Funding
$6.4M
Models
2
Overview
Open Bionics is a Bristol-based bionics company developing the Hero Arm, a 3D-printed multi-grip myoelectric prosthetic arm for upper limb amputees. Founded in 2014, the company has expanded to operate clinical clinics across the US and UK, and is co-located with the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Co-founders Joel Gibbard and Samantha Payne were awarded MBEs in 2020 for services to innovation and technology.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
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Key facts
Robot
Products
Technology
Features
CEO
COO
Total funding
US clinics
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (2)
View all models →Current platform
Hero Arm
The Hero Arm is a 3D-printed multi-grip myoelectric prosthetic arm for upper limb amputees. It features intuitive muscle-controlled grip patterns, bio feedback vibrations, and a lightweight Nylon 12 construction. It was the first 3D-printed bionic arm to receive PDAC approval in the US.
Previous platform
Hero Arm
Open Bionics' Hero Arm is a lightweight 3D-printed myoelectric prosthetic arm for people with below-elbow limb difference; sensors detect residual-muscle signals for intuitive multi-grip control. Newer Hero PRO and Hero RGD variants are wireless and waterproof.
Current leadership (3)
- Joel Gibbard Co-Founder & CEOsecondary-verified
- Samantha Payne Co-Founder & COOsecondary-verified
- Samantha Payne COO & Co-Founderreported, not verified
Founders (2)
- Joel Gibbardcofounder
- Samantha Paynecofounder
Safety record
No incidents on record for Open Bionics.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Open Bionics in third-party press
Peer companies
- Xiaomi3 models
- Baidu2 models
- Brilliant Labs2 models
- Even Realities2 models
- Hark2 models
- Plaud AI2 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- early
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Funding rounds (1)
- Series A2023-01-01
$6M(reported)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Review status verifiedVerifiedJun 27, 2026
unreviewed -> reviewed
- Record createdJun 24, 2026
Added to the verified registry
Sources (1)
Common questions
- What is Open Bionics?
- Open Bionics is a Bristol-based bionics company developing the Hero Arm, a 3D-printed multi-grip myoelectric prosthetic arm for upper limb amputees. Founded in 2014, the company has expanded to operate clinical clinics across the US and UK, and is co-located with the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Co-founders Joel Gibbard and Samantha Payne were awarded MBEs in 2020 for services to innovation and technology.
- What does Open Bionics make?
- Open Bionics has 2 robot models on the DEPLOY registry: Hero Arm, Hero Arm (Open Bionics builds both physical robots and the AI that runs them).
- Who competes with Open Bionics?
- On the DEPLOY registry, peer companies to Open Bionics building in the same form factors include Xiaomi, Baidu, Brilliant Labs, Even Realities.
- Who is the CEO of Open Bionics?
- Joel Gibbard is the ceo of Open Bionics, per the DEPLOY registry.
- Where is Open Bionics headquartered?
- Open Bionics is headquartered in Bristol, UK.
- How much funding has Open Bionics raised?
- Open Bionics has raised approximately $6M in disclosed funding on record in the DEPLOY registry.
- Where does Open Bionics operate robots?
- Open Bionics is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record.
- Is Open Bionics a top robotics company?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, Open Bionics ranks in roughly the top 90% of companies tracked by the registry.
- Is Open Bionics safe?
- Open Bionics has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-04
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-04
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Open Bionics.Peer companies
- Xiaomi3 models
- Baidu2 models
- Brilliant Labs2 models
- Even Realities2 models
- Hark2 models
- Plaud AI2 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Open Bionics from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Our Story - Making 3D Prosthetics Beautiful
Open Bionics was founded in 2014 by Joel Gibbard and Samantha Payne, growing from the Open Hand project to develop affordable 3D-printed bionic arms, now operating clinics across…
Hero Arm: First 3D Printed Bionic Arm to Receive PDAC Approval
Open Bionics' Hero Arm became the first 3D-printed bionic arm to receive PDAC approval, a significant milestone in insurance coverage for multi-grip myoelectric prosthetics in the…
Open Bionics Co-founders Awarded MBEs for Prosthetic Technology
Joel Gibbard and Samantha Payne, co-founders of Open Bionics, were each awarded MBEs for their work democratizing bionic technology and services to innovation, engineering, and…
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/open-bionics.md
- RSS feed: /companies/open-bionics/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/569f9ab8-b127-4cbd-933a-f6edd00da49a
- Revision history: /companies/open-bionics/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Xiaomi3 models
- Baidu2 models
- Brilliant Labs2 models
- Even Realities2 models
- Hark2 models
- Plaud AI2 models
Video
Open Bionics, Eidos-Montréal and Razer are working together to bring Deus Ex inspired augmentations to life. The three companies will partner up to help bridge the gap between fiction and reality, working together to des
Tilly demonstrates how the Hero Arm's proportional control grip and posable wrist can be used to easily pour and drink water. - Find out more: https://openbion
Issiah's just getting started, and we can't wait to follow both his college football career and his Hero Arm journey!
Tilly demonstrates how to quickly turn your bionic arm on/ off ready for use. - Find out more: https://openbionics.com/ - Book a free demo: https://openbionic
Jon Shieber talks to Samantha Payne of Open Bionics about working with Disney and the design challenges of robotic hands before getting a look at the Deus Ex mo
Reality vs attention
Open Bionics draws attention at the 52nd percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among wearable robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Funding runway warrants monitoring: last known round 43 months ago.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 19, 2026