Munich-based Noxon has secured seed funding to advance its muscle-computer interface, a wearable technology designed to monitor and stimulate muscles during therapy.
The medtech startup, founded in 2022 as a spin-off from three universities, is developing a device that combines continuous muscle monitoring with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). NMES is a therapy that uses small electrical impulses to activate muscles and nerves.
In rehabilitation and in neuromuscular disorders, muscle diagnostics and activation are typically carried out only periodically under clinical conditions. As a result, patients often lack continuous data and adaptive therapy during everyday life.
Noxon says its system creates a feedback loop that measures muscle activity in real time and delivers personalised stimulation to muscles and nerves during therapy. The technology is designed to integrate into products such as tapes, patches and orthopaedic aids.
The company is collaborating with University Hospital Würzburg and the neuroscience group N-Squared Lab on pilot applications. These include supporting muscle control when signal transmission between the brain and muscles is impaired, such as approaches aimed at reducing tremor in people with Parkinson’s disease.
The funding will support further clinical validation and certification of the technology, as well as preparations for launching the company’s first therapy modules.
The round was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds and Bayern Kapital, with participation from Auxxo and another institutional investor.
chief executive officer Maria Neugschwender said: “Neurological and musculoskeletal diseases are on the rise globally. Healthy muscle function is fundamental, yet often overlooked, and existing solutions tend to be too complex or costly. The support from HTGF and Bayern Kapital enables us to further validate our platform technology clinically and bring our first products to market. Our goal is to make muscle health transparent, personalised, and affordable for everyone.”
Dr Lena-Sophie Schütter, investment manager at HTGF, said: “What I find so compelling about Noxon is how effective therapy can become as simple as applying a bandage. The Muscle-Computer Interface platform gives patients the opportunity to regain mobility and independence, from preventing muscle atrophy to reducing Parkinson’s tremor. That’s a true advance for quality of life.”
Monika Steger, managing director of Bayern Kapital, said: “Noxon’s technology platform, which enables human muscles to be both ‘read’ and then stimulated and activated, holds significant potential across a range of applications, particularly in therapy and medical rehabilitation. Based on this approach, conditions that are currently difficult to treat, such as Parkinson’s or paralysis, could be addressed more effectively and gently for patients. This would represent major value for both medical technology and healthcare as a whole, making Noxon a very promising investment.”
