San Francisco
Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, has secured an additional $43 million in venture capital, as per a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The filing revealed an increase in the company’s previous funding tranche, led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, from $280 million to $323 million in early August, with the participation of thirty-two investors. Although Neuralink’s current valuation hasn’t been disclosed recently, reports from June suggested a valuation of approximately $5 billion following privately executed stock trades. Founded in 2016, Neuralink has developed a device resembling a sewing machine capable of implanting ultra-thin threads inside the brain, connected to a custom-designed chip with electrodes for reading data from groups of neurons. In September, Neuralink announced the recruitment of its first test subjects for human trials, aiming to assist individuals with paralysis in controlling devices through a wireless brain-computer interface. The PRIME Study (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) focuses on evaluating the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s implant and surgical robot.
