From Personal Mission to Medical Innovation

In 2018, Jeremiah Robison faced a deeply personal challenge that would transform his career path. His daughter, born three months premature, had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that made it difficult for her to walk and move like other children. For Robison, a veteran of the tech industry who had worked at the intersection of computing and the human body throughout his career, this became a calling to create something revolutionary.

"If not me, who, and if not now, when?" This question drove Robison to start building wearable prototypes in his garage that could track neuromuscular signaling and movement.

CIONIC’s flagship product, the Neural Sleeve, is an FDA-cleared wearable garment controlled by a mobile app, allowing users to customize and manage their mobility treatment, gain insight into their progress, meet face-to-face with CIONIC mobility experts through a telehealth portal, and share data with their healthcare team. The Neural Sleeve uses a dense array of sensors to measure the firing patterns of individual muscles and the resultant position of the leg during movement. Algorithms running on the sleeve analyze this data in real-time to predict intended movement and determine optimal muscle activation patterns, and then the system delivers Functional Electrical Stimulation to sequence proper muscle firing for natural movement, updating with every step the wearer takes. The Neural Sleeve is indicated to improve walking and strength for upper motor neuron conditions (cerebral palsy, post-stroke, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury), and is now in Series A rounds.

The Path to Investment

As the company prepared to bring their product to market, they connected with JobsOhio Growth Capital through an unexpected channel - their commercialization team based at the Cleveland Clinic. This relationship proved to be more valuable than initially anticipated.

"We were really impressed with a couple of things that seem unique to them versus other government type organizations," Robison explains. "Their speed - they're very fast compared to other institutional investors. They did their diligence, but they did it swiftly and brought in the right people."

The Ohio Advantage

While Silicon Valley is often seen as the epicenter of technology innovation, Robison points out that medical technology follows a different pattern. "Our industry is special," he notes. "You have centers of excellence within medicine that don't necessarily exist in the valley."

This regional strength has proven particularly valuable as they navigate the complexities of medical device commercialization. Ohio's unique combination of leading medical institutions, academic research centers, and established healthcare infrastructure creates what Robison calls "a good litmus test" for their product as they work through the reimbursement process.

The Value of Regional Investment

Robison offers an interesting perspective on regional investment that challenges conventional wisdom. "It's never as shiny as it seems," he says, referring to big-name coastal venture capital. "What makes great capital is people willing to roll up their sleeves, and JobsOhio has already shown that."

Looking Forward

The company is in full commercialization mode with over 2,000 Neural Sleeves sold to the patients in US-wide, a significant milestone in their journey from garage-based prototype to an FDA-cleared rapidly scaling medical device. This represents not just a business achievement, but progress toward their mission of helping people with mobility challenges live more independent lives.

For Robison, this mission remains deeply personal while growing increasingly impactful. Each step forward represents new possibilities for his daughter and countless others facing similar challenges. It's a powerful reminder that some of the most transformative innovations come from founders who are driven not just by market opportunity, but by personal purpose.

In Ohio, they've found the right combination of medical expertise, institutional support, and strategic investment to help turn this vision into reality. It's a testament to the potential of regional innovation ecosystems when they play to their unique strengths rather than trying to replicate Silicon Valley's model.

Learn more about the JobsOhio Growth Capital Fund.