Science Corp., led by former Neuralink president Max Hodda, is advancing brain‑computer interface technology through two main avenues. The company has refined the Prima retinal implant, originally acquired from Pixium Vision, and is completing clinical trials that show most patients regain functional reading ability. At the same time, Science Corp. is developing bio‑hybrid neural interfaces that grow engineered neurons on a wafer‑like device to augment brain function. Both efforts aim to create commercially viable medical products while laying groundwork for longer‑term goals such as optogenetic gene therapy and large‑scale neural augmentation. Read more →

Nephrogen, a biotech startup founded by Stanford graduate Demetri Maxim, is developing an AI‑driven delivery system for gene‑editing medicines aimed at treating polycystic kidney disease (PKD). After a personal battle with PKD, Maxim combined insights from a 2021 Nature study with advanced screening to create a vehicle that is claimed to be 100 times more efficient than existing FDA‑approved options. The company, a finalist in TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield, is seeking a $4 million seed round to move its delivery platform and a companion drug into clinical trials, potentially as early as 2027. Read more →

Sam Altman is preparing to launch a brain‑computer interface startup, Merge Labs, alongside co‑founder Alex Blania. The company has recruited Caltech biomolecular engineer Mikhail Shapiro to its founding team and is expected to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from OpenAI and other investors. Merge Labs aims to develop non‑invasive neural technologies that use ultrasound and gene‑editing techniques, positioning itself as a contrast to more invasive approaches such as Neuralink. Altman has publicly expressed a preference for read‑only, non‑surgical interfaces that could let users interact with AI systems like ChatGPT directly with thought. Read more →