Lifescapes

About Lifescapes

Lifescapes Inc. is a medical technology company that spun out of Keio University, focused on addressing severe hand paralysis in patients post-stroke. Founded in May 2018 by Junichi Ushiba, a professor at Keio University's Faculty of Science and Technology, the company is built on over a decade of world-class Brain-Machine Interface (BMI/BCI) research from Ushiba's lab. Professor Ushiba, who has an extensive background in neuroscience and rehabilitation medicine, leads the company as President and CEO, combining his academic research with a drive for social implementation. The management team includes professionals with experience in healthcare business development, sales, and marketing, such as Vice President Masaaki Hayashi, who joined in 2021 after a career at DeNA Co., Ltd. and earning his doctorate in BMI research.

The company develops and commercializes neurorehabilitation medical devices based on its BCI technology. Its core product, the LIFESCAPES Medical BCI, is designed for patients with severe hand paralysis, a condition for which effective treatments have been limited. The system consists of a headphone-type electroencephalograph that measures the patient's brainwaves, a tablet with software to detect motor intention, a robotic orthosis for the hand, and an electrical stimulation component. When a patient imagines moving their paralyzed hand, the BCI detects this intention from brain signals and activates the robotic orthosis to assist the movement, while simultaneously applying electrical stimulation to the corresponding muscle. This process provides precise feedback to the brain, aiming to leverage neural plasticity to reconstruct the neural circuits connecting the brain and fingers. Clinical reports have shown that patients using the BCI for as little as two weeks experienced significant improvement in hand motor function.

Lifescapes operates on a B2B model, selling its medical devices to healthcare institutions such as acute care hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In Japan, the device has received medical device certification, and the company has applied for public insurance coverage to increase accessibility. As of June 2024, the device became eligible for insurance reimbursement, which is expected to lower the economic barrier for medical institutions and accelerate adoption. The company is also developing business models for private-pay services to cater to a broader range of patients. Lifescapes has successfully raised capital to fuel its growth, including a JPY 600 million funding round in June 2026. These funds are allocated to advance clinical trials in Japan and drive global expansion, with a strong focus on the ASEAN and North American markets. The company has already secured regulatory approval in Malaysia and established its first overseas implementation, marking a significant step in its global strategy.