For a child with a severe mobility impairment, the simple act of walking is often a distant, clinical goal, confined to brief sessions in a hospital gym. Trexo Robotics is betting that a wearable robotic exoskeleton can change that, moving gait therapy from a scheduled appointment to a daily possibility at home. Founded in 2016 by Manmeet Maggu and Rahul Udasi, the Canadian healthtech company has spent nearly a decade refining a pediatric device that is now finding its way into both family living rooms and the treatment protocols of leading North American children’s hospitals [Y Combinator, 2024].
The Home-Use Wedge
Trexo’s core differentiation is its focus on the pediatric home. While large, facility-bound robotic gait trainers like the Lokomat have been staples in rehabilitation centers for years, they are not designed for daily, unsupervised use. Trexo’s devices are built to be more accessible, with the explicit aim of being usable in everyday settings [Cognition IP, 2022]. This addresses a critical gap: the intensity and frequency of therapy are directly linked to outcomes in neurodevelopmental conditions like cerebral palsy. By enabling repetitive, weight-bearing gait training outside the clinic, Trexo aims to amplify the therapeutic dose. The company has secured regulatory approvals for its devices in both the US and Canada, a non-negotiable foundation for any medical hardware play [F6S, 2024]. Its traction is evidenced by a growing list of clinical partners, which now includes institutions like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, and the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, the latter being the only provider on the East Coast to offer all three device sizes [Product claims].
Building on Personal Mission and Early Backing
The company’s origin is deeply personal. CEO Manmeet Maggu was motivated to build the first prototype after learning his nephew, born with cerebral palsy, would likely never walk [F6S, 2024]. This patient-centric mission has been a throughline, reflected in user-centered design and community campaigns like “Marching to 100 Million Steps” [YouTube, 2024]. Trexo emerged from the University of Toronto’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and has assembled a broad coalition of early-stage supporters. Its backers include mission-aligned entities like the Ontario Brain Institute and the Southwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium, alongside accelerators such as Y Combinator and Techstars, and a syndicate of angel investors and venture funds [Dealroom.co, 2024][Tracxn, 2024]. While the total disclosed funding sits at approximately $1.54 million across various seed rounds and grants, the company’s recent inclusion in the Mobility Unlimited Hub incubator in 2024 suggests an ongoing push for development and clinical validation [CB Insights, 2026].
The competitive landscape for robotic rehabilitation is crowded with well-funded adult-focused players like Ekso Bionics and emerging research projects. Trexo’s path hinges on owning the pediatric niche and proving that the home-use model delivers superior clinical and quality-of-life outcomes. The risks are inherent to any capital-intensive hardware startup navigating FDA and Health Canada pathways, but the company’s early clinic partnerships serve as crucial validation points.
For children with conditions like cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy, or spinal cord injuries, the current standard of care is a mosaic of interventions. It often includes physical therapy with manual assistance, the use of passive gait trainers or walkers, and, for many, eventual reliance on a wheelchair. Intensive, task-specific practice is the gold standard for neuroplasticity, but it is resource-limited. Trexo Robotics is attempting to insert a new, active tool into that regimen,one that provides consistent, robotic-assisted stepping. The ultimate measure of success won't be the technology itself, but whether it can translate into more independent steps, stronger muscles, and brighter smiles outside the clinic walls.
Sources
- [Y Combinator, 2024] Trexo Robotics Company Profile | https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/trexo-robotics
- [Cognition IP, 2022] Trexo Robotics Customer Story | https://www.cognitionip.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/5e472e9cbc8c3324f18794c7_Trexo-Robotics.pdf
- [F6S, 2024] Trexo Robotics Company Profile | https://www.f6s.com/company/trexorobotics
- [YouTube, 2024] Marching To 100 Million Steps with Trexo Robotics | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAKinkmkS-o
- [Dealroom.co, 2024] Trexo Robotics Funding Rounds | https://dealroom.co
- [Tracxn, 2024] Trexo Robotics Funding Rounds | https://tracxn.com
- [CB Insights, 2026] Trexo Robotics Incubator Participation | https://www.cbinsights.com