The inspiring journey of a Tunisian startup revolutionizing prosthetics

A university project that sparked a life-changing innovation

Cure Bionics was born from a university project at the Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sousse (ENISo) in Tunisia. Mohamed Dhaouafi and his fellow engineering students were working on an innovation challenge when they learned about a teammate's cousin who was born without arms. Her family planned to wait until she turned 20 to afford her first prosthetic limb.

This reality opened their eyes to the high cost, discomfort and inaccessibility of prosthetics, especially for children in developing regions. Determined to change this, the team began developing a bionic hand.

After graduation, the team dissolved and only Mohamed remained committed to the mission. Instead of abandoning the project, he made it his graduation thesis and built the first prototype. With no funding and limited resources, he worked tirelessly to refine the design, taking on side jobs while applying for grants to support his research.

Building a startup against all odds

In November 2018, Mohamed officially launched Cure Bionics. A year later, he received the Startup Act label, a Tunisian government recognition that provided critical support. With this, he hired his first employee in 2020 and set up a small office at his university. Despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued iterating on their designs, refining the technology and ensuring the prosthetic hand met international standards.

The Cure Bionics prosthetic hand is lightweight, adjustable and muscle-controlled, making it easier for users to adapt. Unlike traditional prosthetics that require frequent socket replacements as children grow, the design is modular and adjustable, significantly reducing long-term costs.

International recognition and impact

Through perseverance, Cure Bionics has gained global recognition. The company secured major grants, including $75,000 from the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge and the Investing in Innovation (i3) program by the Gates Foundation. Mohamed was honored as an MIT Innovator Under 35, a Forbes 30 Under 30 and a TIME Next Generation Leader. The startup has also been featured in Forbes, Reuters, BBC and AFP.

Today, Cure Bionics has achieved a significant milestone: CE certification, allowing it to expand internationally. The company is set to launch its prosthetic arm commercially, making it one of the few African-made, internationally certified bionic prosthetics.

A future of possibilities

From a small university project to a groundbreaking healthtech startup, the Cure Bionics journey is a testament to innovation, resilience and social impact. The vision is not just about creating prosthetic limbs. It is about empowering people, breaking barriers and ensuring that no child has to wait decades for a second chance at life. As the company scales up, it continues to prove that technology can be a force for good, and that game-changing solutions can come from anywhere in the world.