The bell has rung to celebrate the official listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) of Epiminder; a company set up to translate a medical device for epilepsy, invented at the Bionics Institute with founder Professor Mark Cook, into clinical reality.
Bionics Institute CEO Robert Klupacs says he hasn’t experienced many moments like this in his career in med tech, and he’s proud that the Institute has been a part of the story from the very beginning.
“As a world-renowned neurologist, Professor Mark Cook had a vision: to create a device that monitors seizures in people with epilepsy. He came to the Bionics Institute in 2011 to ask for help because we are world leaders in medical device engineering and product design,” Robert says.
Prof Cook worked closely with Bionics Institute engineers to develop the Minder® system, an implantable device designed to continuously monitor brain activity to provide accurate, long-term data on brain activity that could enable more accurate diagnosis and better-informed treatment decisions.
“There are many people involved in the Epiminder journey, including the amazing research team at the Bionics Institute who developed the device, and Robert Klupacs, who provided the business and commercialisation acumen required to launch Epiminder in 2018 just after he was appointed as CEO of the Institute,” Prof Cook says.
Established in partnership with Cochlear Limited, The University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and private investors, Epiminder achieved the major milestone of FDA approval for the Minder® system in April 2025 under the leadership of Epiminder Board Chair Philip Binns, CEO Dr Rohan Hoare and Founder Prof Cook.
This latest milestone sees the company listed on the ASX at an opening market valuation of $325m after raising $125m in investment to fund a large clinical trial in the US to support the company’s reimbursement strategy.
Robert says this is a wonderful example of the Bionics Institute’s mission coming to life: creating cutting-edge medical devices that transform lives.
“Once our researchers have developed a device, establishment of a spin-off company staffed with experts in regulation, investment and marketing is a necessary step to ensure our innovation reaches patients in the clinic.”
“Everyone at the Bionics Institute is proud to see Epiminder poised to make an impact on the lives of people with epilepsy around the world and motivated to develop new devices for many other conditions in the future,” he says.
More information
Read more about our impact through translation of medical research and commercialisation pipeline here.
“There are many people involved in the Epiminder journey, including the amazing research team at the Bionics Institute who developed the device, and Robert Klupacs, who provided the business and commercialisation acumen required to launch Epiminder in 2018 just after he was appointed as CEO of the Institute,” Professor Mark Cook
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For more than 25 years, Bionics Institute researchers have been supported by a wonderful partnership with the Bertalli Family Foundation.
In November, Neville and Di Bertalli met with Bionics Institute researchers Professor James Fallon, A/Prof Sophie Payne and Dr Tomoko Hyakumura to mark a milestone in this partnership, which has significantly contributed to the development of the Bionics Institute’s abdominal vagus nerve stimulation device that is now in clinical trials for Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and now under investigation as a treatment for epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.
“When we first met James over a decade ago the Institute was embarking on this groundbreaking research. We are delighted to support James, Sophie, Tomoko and the Bionics Institute team to progress their research through to clinical trials, and look forward to seeing many more to come,” he said.
Bionics Institute CEO Robert Klupacs said: “Neville and Di have seen the world benefit from the many leaps forward in medical research, like the cochlear implant. Their passion for ensuring the continued progression of innovative new treatments led to Neville spending many years sharing his extensive business knowledge as a member of the Bionics Institute Board, and their dedication has been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of brilliant minds to transform lives.”
Professor Fallon says: “Neville and Di’s inspiring commitment to helping others through their support of medical research has had a major impact on the Bionics Institute that will last for years to come, and we are very grateful for their support.”
Find out about plans to investigate many more diseases through the Bionics Institute Vagus Nerve Stimulation Centre of Excellence, featured in the video below.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Centre of Excellence at the Bionics Institute
“Neville and Di’s inspiring commitment to helping others through their support of medical research has had a major impact on the Bionics Institute that will last for years to come, and we are very grateful for their support.” Professor James Fallon
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Swinburne and Bionics Institute announce strategic alliance to accelerate medical device research.
The Bionics Institute will partner with Swinburne University of Technology in a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the development of life-changing medical devices.
Swinburne and the Bionics Institute will combine their cutting-edge facilities, scientific expertise and resources to progress medical device innovation into the clinic for the benefit of patients worldwide.
The partnership builds on decades of experience across both organisations. The Bionics Institute (BI) is a world-leading medical research institute with 40 years’ experience in taking medical devices from concept to clinical reality, including the cochlear implant and the epilepsy seizure monitoring device Minder.
Swinburne is a technology and engineering-infused university that has spent a decade investing in medical technology and commercialisation. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pascale Quester says the partnership exemplifies how collaboration can make meaningful change.
“Swinburne and the Bionics Institute are united by a bold vision: to transform lives through innovation,” Professor Quester says.
“The Institute’s pioneering work has already improved lives globally. At Swinburne, we harness technology for impact, and there is no greater impact than advancing patient outcomes through purposeful collaboration.”
BI will gain access to Swinburne’s fundamental research and next-generation facilities. This includes the only single-site human imaging facility in Australia and New Zealand to offer magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Dr Werner van der Merwe, Swinburne Vice-President, Innovation and Enterprise says BI will also benefit from the opportunity to secure commercialisation funding from the university’s investment fund, Swinburne Ventures.
He said: “This opens the door to millions of dollars of investment into spin-off companies commercialising devices and therapies developed at BI, enabling us to create a seamless pathway together to turn breakthrough research into real-world solutions driving change on a global scale.”
BI’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Klupacs says the partnership with Swinburne will provide access to the vital resources and facilities needed to supercharge BI’s research and impact while ensuring BI retains its independence.
“We have long recognised that collaboration maximises our impact on patients’ lives. We’re incredibly excited to build on our existing work with Swinburne spanning optogenetics, neuroimaging and neuromodulation to change the lives of people with challenging medical conditions such as chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy,” he said.
The collaboration will also offer Swinburne’s biomedical engineering and other students real, hands-on experience at the forefront of research, development and innovation.
“We are excited to pair Swinburne’s undergraduate and graduate talent with work under the direction of focused medical research scientists. This will strengthen the pipeline of Australia’s STEM and med tech workforce, create new career opportunities, and ultimately increase the medical device concepts and products we can create,” Prof Quester said.
The partnership comes as Swinburne launches its new strategy, Ad Astra_2030, in which the university will co-create industries of the future through applied research and innovation.
Together, Swinburne and BI will lead and leverage technology to improve lives globally, starting on 1 January 2026.
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Corporate giving isn’t just about writing a cheque, it’s about creating meaningful engagement with customers, staff, and the broader community.
The Bionics Institute’s corporate partners are finding creative new ways to connect purpose with action, and RMS Australia recently delivered a standout example.
Fundraising with a twist
At the 2025 NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Industry Expo, RMS Australia turned their booth into more than a networking space and made it a hub for charitable giving.
Visitors to the RMS stand were invited to “check in for charity” by placing a button into one of several charity boxes, each representing a different cause. For every button dropped, RMS pledged a donation. It was a simple but powerful idea: empower attendees to direct corporate giving and make it interactive.
“Together, we raised $5,000 to support Bionics Institute, Foodbank Australia, Victorian Animal Aid Trust, and Orange Sky Australia, helping change lives (and wagging tails).” – RMS Australia via LinkedIn
This approach gave attendees a voice in the donation process, generated buzz around their booth, and showcased RMS’s commitment to making a real-world difference. From pioneering medical research to food relief, animal welfare, and mobile hygiene services.
How your business can get involved
Your organisation can make a difference too. Whether it’s:
- Hosting an interactive fundraiser like RMS
- Launching a staff giving program
- Sponsoring a specific research campaign
- Setting up workplace giving
The Bionics Institute makes it easy to align your company’s values with cutting-edge medical innovation.
Learn more or explore partnership options here:
bionicsinstitute.org/get-involved/corporate-giving-2025
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We are proud to share that Robert Klupacs, Chief Executive Officer of the Bionics Institute, has been selected as a finalist in the 2025 InnovationAus Innovation Leadership Awards.
These awards recognise leadership excellence in Australia’s innovation ecosystem — celebrating people who can bridge vision and execution, and who inspire teams across disciplines to turn ideas into impact.
Distinguished peer finalists
Robert is one of three finalists in the Innovation Leadership Award category. The other two are:
- Professor Andrew Dzurak (founder & CEO, Diraq) InnovationAus.com
- David Lewis (founder & Managing Director, Mentor List Group) InnovationAus.com
According to InnovationAus publisher Corrie McLeod,
“Innovation is a team game, but there is always an outstanding leader at the helm, driving the project and ensuring its success. Congratulations to each of our finalists in the Innovation Leadership Award category.” InnovationAus.com
Robert’s nomination recognises his unique model for accelerating Australian innovation: a blended approach combining philanthropy, impact investment, and commercial intellectual property licensing.
His nomination statement emphasises that his enduring contribution lies in reshaping thinking within the medical research sector: that commercialisation is not a sideline, but a central path to sustainability, societal benefit, and translational impact.
Dual recognition: Epiminder’s finalist status
Our pride is further amplified by the fact that Epiminder Pty Ltd, founded by Professor Mark Cook AO and developed through collaborative work at the Bionics Institute, is also a finalist in the Health Tech category, for its Minder device. This recognises the strength of our innovation pipeline and partnerships across academia, hospitals, and industry.
The winners of the 2025 InnovationAus Awards will be announced on 27 November.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Robert, the Epiminder team, and all fellow finalists. Their leadership and ingenuity are driving the future of medical technology in Australia, and we are honoured to be part of that journey.
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At the Bionics Institute, we’re proud to be partnering with Crohn’s & Colitis Australia and Arthritis Australia to ensure the technology we develop is useful and addresses unmet needs by hearing about the lived experiences of people with the conditions.
These partnerships mark a major step forward, creating formal consumer collaborations where people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease or rheumatoid arthritis provide direct input into what we build, how trials are designed, and what outcomes matter most.
With consumer involvement, we hope to:
- Design devices that are useful and address unmet needs
- Define trials that are as inclusive and accessible as possible
- Provide educational platforms with information about our technology
The science behind the collaboration
We’re developing abdominal vagus nerve stimulation devices aimed at reducing inflammation in Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. These small implants stimulate the vagus nerve to activate the body’s own anti-inflammatory response.
For Crohn’s disease, one of our devices is already being used by a clinical trial participant following bowel resection surgery.
For rheumatoid arthritis, we’re designing a similar device to help reduce chronic joint inflammation and have just commenced an initial clinical trial.
These innovations are led by Professor James Fallon and Associate Professor Sophie Payne, in collaboration with researchers from Austin Health, the Florey Institute and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
A pivotal shift toward individual-focused innovation
Setting up formal partnerships with Crohn’s & Colitis Australia and Arthritis Australia is a milestone in embedding lived experience into our research programs. It ensures that our technologies are useful and effective for as many people as possible.
By listening first and designing with those with lived experience, we’re moving closer to smarter, more effective treatments.
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We are delighted to announce the appointment of Hannah Crawford as Interim Chair of the Bionics Institute Board.
Hannah has been an integral part of our governance team for several years as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Finance & Risk Committee. Her leadership, financial acumen and strategic expertise have been instrumental in supporting the Institute’s growth and ensuring robust oversight across all areas of operation.
She brings to this new role a wealth of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and organisational governance. Hannah began her career in chartered accounting with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young, and later spent over a decade at Grant Samuel, advising both listed and unlisted companies on strategic financial decisions.
In addition to her work with the Bionics Institute, Hannah currently serves as Chair of Local Guardians, Non-Executive Director of Confoil Australia & New Zealand, and a member of the Finance and Audit Committee of Melbourne Grammar School. She has also held directorships with Alfred Health, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, and Neurosciences Victoria.
Her appointment as Interim Chair comes at an exciting time for the Bionics Institute, as we continue to expand the impact of our research and innovation in hearing, vision, neurological and chronic health conditions.
I am incredibly privileged to step into the role of Interim Chair of the Bionics Institute. Since becoming involved with the Institute in 2022, I have been continually astounded by the extraordinary work of our research team. It is an honour to help lead an Institute dedicated to transforming the lives of people living with challenging health conditions, and I am excited to contribute to shaping its future.
Hannah’s deep knowledge of our organisation and her passion for health and medical research make her ideally positioned to guide the Institute through this transition period. The Board is confident that her leadership will help steer the Institute through our next phase of development and discovery.
We thank Hannah for stepping into this vital leadership role and look forward to working closely with her as we continue delivering on our mission to improve lives through medical bionics.
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Support Us
Invest in groundbreaking research to relieve chronic pain.
Donate nowWilliam’s Story
William hangs on to a vision of a future life…
One where he is free of pain from a ski accident two years ago… which left him with a paralysed arm and a constant agonising burning sensation.
One where he can throw himself into his work instead of often leaving when the pain gets too much for him to bear.
William hurt his arm in a skiing accident that led to a traumatic brachial plexus injury. Despite surgeries, medication, and attempts at alternative therapies, nothing has worked to relieve it.
“It’s a cruel thing, I’m grieving the arm… the pain is number one because it’s day in, day out… it’s hard to look down the track and stay positive”
William shouldn’t have to live with this pain forever. Especially when a pain-free life may be possible with groundbreaking new research.
New hybrid nerve stimulation to relieve chronic pain
Specific cells are genetically modified to respond to light. This means we can target these cells (and only them!) with light. Our researchers are combining light and electrical current for highly targeted control of nerve activity that can be turned up to a higher level. This could mean more pain relief… and the potential of no negative side effects!
Help fund pioneering research
Chronic pain affects a staggering 1 in 4 people worldwide. Opioids, commonly prescribed for pain conditions, give inconsistent and often inadequate relief of symptoms, and can lead to serious side-effects, addiction, and overdose.
Caring researchers like Professor Rachael Richardson are pioneering a life-changing therapy. It’s called hybrid nerve stimulation – a world-first combination of light therapy and electrical stimulation.
This technique uses genetic modification to target pain signals without disrupting the surrounding nerves. It’s unlike current devices, which can activate the wrong nerves and cause spasms, shocks, or fail to work at all.
Your kind and thoughtful matched gift today will help move this research forward, bringing hope to millions suffering in chronic pain.
Watch our 2-min pitch about this research
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Want to support the future of research like this?
The progress of life-changing treatments are only made possible by donations from our supporters. Your support today could give those with chronic pain hope of a pain-free future.
Find out how you can support research innovation here.
The Bionics Institute hosted a special Celebration Event in Melbourne’s CBD, bringing together key supporters, stakeholders, and esteemed guests, including Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, to mark a defining moment in the Institute’s journey.
This significant occasion honoured the remarkable leadership of Mr John Stanhope AM, who is retiring after an extraordinary 10 years as Chair of the Board.
During his engaging speech, The Lord Mayor highlighted the central role of medical research in powering Melbourne’s economy and recognised John Stanhope’s outstanding contribution to the City of Melbourne through his leadership across major institutions and commended his influence on the Bionics Institute’s growth and success.
John Stanhope, during his tenure, guided the Institute through a period of transformative growth, establishing it as a global leader in bionic technologies and medical research.
Under John’s strategic leadership, the Bionics Institute has made groundbreaking advancements in treating hearing loss, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, arthritis, and chronic pain. His vision helped drive the creation of four spin-out companies, including Epiminder, which received FDA approval for the Minder device developed at the Bionics Institute in April 2025.
John’s wealth of experience, including his roles as Group Managing Director of Telstra, Executive Director of the Telstra Board, Chairman of Australia Post, and current Chancellor of Deakin University, has been instrumental in shaping the Institute’s direction and amplifying its impact.
The event also served as a heartfelt thank-you to the Institute’s loyal donors and supporters, whose generosity fuels ongoing innovation and research. Their contributions continue to power the development of life-changing treatments and ensure a lasting legacy of hope for future generations.
As we celebrated past achievements and looked to the future, the event stood as a testament to the power of visionary leadership, scientific excellence, and community support in transforming lives through bionic medicine.
Read more about our research here: https://www.bionicsinstitute.org/our-research/
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Bionics Institute PhD candidate Ethan Duff has been awarded a Cybec Foundation scholarship to progress his studies in the development of a device that could provide a new type of treatment for chronic pain.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Cybec Foundation for this generous scholarship,” Ethan said.
“This support will enable me to continue pursuing our promising investigations into pain signal transmission.”
Ethan is supervised by Professor Rachael Richardson, who leads the team in investigating the use of optogenetic techniques to selectively activate or suppress nerve activity.
Optogenetics is a technique that uses light to control the activity of nerve cells and can be combined with electricity to stimulate nerves in the development of new therapies for conditions such as hearing loss and chronic pain.
Ethan’s PhD studies involve using light-sensitive proteins to alter the transmission of pain signals before they reach the central nervous system, paving the way for a novel therapy for chronic pain that is more targeted than existing therapies.
“Chronic pain affects 1 in 4 people worldwide, and current medications are often inadequate,” he said.
“Developing a therapy that reduces the reliance on pain medications could have a huge impact on individuals living with chronic pain.”
To find out more about this research, go to: https://www.bionicsinstitute.org/our-research/autoimmune-and-chronic-disease/a-drug-free-approach-to-relieve-chronic-pain/