundant torque sensors, and EtherCAT-based open architecture for integration into medical device manufacturers' clinical solutions. The Jaco arm supports rehabilitation, mobility assistance, and accessibility applications in healthcare facilities, assisted living, and home environments.

Product overview

Kinova Robotics is a Quebec-based developer of assistive and collaborative robotics with a 20-year history. The company offers a portfolio of robotic arms spanning assistive and medical applications: the Jaco assistive robotic arm for wheelchair-mounted mobility assistance and the KIMA next-generation medical robotic arm purpose-built for clinical environments. The product line ranges from assistive solutions for individuals with disabilities to high-precision medical arms targeting diagnostics, surgical interventions, endoscopy, and bronchoscopy applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KIMA: Medical robotic arm purpose-built for clinical environments with IEC 62304 Class C software, ISO 14971 safety standards, 3 kg payload capacity, weighing under 13 kg with redundant torque sensors in every joint and EtherCAT communication protocols.

Products and services

• KIMA Medical Robotic Arm Purpose-built medical robotic arm for clinical environments, featuring IEC 62304 Class C software, ISO 14971 safety compliance, 3 kg payload capacity, under-13 kg weight, redundant torque sensors in every joint, and open EtherCAT architecture for direct integration into medical device manufacturer platforms across endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and surgical interventions.
• Jaco Assistive Robotic Arm

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 kg payload capacity in under 13 kg robotic arm
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QNXcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026QNX provides safety-certified operating system technology supporting the KIMA medical robotic arm's IEC 62304 Class C software compliance and medical device safety requirements.
• RTI (Real-Time Innovations)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026RTI provides real-time data infrastructure technology for the KIMA medical robotic arm, enabling reliable communication for medical device integration.
• MedAcuitycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026MedAcuity provides regulated software development expertise for the KIMA medical robotic arm, supporting medical device compliance and software safety.
• MPEcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026MPE is a technology partner supporting the KIMA medical robotic arm's development for clinical environments.
• AcontiscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026Acontis provides real-time EtherCAT communication technology enabling the open architecture integration capabilities of the KIMA medical robotic arm.
• Naqi LogixminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Naqi Logix and Kinova entered a Letter of Intent in May 2025 to demonstrate hands-free, voice-free control of the Kinova Jaco robotic arm using neural earbuds, with users directing the arm through facial micro-gestures and head movements.

Scale indicators3 records

Direct peers

• Universal Robots: Universal Robots is the leading collaborative robot arm platform, selling modular arms that OEMs and integrators embed into custom applications. Like Kinova, it competes on open architecture, ease of integration, and ecosystem partnerships, making it the closest commercial analogue for Kinova's Gen3 and KIMA platforms — though it lacks purpose-built medical certification.
• Franka Emika: Franka Emika produces torque-sensed collaborative robotic arms used widely in research labs and increasingly in healthcare and industrial applications. Its research-grade positioning and force-sensitive architecture directly mirror Kinova's Gen3 arm, and both companies compete for the same university and integrator customer base.
• ReWalk Robotics: ReWalk is a publicly listed exoskeleton and assistive mobility company explicitly named alongside Kinova as a key player in the assistive robotics market. Both serve individuals with mobility impairments through hardware-based rehabilitation and mobility-assist solutions sold into healthcare and personal use.
• Ekso Bionics: Ekso Bionics develops robotic exoskeletons and assistive devices for rehabilitation and mobility, named alongside Kinova as a key player in the assistive robotics market. Both companies target hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and individuals with mobility impairments with wearable/assistive robotic hardware.
• Cyberdyne: Cyberdyne is a Japan-based developer of wearable cyborg-type assistive robots (HAL exoskeleton) for medical and elderly care applications. Named alongside Kinova as a key player in assistive robotics, it competes in the same hospitals, rehab centers, and aging-population end markets.
• THINK Surgical: THINK Surgical develops robotic systems for orthopedic surgery and licenses its technology to OEMs and implant manufacturers. Its open-platform approach to surgical robotics closely parallels Kinova's KIMA strategy of providing medical-grade robotic components that third parties integrate into clinical systems.

Broad incumbents

• Intuitive Surgical: Intuitive Surgical is the dominant incumbent in surgical robotics with the da Vinci platform. While Kinova does not compete head-to-head with da Vinci, Intuitive defines the clinical standard and procurement expectations that any OEM building on KIMA must meet, making it the most consequential broad incumbent shaping KIMA's market.
• Medtronic: Medtronic's Hugo surgical robotics platform is one of the leading challengers to Intuitive Surgical and represents the kind of integrated OEM competitor that may either partner with or bypass Kinova's KIMA platform. As a broad medtech incumbent, Medtronic shapes hospital procurement and clinical adoption for any robotic surgical system.

Emerging players

• Vicarious Surgical: Vicarious Surgical is an emerging surgical robotics company developing a combined hardware and VR-controlled robotic platform for minimally invasive surgery. As a smaller, well-funded challenger, it competes for the same clinical robotics opportunity that KIMA-enabled OEM systems would target.
• CMR Surgical: CMR Surgical developed the Versius surgical robotic system and is one of the better-capitalized emerging players challenging Intuitive Surgical. As a modular, portable surgical robot competitor, it represents the type of integrated system that Kinova's OEM customers are also trying to build.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kinovarobotics
• Facebookfacebook.com/116706595084250
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kinova

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kinova Robotics