E-nable
E-nable (Enabling The Future) is a global volunteer movement of ~40,000 makers across 100+ countries that uses distributed 3D printing to deliver free, open-source upper-limb prosthetic devices to children and adults with limb differences in underserved communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersGlobel, Slovenia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What E-nable does
e-NABLE is a global volunteer movement, not a traditional commercial enterprise, that uses distributed 3D printing to deliver free upper-limb prosthetic devices to children and adults in underserved communities. Founded in 2011-2013 from a cross-continental collaboration between Ivan Owen (US) and Richard Van As (South Africa) that produced the first 3D-printed mechanical hand for a child, the community has grown to approximately 40,000 volunteers across 100+ countries organized into roughly 200 chapters and a fiscal sponsor (Rochester e-NABLE Limited, a 501c3 in Rochester, NY). Co-founders Jen Owen, Jon Schull, Jeremy Simon, and Maria Esquela continue to lead content, fiscal administration, tooling, and education respectively, with affiliated nonprofit entities (Enable Community Foundation, APBLS/e-NABLE Alliance) and a financial vehicle (EnableFund on Open Collective).
Its core product surface is an open-source library of 12+ 3D-printable hand and arm designs (Raptor Hand, Phoenix v2, Cyborg Beast, Kinetic Hand, Gripper Hand, Unlimbited Arm, and a ~$350 myoelectric arm) released into the public domain, supported by the e-NABLE Hub collaboration platform, the e-NABLE Web Central matching application (3,300+ registered users, developed by partner 3D Universe), and the e-NABLE Bot for automated community engagement. Recipients receive devices at zero out-of-pocket cost; material cost per Raptor Hand is ~$35 versus thousands to tens of thousands of dollars for professionally fabricated muscle-actuated prostheses.
e-NABLE has no commercial revenue stream. Devices are provided free of charge; the entity's financial flows consist of voluntary donations via the EnableFund (Open Collective), the e-NABLE Mini Grant Program for chapters in underserved areas, in-kind sponsor contributions (e.g., the 2020 #enableSTEMchallenge prize package from Ultimaker, Bit Space Chicago, Terrafilum, and 3D Universe), and an affiliate-linked route to partner 3D Universe's e-commerce storefront for assembly kits and recommended 3D printers. The go-to-market motion is community-led: recipients and volunteers self-register through enablingthefuture.org intake forms and are matched via the Web Central app, with demand generated through the blog, social channels, the newsletter (2,914+ subscribers), educator networks, and earned media (60 Minutes, SXSL at the White House).
E-nable firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- E-nable
- Legal name
- Rochester e-NABLE Limited
- Website
- https://enablingthefuture.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- E-nable (Enabling The Future) is a global volunteer movement of ~40,000 makers across 100+ countries that uses distributed 3D printing to deliver free, open-source upper-limb prosthetic devices to children and adults with limb differences in underserved communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
E-nable industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 3D Printed Prosthetics / Open-Source Assistive Devices
- NAICS
- Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)
- SIC
- Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehab & Amputee Rehabilitation (HSADAIAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB), Assistive Technology & Accessible Digital Skills (EDAAAIAK)
Keywords
Where E-nable is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Globel
- HQ country
- Slovenia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
E-nable business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Free donation of prosthetic devices: e-NABLE is a volunteer movement, not a commercial seller. All 3D-printed hands and arms are provided completely free of charge to recipients; the community does not sell devices.
- Donations and EnableFund grants: Voluntary donations via the website and the EnableFund on Open Collective (administered by Jon Schull via Rochester e-NABLE Limited, a 501c3) support chapters in underserved areas through the e-NABLE Mini Grant Program.
- Affiliate-linked shop of recommended 3D printers and assembly kits: The website links to 3D Universe's shop for e-NABLE Assembly Materials Kits, recommended 3D printers and other supplies; revenue is generated for the partner shop rather than e-NABLE itself.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Free 3D printed prosthetic hand/arm for recipients |
| Other | — | Affiliate purchase of assembly kits, 3D printers and supplies |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
E-nable product offering
Product offeringCore offering
E-nable is a global volunteer network of approximately 40,000 "Digital Humanitarians" across 100+ countries who use desktop 3D printers to fabricate and donate free, open-source 3D printed upper-limb prosthetic hands and arms to children and adults in underserved communities. The community coordinates via the enablingthefuture.org blog, the e-NABLE Hub collaboration platform, and the e-NABLE Web Central matching application that pairs volunteer makers with recipients. Optional assembly materials kits are sold through partner 3D Universe via an affiliate link.
Product overview
E-nable (Enabling The Future) is not a single commercial product but a unified open-source community-plus-tooling platform that pairs volunteer makers with recipients in need. Its core offering is the global e-NABLE Community, supported by the e-NABLE Hub for collaboration, the e-NABLE Web Central matching application for pairing volunteers with recipients, the e-NABLE Bot for automated community engagement, and an open-source library of 3D printed prosthetic designs (including the Raptor Hand, Phoenix v2, Cyborg Beast, Kinetic Hand, Gripper Hand, and Myoelectric Arm). Physical Hand Assembly Kits & Materials are distributed via the e-NABLE Shop, while the EnableFund / e-NABLE Mini Grant Program provides financial support to chapters and the e-NABLE Alliance (APBLS) supplies STEM-based curriculum for educational adopters. Rochester e-NABLE Limited, a 501c3 corporation at 36 Brunswick Street, Rochester NY 14607, serves as the fiscal sponsor for the network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- e-NABLE Hub: Online collaboration/knowledge hub at hub.e-nable.org for the e-NABLE community.
- e-NABLE Web Central
- e-NABLE Alliance (APBLS)
- EnableFund
Products and services
- e-NABLE Community
- e-NABLE Hub
- e-NABLE Web Central
- 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand & Arm Designs
- e-NABLE Hand Assembly Kits & Materials
- 3D Printed Myo-Electric Arm
- EnableFund / e-NABLE Mini Grant Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 10,000-15,000 recipients received free 3D printed hands/arms
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use E-nable
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
E-nable technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
E-nable partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- 3D UniverseflagshipJeremy Simon's company; develops and maintains the e-NABLE Web Central matching application, produces e-NABLE Assembly Materials Kits, manages the support help-desk, and is a strong sponsor of community contests (e.g., STEM Challenge prizes, affiliate links).
- Enable Community FoundationcoreSupport and operations partner; handles [email protected] inquiries, [email protected] (hand evaluation logistics), and chapter-level coordination across the global community.
- APBLS / e-NABLE Alliance (Alliance for Project Based Learning Solutions)core501c3 non-profit founded by Maria Esquela (enablealliance.org) that focuses on using e-NABLE in STEM-based service learning projects and creating curriculum for research and testing on e-NABLE 3D printed devices. Operates the e-NABLE Educators Exchange on the Hub and the e-NABLE Educators Alliance Facebook group.
- MakerbotcoreDonated two 3D printers to Ivan Owen so he could design and email files to Richard in South Africa to print and assemble the next-generation 3D printed hand for Liam; in exchange Makerbot produced a video about the first 3D printed hand prosthesis, which became the catalyst for the Google+ community that grew into e-NABLE.
- Johns Hopkins Medical Center (Dr. Albert Chi)flagshipHosted e-NABLE's first conference 'Prosthetists Meets Printers' in September 2014 with 400+ attendees (medical professionals, hand therapists, medical students, volunteers and 25 recipient families). Chi is a trauma surgeon with biomedical engineering and clinical research background, featured on 60 Minutes twice for brain-controlled robotic arms.
- University of Central Florida (Albert Manero / Limbitless Solutions)coreUCF Aerospace Engineering doctoral student Albert Manero and his team built the first 3D printed e-NABLE Myoelectric arm for ~$350 for 6-year-old Alex Pring and released the design open source. Manero has contributed knowledge to e-NABLE's myoelectric group and incorporated ideas from Steve Wood's Flexy hand design.
- UltimakerminorCo-sponsored the #enableSTEMchallenge in early 2020 by donating an Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer as the grand prize to Komarek School.
- Bit Space ChicagominorCo-sponsored the #enableSTEMchallenge by providing an online educational course as part of the prize package for the winning schools.
- Terrafilum Engineered FilamentsminorCo-sponsored the #enableSTEMchallenge by donating 8 rolls of eco-friendly filament for the grand-prize package at Komarek School.
- Humanitarian Prosthetics & Orthotics (HVP-Gatagara, Rwanda)coreIndependent prosthetics clinic in Gatagara, Rwanda with 58 years of missionary outreach for people with disabilities; partnered with Dr. Kyle Reeser during his Loomio-funded e-NABLE internship to design a mobile e-NABLE Lab and contribute to services for local communities with limb differences.
- Lake Victoria Disability Center (Tanzania)coreDisability services provider in Musoma, Tanzania; collaborated with Dr. Kyle Reeser during his Loomio-funded e-NABLE internship to prototype 3D printed orthotic devices and study local demand for affordable assistive technology.
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)minorUNO Biomechanics researchers received National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to study how the brain adapts to the use of 3D-printed prostheses and called on e-NABLE research volunteers to support the study.
- LimbBo Foundation (Adam Dengel)minorParent-led nonprofit foundation whose designer Adam Dengel created the open-source 'LimbBo Cam Buddy' 3D printable camera adapter for children missing their right arm; shared via Thingiverse and promoted through e-NABLE's R&D Facebook Group.
- Pfeiffer University Occupational Therapy Program (Dr. Fain)minorOccupational therapy program with extensive 3D printing experience; entered the #enableSTEMchallenge and e-NABLE is working to connect Dr. Fain's lab with volunteers to print adaptive equipment.
- University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeminorStudent team conducted initial impact testing of the Cyborg Beast design by dropping hands from several stories; documented findings on enablingthefuture.org to inform durability improvements.
- AIM Academy (Conshohocken, PA)minorMiddle school for students with language-based learning disabilities; Kathy Brandon's class assembled 12 Phoenix v2 hands as part of a 'Be the Change' unit with Jeremy Simon guiding design and Dennis Ward printing all parts; school plans to make e-NABLE a recurring program.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
E-nable competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Open Bionics: Commercial developer of 3D-printed multi-grip bionic hands and arms (Hero Arm); competes in the same 3D-printed upper-limb prosthetic category but as a venture-backed, FDA-registered commercial company serving paying customers.
- Unlimited Tomorrow: Commercial producer of low-cost, custom 3D-printed prosthetic arms using scanning and direct-to-recipient manufacturing; overlaps with e-NABLE on cost-reduction mission and 3D-printed arm delivery model.
- Limbitless Solutions: Nonprofit at University of Central Florida producing 3D-printed bionic (myoelectric) arms for children at low cost; directly collaborated with e-NABLE on the first low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric arm and shares the same open-source humanitarian ethos.
- LifeNabled: Nonprofit that provides 3D-printed prosthetic hands to amputees in developing countries; shares e-NABLE's humanitarian, free-distribution model and global volunteer deployment approach.
Broad incumbents
- Ottobock: Global incumbent in prosthetics and orthotics with established myoelectric and mechanical arm product lines; represents the traditional clinical prosthetic industry that e-NABLE's open-source approach disrupts on cost.
- Össur: Large publicly-traded prosthetic and orthotic device manufacturer (including Touch Bionics i-limb bionic hand); serves the same upper-limb amputee market via regulated, reimbursed channels and competes with e-NABLE on clinical-grade solutions.
Emerging players
- Not Impossible Labs: Humanitarian technology organization that has produced open-source assistive devices (including a 3D-printed prosthetic arm for a Sudanese boy); overlaps with e-NABLE in using 3D printing for accessible assistive technology in low-resource settings.
- Standard Cyborg: Developer of 3D scanning and digital socket-fitting tools for prosthetics; adjacent to e-NABLE's R&D interest in 3D-scanned designs (e.g., Kinetic Hand) and could enable more precise custom-fitting of 3D-printed sockets at chapter scale.
- Atom Limbs: Early-stage startup building 3D-printed brain-controlled bionic arms; targets the same upper-limb amputee population as e-NABLE but with a regulated, venture-backed product roadmap.
- Ambionics: UK-based startup developing 3D-printed prosthetic arms specifically for children; addresses the same pediatric upper-limb market that e-NABLE prioritizes through free body-powered devices.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
E-nable social profiles
Digital presenceE-nable financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
E-nable leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
E-nable subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
E-nable funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
E-nable M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about E-nable
What does E-nable do?
E-nable is a global volunteer network of approximately 40,000 "Digital Humanitarians" across 100+ countries who use desktop 3D printers to fabricate and donate free, open-source 3D printed upper-limb prosthetic hands and arms to children and adults in underserved communities. The community coordinates via the enablingthefuture.org blog, the e-NABLE Hub collaboration platform, and the e-NABLE Web Central matching application that pairs volunteer makers with recipients. Optional assembly materials kits are sold through partner 3D Universe via an affiliate link.
Is E-nable a public or private company?
E-nable is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was E-nable founded?
E-nable was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is E-nable based?
E-nable is headquartered in Globel, Slovenia, in the Europe region.
How does E-nable make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Free donation of prosthetic devices are the primary driver. The others are donations and EnableFund grants and affiliate-linked shop of recommended 3D printers and assembly kits.
Who are E-nable's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Open Bionics, Unlimited Tomorrow, Limbitless Solutions and LifeNabled. Broad incumbents are Ottobock and Össur. Emerging players are Not Impossible Labs, Standard Cyborg, Atom Limbs and Ambionics.
Does E-nable have an API?
No public API is recorded for E-nable.
What industry is E-nable in?
E-nable's product category is 3D Printed Prosthetics / Open-Source Assistive Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAIAN, Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehab & Amputee Rehabilitation, with a secondary code of EDAKAIAB, AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training. Its NAICS code is 339113 and its SIC code is 3842.