Our mission at Cionic has always been about more than building a single product for a single condition. From the earliest prototypes, built in the garage, and tested by my daughter, I knew that reimagining mobility care wasn’t only about technology — it was about mindset. We wanted to change the culture of innovation in med tech: not just to invent, but to model a new way of inventing.
That’s why we’re incredibly honored that the Neural Sleeve 2 is recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025, just two years after making the list in 2023 with the original Neural Sleeve.
Receiving this recognition the first time was an extraordinary team milestone that brought a powerful spotlight to the need for innovation in mobility care. But receiving this honor again, with our second-generation FDA-cleared sleeve, validates our mission of continuous innovation at an even deeper level.
Our intention at Cionic is to build a new operating system for human movement by combining AI, advanced sensing, and stimulation — at a pace that has never been attempted in this industry. Where most med device companies are pushing technology that is decades old, we launched the Neural Sleeve 2 just two years after releasing our first-generation system, and expanded our FDA clearance to tackle one of the biggest unmet challenges in mobility: spasticity.
The Neural Sleeve 2 is the first FDA-cleared bionic clothing to integrate simultaneous functional muscle activation to improve walking with relaxation of muscle spasms — choreographing effortless movement across the activities of daily living. This advancement is powered by MultiStim, an entirely new stimulation paradigm we invented that combines multiple treatment modalities into an integrated stimulation pattern.
Like our original device, the Neural Sleeve 2 was developed in response to real-world needs. From our users, we know that the muscle spasms that accompany spasticity are a common yet often overlooked mobility challenge. Spasticity affects 97% of stroke survivors with motor deficits and 84% of people with multiple sclerosis, resulting in limited movement, pain, and disrupted sleep. While pharmacological treatment is the prevailing approach for spasticity management, poor response rates and increased muscle weakness often result in a decline in mobility. Our new sleeve is the first and only wearable solution to effectively target this critical barrier to mobility.
And the innovation doesn't stop at technology. While many companies are content to strap a bulky plastic box to the body, we know that wearability is the key to usage, and usage is the key to outcomes. That is why we continue our deep partnership with the incredible industrial design team at fuseproject on our second-generation sleeve, increasing flexibility and reducing weight by 25% for an even more comfortable and functional fit.
The Neural Sleeve 2 is proof that we’re guided by what we learn from our users and the mobility community every day. And it’s a promise that we’ll continue to move fast and chart new territory in service of our mission to superpower movement for millions of people worldwide.
Thank you so much to our users and partners, across clinical, research, and advocacy communities — we’re so grateful to be on this journey together, inventing the future of mobility care with you.
