In Sophia Antipolis, Somanity marches for humanity
K. Wenger Published on 06/06/2025 at 10:00, updated on 06/06/2025 at 10:45
In a few days at VivaTech Paris, Mathieu Merian will fulfill the promise he made to himself in 2023 when he founded Somanity in Sophia Antipolis: to get his friend with multiple sclerosis walking again. He intends to achieve this feat by presenting at the tech and startup fair the latest version of the active exoskeleton prototype he's been developing for two years.
"We made changes to the first demonstrator unveiled at the World AI Cannes Festival last February: we made it lighter – it now weighs only 35 kg – " but also reduced the size of the motors that develop 150 Nm of thrust, which allows a person to be vertically lifted. Its batteries offer a battery life of 4 to 6 hours depending on the patient's weight. And suspended from a frame – so no longer touching the ground –, "it can also run on mains power and be used for rehabilitation," adds the 23-year-old entrepreneur.
Give life expectancyBecause the commitment of Somanity and its six employees is to restore mobility to people with motor disabilities or who are hospitalized in intensive care units "to limit bedsores, problems related to the loss of bone density and muscle mass... In short, to give them more life expectancy. We firmly believe that technology must be at the service of humanity." This approach also involves an ultra-low cost of the exoskeleton: 20,000 euros, ten times less than the market price. However, this is not enough for Mathieu Merian, who is aiming for 10,000 euros. "Soon..." With his goal now a few steps away from being reached, what does he plan to do next with the Somanity adventure? The startupper who markets his demonstrators knows that he will not be able to conduct clinical trials and obtain medical validation of his device without help.
"Our business, " he emphasizes, " is above all R&D (research and development), agile and frugal, which allows us to find solutions with limited resources," he notes. "Now that we have proven our engineering capacity, we must establish partnerships with medical distributors and manufacturers..."
Even large companies that have foundations, share its philosophy and that might be interested in the modularity and ultra-customization of the exoskeleton.Equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence systems that improve user interaction, it can be customized to suit your needs. Whether you're traveling on steep terrain or even trail running, it's possible!
This modularity is also of interest to laboratories that use the collected data to conduct research on a wide range of topics at a lower cost. "We hope to find a business model that allows us to be economically reliable, to help people who need it... and to stay in France," emphasizes Mathieu Merian, who admits to having received calls from foreign companies, particularly Swiss ones.
PreventionTo sustain itself financially and complement the medical system, Somanity, which was founded with its own funds and with support from Bpifrance via the French Tech Emergence Grant, launched Somanity Motion at the end of 2024. "This branch distributes and integrates passive exoskeletons which, by reducing loads, prevent musculoskeletal disorders."
The catalog includes several models designed for both B2B and B2C, rigorously selected and tested by doctors and ergonomists. "There is one model for each type of profession, and we also offer consulting services to help companies choose the right ones for them," explains the young entrepreneur, who plans to sell 400 this year. To continue combining technological innovation and social responsibility. And above all, to give patients hope.
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