Humanware
Humanware S.r.l. is an Italian medical device company founded in 1996 that designs and manufactures robotic rehabilitation devices for neurological and motor recovery, selling primarily to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and stroke units in Italy with limited international reach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersPisa, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Humanware does
Humanware S.r.l. is an Italian medical device company founded in 1996 as a spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa. The company designs, develops, and manufactures robotic rehabilitation devices for neurological and motor recovery, with a portfolio comprising two commercial products (MOTORE, a portable haptic rehabilitation robot for upper limb and cognitive therapy; and Ultra+, a 7-degree-of-freedom sensorized articulated arm enabling 3D virtual environment immersion) and two R&D-stage products (HumanGlove, a sensorized dataglove with up to 22 degrees of freedom; and Meka, a 2-DOF wireless device for knee and lower limb rehabilitation). The underlying technology stack combines mechatronics, haptics, virtual reality, wearable sensors, adaptive control systems, and gamification elements, with recent projects incorporating AI-driven predictive analytics for functional recovery and adaptive therapy protocols.
The company generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise sales of robotic medical devices to Italian hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and stroke units, supplemented by national distribution through EMAC in Italy and international distribution through Rebiotex in Spain. Devices are sold via direct consultation under multi-year contracts with no public pricing disclosure. Customer base spans public healthcare institutions including Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Ospedale Bambin Gesù in Rome, and Hamad General Hospital in Qatar. Humanware maintains ongoing research collaborations with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, INAIL Centro Protesi Budrio, NASA, and ESA, and participates in multiple EU-funded research consortia (iMotore, INTENSE, VRobot, ASSO, HUROBIN2). The company is privately held under founder-led management (CEO Andrea Scoglio, sole managing director for over ten years), with no disclosed external institutional investors and no public funding rounds recorded.
Humanware firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Humanware
- Legal name
- Humanware S.r.l.
- Website
- https://hmw.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Humanware S.r.l. is an Italian medical device company founded in 1996 that designs and manufactures robotic rehabilitation devices for neurological and motor recovery, selling primarily to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and stroke units in Italy with limited international reach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Humanware industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rehabilitation Robotics
- NAICS
- Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)
- SIC
- Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare & Assistive Robotics (HDAAAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rehabilitation Therapy Equipment (PT/OT Modalities, Exercise & Balance Devices) (HLAHAMAG), Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehab & Amputee Rehabilitation (HSADAIAN)
Keywords
Where Humanware is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pisa
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Humanware business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Robotic Medical Devices: Sale of robotic rehabilitation devices including MOTORE, ULTRA+, HumanGlove, and MEKA. Devices are medical equipment sold to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and healthcare facilities for patient treatment and functional assessment.
- Information Technology Solutions: Company operates in the Information Technology market alongside medical devices, indicating additional revenue from software and technology services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Contact for pricing - medical device quotation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Humanware product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Humanware designs, develops, and manufactures robotic medical devices for neurological and motor rehabilitation. Its product portfolio includes MOTORE (a portable haptic upper-limb rehabilitation robot), Ultra+ (a 7-degrees-of-freedom sensorized articulated arm for immersive 3D virtual environment rehabilitation), HumanGlove (a sensorized dataglove with up to 22 degrees of freedom), and Meka (a 2-degrees-of-freedom wireless sensorized knee rehabilitation device). The devices combine mechatronics, haptics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to support post-stroke, post-traumatic, and post-surgical recovery and to deliver quantitative functional evaluation for clinicians.
Product overview
Humanware develops a portfolio of medical devices for robotic neurological rehabilitation, consisting of two commercial products (MOTORE and Ultra+) and two R&D products (HumanGlove and Meka). MOTORE provides portable, battery-powered haptic upper limb rehabilitation with gamification elements, while Ultra+ offers 7-DOF arm tracking in 3D virtual environments. HumanGlove and Meka extend the portfolio to hand and lower limb rehabilitation respectively. All devices provide quantitative functional evaluation and support tele-rehabilitation capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MOTORE Portable, battery-powered haptic rehabilitation robot on wheels with no links, designed for interactive upper limb and cognitive rehabilitation after stroke, trauma, or surgery. Provides adaptive resistance/assistance, gamified exercises, and quantitative functional evaluation for clinicians.
- Ultra+ 7-degrees-of-freedom sensorized articulated arm biomechatronic system enabling patient immersion in 3D virtual environments for arm rehabilitation after surgery, ischemia, or stroke; supports tele-rehabilitation and quantitative functional evaluation.
- HumanGlove Sensorized dataglove with up to 22 degrees of freedom that detects real-time finger and wrist movements with wireless data transmission, designed for hand rehabilitation, neuro-rehabilitation, telerobotics, and virtual reality applications.
- Meka 2-degrees-of-freedom wireless sensorized mechatronic device for knee and lower limb rehabilitation, capable of detecting flexion/extension and abduction/adduction movements in real time for kinematic analysis during walking and exercises.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced rehabilitation time through objective performance measurement and gamification-based patient motivation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Humanware
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Humanware technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
Humanware partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di PisacoreHumanware was founded as a spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa. The partnership involves ongoing collaboration in research and development of rehabilitation robotics. Giovanni Cappiello previously collaborated with ARTS Lab of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and participated in international research projects.
- EMAC - distributore nazionalecoreEMAC serves as the national distributor for Humanware robotic rehabilitation products in Italy, enabling broader market coverage across Italian healthcare facilities.
- RebiotexminorSpanish distributor representing Humanware products in Spain, extending the company's international distribution network.
- European Space Agency (ESA)minorHumanGlove was used by ESA astronauts Roberto Vittori and Paolo Nespoli for training purposes (Hand Posture Analyser training), demonstrating the device's advanced sensor technology and reliability for specialized applications.
- NASAminorCollaboration on the Revolutioning Prosthetics project with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, maintaining relationships with NASA and other institutional partners including Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University.
- INAIL Centro Protesi - BudriominorCollaboration on humanoid robotics, artificial limbs, prosthetics, and rehabilitation robotics research projects.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Humanware competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hocoma (DIH): Hocoma, now part of DIH, is the leading global provider of robotic and sensor-based rehabilitation devices for gait, upper limb, and balance therapy. Directly comparable to Humanware as both sell robotic rehabilitation equipment to hospitals and stroke units with similar clinical use cases (e.g., ArmeoPower vs. Humanware's MOTORE/Ultra+).
- Ekso Bionics: US-listed developer of wearable exoskeletons and robotic rehabilitation devices for stroke and spinal cord injury recovery. Competes with Humanware in robotic rehabilitation for neurological indications, particularly in upper extremity and gait therapy.
- Bionik Laboratories: Robotic rehabilitation company focused on upper limb therapy using the InMotion ARM robot. Direct competitor to Humanware's MOTORE and Ultra+ in the upper-limb neuro-rehabilitation segment with similar hospital customer base.
- Tyromotion: Austrian-based developer of robotic and mechatronic rehabilitation devices for upper and lower extremity therapy. Overlaps directly with Humanware's MOTORE and Ultra+ in the upper-limb rehabilitation category and sells to similar hospital and rehabilitation center customers.
- Reha Technology: Swiss-German manufacturer of robotic rehabilitation devices for arm and hand therapy (Armotion, Diego). Comparable to Humanware in the upper-limb robotic rehabilitation niche with similar clinical use cases and hospital customer segments.
Emerging players
- Cyberdyne: Japan-based developer of the HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) robotic exoskeleton for neuro-rehabilitation. Comparable to Humanware in applying robotics to neurological rehabilitation, though Cyberdyne focuses on lower-limb and wearable exoskeletons.
- Fourier Intelligence: China-based rehabilitation robotics company developing upper-limb exoskeletons (ArmMotus M2 Pro) and lower-limb devices. Competes with Humanware in upper-limb rehabilitation and is rapidly expanding into European and Middle East markets where Humanware also operates.
- Saebo: US-based provider of upper-limb rehabilitation devices and orthoses, including the SaeboGlove and SaeboVR. Comparable to Humanware's HumanGlove and Ultra+ in the hand and upper-limb rehabilitation segment, with some overlap in hospital and clinical customer base.
Others
- Kinova Robotics: Canadian developer of robotic arms and assistive devices for rehabilitation and accessibility. Adjacent to Humanware in applying precision robotics to rehabilitation contexts, though more focused on assistive and mobility applications.
Broad incumbents
- Biodex Medical Systems: US-based manufacturer of rehabilitation and medical imaging equipment including balance, gait, and physical therapy devices. Adjacent competitor in the rehabilitation equipment market with broader product portfolio but overlapping clinical customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Humanware social profiles
Digital presenceHumanware compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Humanware financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Humanware leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Humanware funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Humanware 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 Humanware
What does Humanware do?
Humanware designs, develops, and manufactures robotic medical devices for neurological and motor rehabilitation. Its product portfolio includes MOTORE (a portable haptic upper-limb rehabilitation robot), Ultra+ (a 7-degrees-of-freedom sensorized articulated arm for immersive 3D virtual environment rehabilitation), HumanGlove (a sensorized dataglove with up to 22 degrees of freedom), and Meka (a 2-degrees-of-freedom wireless sensorized knee rehabilitation device). The devices combine mechatronics, haptics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to support post-stroke, post-traumatic, and post-surgical recovery and to deliver quantitative functional evaluation for clinicians.
Is Humanware a public or private company?
Humanware is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Humanware founded?
Humanware was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Humanware based?
Humanware is headquartered in Pisa, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Humanware make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Robotic Medical Devices are the primary driver. The others are information Technology Solutions.
Who are Humanware's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hocoma (DIH), Ekso Bionics, Bionik Laboratories, Tyromotion and Reha Technology. Emerging players are Cyberdyne, Fourier Intelligence and Saebo. Kinova Robotics is listed as an others. Biodex Medical Systems is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Humanware have an API?
No public API is recorded for Humanware.
What industry is Humanware in?
Humanware's product category is Rehabilitation Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAC, Healthcare & Assistive Robotics, with a secondary code of HLAHAMAG, Rehabilitation Therapy Equipment (PT/OT Modalities, Exercise & Balance Devices). Its NAICS code is 334510 and its SIC code is 3845.