Meet the Unlimited: Team eBionics from North Macedonia

Globally, millions of people suffer from upper limb deficiencies, which can affect physical and mental health and inhibit people from leading productive lives. Prosthetic arms and artificial limbs can vastly improve the ability of people living with upper limb disabilities to be independent and engage in daily activities. But prosthetic limbs are expensive, need to be routinely replaced because of wear and tear, and are therefore out of reach for millions of people across the globe.

Driven by a deep desire to create affordable solutions for people with disabilities, 17-year-old Boris Nocheski, 17-year-old Anamaria Ilieva, 16-year-old Teo Kitanovski, and 17-year-old Orhan Bahashov are using 3D printing technology to create a user-friendly bionic arm that is 1/30th of the price of existing prosthetics. And it can “grow” with children!

The eBionics ‘VenusArm’ is 30 times cheaper than the second cheapest bionic arm in the market. This is because Boris and his team do not charge for shipping or labor, or pay profits to suppliers. The VenusArm allows anyone with access to a 3D printer to print the bionic arm themselves within just a short hour, using the instructions made available on the eBionics website. The team have also provided options to purchase the individual parts from third-party sellers to assemble the arm themselves.

Let's hear from the team-members about what inspired them to create their venture!

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Boris: I’m Boris and I’m the operations administrator of the team. Together, with Orhan and Teo, we are eBionics from North Macedonia, and we make bionic arms, which will help people with upper-limb deficiency go about their activities and live a fulfilling live.

Orhan: Our mission is to provide an option for a bionic arm for everyone in the world. Therefore, we created the most affordable bionic arm on the market. It is a product that will be packed with smart features to make it easy to use and adjust. It will also cost just a small fraction of the bionic arms currently available on the market and the customer will be able to get it with just a few clicks on the Internet.

Teo: We are the global winners of the Generation Unlimited – Youth Challenge, which really helped us develop our product and follow our mission. It was the event where everything started. We were delighted to be part of the challenge, since we learned a lot of new things that will help us sustain our idea and business.

Boris: Our inspiration are the people in the developing countries who need our help and need a fully functional and affordable bionic arm. Also, as young enthusiasts, we can enter the industry with fresh ideas, in an industry that is currently led by traditional outdated technologies and business models. Our advantage is the opportunity to feel how the technology and the needs of the new generations will move in the future.

Orhan: Our message to the youth is to follow their ideas and try to implement them, no matter how crazy they might sound. You just need to feel where the success will come from. Every idea can accomplished if you work hard on it, with the right people around you.

You can read the full eBionics feature story here!