Accelerating Possibility: Inside Our Third Toyota Tech Immersion

By Kate Jenkins, Head of Community and Partnerships
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On 19 and 20 May 2025, five Remarkable startups and one Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) Research Institute project gathered at the Toyota Centre of Excellence in Melbourne for our third Toyota Tech Immersion.

This ongoing series, powered by our unique partnership with Toyota, is more than a collaboration - it’s a launchpad for inclusive innovation. Since Toyota joined Remarkable as a Supporting Partner in early 2024, we’ve held a Tech Immersion every six months. Each one has helped fast-track mobility-focused innovations that make a real difference in the lives of people with disability.
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A Unique Innovation Experience

The Toyota Tech Immersion offers something completely unique: the opportunity for startups to work directly with world-class Toyota engineers and designers. Over two immersive days our Remarkable startups experience a blend of technical collaboration, strategic design input, and relationship-building.

The May Immersion began with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Toyota’s operations, revealing their cutting-edge processes. The highlight? Getting behind the wheel of Toyota’s top-of-the-line models for an unforgettable test drive experience—showcasing the pinnacle of their hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Day two was all about innovation in action. Through facilitated “Kaizen” workshops (Japanese for continuous improvement), Toyota’s engineers and designers worked directly with each team to unpack product challenges and co-design solutions. Ideas flowed, solutions emerged, and momentum built—fast.

The support doesn’t end after two days—Toyota continues to work with Remarkable post-immersion, providing tailored follow-up support to help our startups bring their innovations to life.

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Meet the Teams

This immersion brought together a dynamic cohort of founders, each tackling complex mobility challenges:

• AidMotion - Tom Cronin & Wayne Wu (Launcher 2024) - Redesigning the traditional four-wheel walker with intuitive movement and 3D-printed brakes to support safer mobility for older adults and people with disabilities.
• Leggera Lift – Tony Arena & Dave Ingerson (Launcher 2025) - Making bath time safer and more accessible for children with mobility challenges and their parents through their innovative bath lift design.
• Rampey – Jay Davey - Automating coverage of platform gaps and steps at train stations to make public transport safer and more accessible for all.
• RehabExo – Vaheh Nazari & Monzurul Alam (Launcher 2024) - Creators of the RehabExoSuit, a “superhero suit” designed to restore mobility in children with paralysis.
• PhantasiAI – Roberto Salamanca Giron (Launcher 2025) - Using AI-powered neurorehabilitation to restore lower limb mobility with a personalised, 24/7 electronic companion.
• Soft Robotics Exoskeleton Project – Matthew Lin & Professor Alistair McEwan (CPA & University of Sydney) - Developing a soft robotics walker with silicone-based connectors to enhance exoskeleton function and longevity.

Special shout-out to Roberto from PhantasiAI, who travelled from Montreal, Canada, for less than 72 hours on the ground in Melbourne just to take part in the immersion. Now that’s dedication! 

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The Impact

The impact was immediate and tangible. Here’s what some of our participating teams had to say:

Working closely with Toyota experts gave us clarity and actionable next steps—we left feeling significantly advanced.

– AidMotion

The direct, hands-on collaboration and Toyota's structured approach accelerated our prototyping and development beyond expectations.

– RehabExo

Invaluable insights into lean manufacturing helped refine our approach to production.

– Leggera Lift

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Toyota x Remarkable: A Shared Value Partnership

This partnership is one of a kind.

Toyota not only provides annual financial support, they also make available thousands of skilled hours across engineering, systems, design, and manufacturing disciplines.

What makes this collaboration unique is the shared value it creates:

• Remarkable startups gain tailored technical support, access to world-class tools, and real-time problem solving.
• ‍Toyota deepens its understanding of mobility needs, strengthens inclusive design capabilities, and connects its teams to impactful, real-world innovation.

Through three Toyota Tech Immersions, 17 mobility-focused disability tech startup projects across Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the USA have been fast-tracked—powered by over 2,400 hours of Toyota’s world-class engineering, design, and systems expertise.

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Join the Next Toyota Tech Immersion

Building A Mobility Hardware Solution?

We're seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for our next Toyota Tech Immersion scheduled for 13-14 November 2025.

To learn more or apply visit our blog here.

Submit your EOI by 30 July 2025.