VIBRAINT
Brain-controlled rehabilitation robot transforming thoughts into motions for paralyzed individuals.
Website: https://vibraint.ai/
Cover Block
| Name | VIBRAINT |
| Tagline | Brain-controlled rehabilitation robot transforming thoughts into motions for paralyzed individuals. |
| Headquarters | Richmond Hill, Canada |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Business Model | Hardware + Software |
| Industry | Healthtech |
| Technology | Robotics |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Solo Founder |
Links
- Website: https://vibraint.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/showcase/vibraint
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vibraintAI/
The Short Version
VIBRAINT is developing a brain-controlled rehabilitation robot that aims to translate thought into motion for patients with severe paralysis [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. Founded in 2017 by Ilia Borishchev, the company has focused its efforts on the VIBRAINT RehUp system, which integrates a non-invasive brain-computer interface, robotics, and virtual reality to facilitate upper limb rehabilitation [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024] [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. The product emphasizes affordability and suitability for early, at-home use [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024].
Borishchev brings a multi-decade track record in building high-tech ventures [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. The company has gained validation through participation in Canadian accelerators including ventureLAB and the University of Toronto's Health Innovation Hub [ventureLAB, retrieved 2024] [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024]. Over the next 12-18 months, key milestones include the transition from accelerator support to a disclosed funding round, the generation of initial clinical validation data, and the articulation of a clear regulatory pathway for a Class II medical device in North America.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims are sourced from company materials; accelerator participation is confirmed. Funding, revenue, and detailed team composition lack independent corroboration.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Business Model | Hardware + Software |
| Industry / Vertical | Healthtech |
| Technology Type | Robotics |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Solo Founder |
The Company in Brief
Founder Ilia Borishchev, a serial high-tech entrepreneur with a 30-year track record, relocated to Canada in 2016 and founded VIBRAINT Inc. in 2017 [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024] [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. The VIBRAINT RehUp project is his focus in neurotech and medtech [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024] [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026].
Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, the company has participated in Canadian academic and government-backed accelerators. It was a nominee in the 2021 Ideation Challenge, a Judges Prize winner that same year, and an awardee from 2022 through 2024 [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. In 2024, VIBRAINT was named a Pitch-Off winner [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. The company has been associated with ventureLAB, the University of Toronto's Health Innovation Hub (H2i), and the Access to Success Organization [ventureLAB, retrieved 2024] [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024].
A clinical advisor, Igor Lavrov, is listed in relation to the company [ZoomInfo, retrieved 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key founding and milestone claims are sourced from the company's own website and founder's LinkedIn, with accelerator participation corroborated by third-party program pages.
What They Have Built
The VIBRAINT RehUp is a hardware-software system designed to translate conscious intent into physical motion for patients with upper-limb paralysis. The device combines a non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI), a robotic actuator, and a virtual reality (VR) environment, orchestrated by artificial intelligence [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. The system is designed to facilitate at-home rehabilitation shortly after a stroke or spinal cord injury [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024]. The target clinical setting is neurology and rehabilitation departments, with end users identified as clinicians, researchers, and patients [en.istok-audio.com, retrieved 2026] [ZoomInfo, retrieved 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced primarily from the company's own website and affiliated accelerator pages.
Market Size and Demand
The market for neurorehabilitation technology is expanding. VIBRAINT's target segment sits at the intersection of stroke rehabilitation, spinal cord injury care, and the brain-computer interface (BCI) sector.
The company cites global statistics of 120 million people living immobilized and 500,000 annual spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. Stroke is a primary driver, with one in six people experiencing one [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024]. VIBRAINT positions its RehUp device for early and at-home rehabilitation [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024].
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Global Medical BCI Market (2022) | $1.5B |
| Rehabilitation Robotics Market (2023) | $1.3B |
As a Class II medical device in Canada and the United States, the VIBRAINT RehUp system would require clearance from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market size figures are from third-party reports for analogous sectors. Patient statistics are sourced from the company's website.
Who Else Is Fighting for This
VIBRAINT operates in a niche defined by the convergence of non-invasive BCI, robotics, and virtual reality for motor rehabilitation.
- Incumbent medical device giants. Companies like Hocoma and Tyromotion dominate the clinical rehabilitation robotics market with systems such as the ArmeoSpring [PitchBook, 2024].
- Specialized neurotech challengers. Startups including Neurable and MindMaze are exploring similar technological intersections [Crunchbase, 2025].
- Adjacent therapeutic substitutes. These include traditional occupational therapy, functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices like the Bioness H200, and telehealth platforms.
VIBRAINT's edge rests on its integration of a non-invasive BCI with a robotic actuator for the upper limbs, targeting the early post-stroke and spinal cord injury window for at-home use [h2i.utoronto.ca, 2024].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive mapping is inferred from category analysis.
Opportunity
The VIBRAINT RehUp aims to become a first-line therapeutic device for upper-limb motor rehabilitation. By combining a non-invasive BCI with robotics and VR, VIBRAINT targets the bottlenecks of cost and access [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024] [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024].
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Pathway Adoption | VIBRAINT RehUp is incorporated into national or private insurer reimbursement codes for post-stroke rehabilitation. | Publication of a positive clinical trial result from a partner research hospital, leading to a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) review. | The company's focus on hospitals and clinics as target clients suggests engagement with clinical research pathways [en.istok-audio.com, retrieved 2026]. Accelerator support from the University of Toronto's Health Innovation Hub (H2i) provides a natural conduit for academic validation [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024]. |
| Home-Use Market Creation | The device is prescribed directly to patients for long-term, maintenance therapy, creating a high-margin recurring revenue stream. | A partnership with a major home healthcare equipment distributor or a national physiotherapy association. | The product claim emphasizes affordability and ease of use for at-home rehabilitation, explicitly targeting patients and families [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024] [ZoomInfo, retrieved 2026]. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims and target market sizing are from the company's own materials and affiliated accelerator pages.
Sources
- [vibraint.ai, retrieved 2024] Vibraint | Groundbreaking Brain-controlled Rehabilitation - Experience the future of rehabilitation with VIBRAINT RehUp | https://vibraint.ai/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Ilia Borishchev - VIBRAINT Inc. | https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliaborishchev/
- [h2i.utoronto.ca, retrieved 2024] Health Innovation Hub (H2i) @ U of T | VIBRAINT - Health Innovation Hub (H2i) @ U of T | https://h2i.utoronto.ca/startup/vibraint/
- [ventureLAB, retrieved 2024] Vibraint AI | ventureLAB | https://www.venturelab.ca/portfolio/vibraint-ai
- [en.istok-audio.com, retrieved 2026] APC VIBRAINT RehUp | https://www.en.istok-audio.com/products/rehabilitation/apc-vibraint-rehup/
- [ZoomInfo, retrieved 2026] Contact Igor Lavrov, Email: ****@vibraint.ai & Phone Number | Clinical Advisor at Vibraint - ZoomInfo | https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Igor-Lavrov/-1512236577
- [Grand View Research, 2024] Rehabilitation Robotics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/rehabilitation-robotics-market
- [Precedence Research, 2023] Medical Brain Computer Interface Market Size, Growth, Report 2023-2032 | https://www.precedenceresearch.com/medical-brain-computer-interface-market
- [PitchBook, 2024] Hocoma AG Company Profile | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/22986-17
- [Crunchbase, 2025] Neurable Company Profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/neurable
Articles about VIBRAINT
- VIBRAINT's Brain-Controlled Robot Wires a Thought Into a Motion — The Canadian startup's non-invasive RehUp system is a bet on early, at-home rehabilitation for stroke survivors.