Karla Bionics

Founded by Arief Indra Muharam (CEO & Co-Founder) with Wildan Trusaji (Co-Founder) and Fisti Eliana Barezki (Chief of Social Innovation) , Karla Bionics builds prosthetic arm solutions designed for one clear goal: helping people with limb differences become “Proud-Active” —proud and productive again.

The team’s approach is grounded in “appropriate technology”: not the most sophisticated solution on paper, but the one that is accessible, human-centered, and actually fits the realities of Indonesia and other emerging markets.

What are they building?

Karla Bionics develops wearable assistive devices, with a focus on arm prostheses designed to be functional, aesthetic, and accessible—built with users, not just for users. Their solutions prioritize real daily function, supported by a participatory design approach where the team builds and iterates closely with users, personalizing based on feedback and needs.

Karla also champions a design philosophy that encourages users to embrace their condition rather than hide it—supporting dignity and confidence—while pairing devices with support pathways such as training and opportunity linkages where possible.

The why?

Team Karla Bionics | CYBATHLON 2023

Karla Bionics began with a belief that still guides the company: technology only becomes empowering when it’s appropriate .

Arief shares that he co-founded Karla with his best friend since junior high, Wildan—an engineer who wanted to use technology to help people who often get excluded from development. Wildan’s foundation is “appropriate technology” (inspired by the “Small is Beautiful” idea): instead of chasing complex, high-end solutions, Karla focuses on building tech that is accessible, humanized, and empowering in real contexts.

One story captures what that looks like in practice: Kang Yayat , Karla’s first ever user. Yayat lost his arm in a work accident. The team built a prosthetic arm with him, listened closely to every piece of feedback, and didn’t stop at the device. Arief shares that Yayat’s quality of life improved significantly—he told them he felt seen and valued again , and that he didn’t feel “less as a human being anymore.” He started playing drums again and went on to represent Indonesia in international competitions.

That is what “Proud-Active” means to Karla: not only restoring function, but restoring confidence and a future.

SEED Inclusivity Program Journey

Karla described SIGMA as an “artificial assistant” that helps them think systematically —not to replace founder thinking, but to structure it. When they input the real challenges of the organization, SIGMA helped provide a clearer roadmap and structure for overcoming those challenges.

They also described SEED Inclusivity as a “whole package” experience—thoughtful not only toward business growth, but toward founders as human beings.

Recent Achievements

Publicly positioned as a Bandung-based assistive technology startup and a spin-off from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)

Participation and results in CYBATHLON Challenges , including documented international placements involving Karla’s pilots and devices

Continued development of arm prosthesis innovations and product iterations (including models publicly described by Karla and ITB channels)

Public campaigns and storytelling around disability pride and visibility (e.g., “Proud-Active” narrative and user-led representation)

“After we built his prosthetic together, he told us he felt seen and valued again—he didn’t feel less as a human being anymore. Now he’s playing drums and won an international competition representing Indonesia. That’s what we call ‘proud active.’”

— Arief Indra Muharam, CEO & Co-Founder