University of Edinburgh startup Bioliberty is harnessing robotics technology that supports the physical rehabilitation of people recovering from mobility-limiting conditions or injuries.
Traumatic and degenerative health conditions can leave many people with reduced strength and mobility, often impacting their ability to live independently.
After seeing a family member with MS struggle with reduced hand strength, University of Edinburgh graduate Ross O’Hanlon was inspired to develop technology that can support and empower people suffering from hand weakness. Ross had identified a gap in the market for assistive hand rehabilitative technology, and to help him fill it he approached his former flatmate Rowan Armstrong, who was another recent graduate from the University of Edinburgh’s MEng programme in Electronics and Electrical Engineering with Management. Rowan had worked for a couple of large medical device companies, and this experience in combination with his academic background, made him an ideal co-founder.
They formed the company in 2019 with a clear goal: to apply the latest advances in biomedical engineering and AI to rehabilitation. Their first product, launched in 2025, is Lifeglov, a soft robotic wearable that gently helps patients move their hand, adjusted to their individual level of ability. While wearing the glove, patients take part in simple, game-based exercises that encourage frequent, repeated movement. By incorporating this into therapy sessions, therapists can deliver more intensive rehabilitation, helping to improve recovery and support better outcomes for patients.
Bioliberty is headquartered at The National Robotarium in Edinburgh, the UK’s centre for robotics and artificial intelligence research, with manufacturing based in Fife. The company opened its U.S. headquarters in Boston in 2025, supporting its international operations while maintaining core product development activity in Scotland.
Edinburgh Innovations supported Ross and Rowan from the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey by providing them with business advice, networking opportunities, access to funding and training.
They have gone on to achieve much success, most notably in March 2026 they secured £7.7m in a Series A investment round led by £3m from the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB), alongside capital from existing investors Archangels, Eos Advisory, Old College Capital - the University’s in-house venture investment fund - and Hanna Capital SEZC, as well as new investor Conduit Connect.
The funding supports continued product development and manufacturing in Scotland and will enable further commercial expansion in the United States, where the company’s technology is already used in several leading rehabilitation facilities.
By harnessing the very latest technological advancements, Bioliberty is helping to shape a future in which traumatic and degenerative conditions do not prevent people from living a longer, independent life.
Katharine Fox, Head of Investment at Old College Capital, said:
Bioliberty is an example of world‑class engineering from the University of Edinburgh, translating into better patient outcomes. Their AI‑enabled soft‑robotics platform is reshaping rehabilitation by giving clinicians clearer data and patients faster progress, and this funding will scale manufacturing in Scotland while accelerating growth in the U.S.
Old College Capital has backed Bioliberty from the start, and we are proud to continue this support as it grows from a student startup into an international health‑tech company.”
Related links
