Neurotech Notables #31: May 1-15, 2025
New Partnership Bonanza
Hello Dear Readers,
This weekend edition includes: Some big funding news, new coverage decisions for neurotech reimbursement, a emergence of a new BCI startup, and upcoming events and opportunities for entrepreneurs.
What else? Several notable company blogs and solid roundup pieces, as well as ethics discussions, cool videos, regulatory rumbles, and research papers worth a click.
As we saunter into the summer, the big trend on display this last two weeks is numerous high-profile partnerships in BCI that blur research and industry, in important signals of progress. I’m also excited to announce two (!) new partners supporting this newsletter: Datwyler Group and Card79.
See more about these wonderful firms here and read their updates below.
Other Updates
🖤 I’ll be taking part-time leave from work for a few weeks. This shouldn’t impact Notables production much, but I will be slow with email and other projects through June. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
🌎Founder & Investor Poll: Our survey to gauge impact of US federal changes on neurotech startups’ EU strategy is still open for global founders and investors! Please weigh and share with your network.
💼 Register Interest: Neurotech Job Board! Startups and investors who plan to hire neurotech roles this year: Share interest and input to support the creation of a Job Board. Let’s build the future together.
👋🏽 Hi, I’m Naveen. I believe brain health is human health. You are one of the 2,440 readers of my biweekly reports on emerging neurotech markets.
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NANS
Register today for Neural Interfaces 2025! Join me in Arlington next month and help me think about the future of neural interfaces. Please note that the mixer event has been cancelled for personal reasons.
TTP
DeviceTalks Boston 2025: Key themes shaping the future of MedTech - Read more.
Datwyler
Boosting wearable application with SoftPulse™ soft dry electrodes
Datwyler announces strategic partnership with BIOPAC, the world leader in life science data recording (BioPac)
Card79
Exploring the Potential of Brain-Computer Interfaces: A Reflection on SXSW - Read More.
Funding
ClearPoint Neuro Announces Investment of up to $110 Million (ClearPoint Neuro)
Note: I mistakenly shared that Cognito Therapeutics raised $196M in March (SEC). This was not new funding, but a financial redomiciliation.
Spark Biomedical Secures $15M Series A To Advance Drug-Free Wearable Neurostimulation Therapies (Globe Newswire)
Inbrain Awarded $4m to Accelerate BCI Development (Yahoo Finance)
Mindspire raises £850,000 in pre-seed funding from SFC Capital, SyndicateRoom, Innovate UK to launch SONA (LinkedIn)
“medical grade” vagus nerve stimulation “to help people reduce stress, sharpen focus, and recover faster”
HOPE Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Signing of Term Sheet for $7.8 Million Debt Financing to Fuel HOPE Clinic Acquisitions (PR Newswire)
Verily nets $14.7M Michael J. Fox Foundation grant for personalized Parkinson’s data (Fierce Biotech)
US National Science Foundation funds ‘Vulcan mind meld’ technology with $600k grant (Robotics and Automation News)
Corundum Convergence Institute Awards Research Grant for Novel Use of Brain Stimulation Technique to Combat Fatigue and Enhance Brain Function During Sleep (PR Newswire)
Skybrain Neurotech awarded $50,000 grant from BGI Nexus for “Productivity EEG-AI Agents” project (LinkedIn)
a2 collective announces $6.5m in new funding to 4th cohort of 27 new pilot projects at intersection of AI x Aging (a2)
Source: a2 collective
Commercial
Synchron To Achieve First Native Brain-Computer Interface Integration with iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro (BusinessWire)
Blackrock Neurotech nows offer Cognixion’s Axon-R wearable BCI + AR platform to its network of research institutions (Cognixion)
Axoft makes Fleuron BCI material available for purchase, inks license deal with Stanford (Mass Device)
GrayMatters Health Expands Mental Health Solutions Portfolio with Launch of Prism™ Suite (PR Newswire)
NeuroOne Appoints Renowned Neurosurgeon Dr. Parag Patil as Chief Medical Advisor (Morningstar)
Firefly Neuroscience Achieves Multi-Fold Database, IP Portfolio, and Commercial Footprint Expansion Through Acquisition of Evoke Neuroscience, Inc. (GlobeNewswire)
Good exit for Evoke…but what are your thoughts on Firefly’s viability?
IBX Medicare Advantage Members Gain Access to Virtual Brain Health and Dementia Support (HIT Consultant)
Anthem Approves Coverage for Implantable Device to Treat Chronic Low Back Pain (International Neuromodulation Society)
HistoSonics Secures First Major Insurance Coverage for Non-Invasive Histotripsy Treatment for Liver Tumors With BCBS of Michigan (BusinessWire)
Helius Medical Technologies Inc. Announces Reimbursement by UHC (GlobeNewswire)
Tivic adds new vagus nerve stim patent (MassDevice)
Regulatory
KNoW Biological Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation (Yahoo)
LivaNova submits nerve stim for sleep apnea to FDA, raises 2025 guidance (MassDevice)
RebrAIn Secures MDR Certification, Strengthening Strategic Commitment to Personalized Neurosurgical Treatment Plans (BusinessWire)
American Brain Coalition leads visit to 14 congressional offices - including members of the Appropriations Committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Senate HELP Committee (LinkedIn | Recap)
Brain Data Companies Brace for Patchwork of Privacy Regulations (Bloomberg)
“State and federal lawmakers worried about data misuse, manipulation, and even “brain-control weaponry” want to restrict how neurotechnology companies ranging from Elon Musk‘s NeuroLink Ltd. to makers of brain-health wearables collect and use brain-related data” - Lumping EEG wearables together with implanted medical devices to “regulate neural data companies” is shortsighted and disingenuous. If you feel strongly on either side of this, do reach out.
Industry
Building Safe Implantable Devices (Neuralink Blog)
Our Journey (NeuroHarmonics) - Speaking of solid blogs…
Cahira emerges from stealth with job postings (Cahira)
Nalu Announces Publication of the Largest Long-Term Report of Real-World Data (RWD) on a Permanent PNS Device (Business Wire)
Vagus Nerve Stimulator battles drug resistant depression and more (Brain2Mind)
Stimvia Graduates from NYU Stern's Elite Accelerator, Targets U.S. Market with Breakthrough Bladder Therapy (PR Newswire)
CEFALY to Demonstrate Its Migraine Treatment Device at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting (PR Newswire)
SynBioBeta Recap post of “The Neural Frontier: Pioneering Tomorrow's Brain Technologies” (LinkedIn)
UCSF announces Edward Chang appointment to National Academy of Sciences (X)
Northwell Health opens Center for Bioelectronic Medicine (Northwell)
New York BCI Symposium announces second annual gathering, October 3–4, 2025 at The New York Academy of Medicine in NYC (LinkedIn)
LunOSA wins Minnesota Neuromodulation Symposium Pitch Competition for OSA tech (LinkedIn)
Syntropic begins clinical study for Intermittent White Light Stimulation (IWLS) in Major Depressive Disorder (LinkedIn)
Durability of clinical benefit with Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT) in treatment-resistant depression (Brain Stimulation Journal)
Vagus Nerve Stimulator battles drug resistant depression and more (From Brain to Mind)
Health Rounds: Procedure that delivers electric pulses to intestine improves type 2 diabetes (Reuters)
“The 51 mostly overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the trial of the Endogenex Pulsed Electric Field System known as ReCET, showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and pancreas beta cell function at 12 weeks, with improvements persisting at 48 weeks, the researchers reported.”
May 29th Event: Foundational Models Panel (Braingels)
Brainwave - April Wrap-up (Ryan Tosh)
Neural networking (Rock Health)
Neurotech.TV
Ben Stecher: How a new ‘smart’ therapy is pushing boundaries for Parkinson’s patients (LinkedIn)
Marques Brownlee reviews Psyionic’s Bionic Hand (Youtube | LinkedIn)
YC Startup Building a Foundation Model for the Brain - Piramidal AI Co-Founder Kris Pahuja (Dynamic Neurotech)
ONWARD: Skull, spine implants helping paralyzed patients walk or move their arms (60 Minutes)
Sorry, we left an implant in your brain (Vox)
Society
Jeremy Renner and the Science of Extraordinary Near-Death Experiences (The New York Times)
Why the 21st-century neuroscientist needs to be neuroethically engaged (The Transmitter)
Neurotech’s Dark Side: Senators Demand Action on Brain Data Exploitation (Captain Compliance)
Neurotechnology in Canada Raises Questions About Indigenous Rights (Medical Xpress)
How the Israeli Army plans to turn its Sci-fi dreams into reality (Haaretz)
I couldn’t immediately track down the source document, but the excerpts are fascinating: “To maintain its technological edge, DDR&D periodically issues calls for proposals to companies and startups, inviting them to offer innovative solutions to the complex challenges facing modern militaries. One such call, recently published: "Sensory Enhancement." Among other things, the ministry is seeking technologies to "expand the sensory spectrum" beyond the natural human range, using external devices like lenses or headphones. "These could include wearable, implantable (minimally invasive), or environmental solutions that interface with sensory organs or physiological systems to improve and enhance human sensing – vision, hearing, touch, and more."
Three technologies that can change the world (Comment is Freed)
Neuroethics Magazine: Issue 2 – Global Neuroethics (International Neuroethics Society)
Research
Landmark experiment sheds new light on the origins of consciousness (Allen Institute)
How and why the brain’s division across hemispheres matters (Picower Institute, MIT)
Visual cortical thickness increases with prolonged artificial vision restoration (Cerebral Cortex)
Pragmatic Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Brain Stimulation)
Far-field electric potentials provide access to the output from the spinal cord from wrist-mounted sensors (Journal of Neural Engineering)
Tracking single neurons in the human brain reveals new insight into language and other human-specific functions (The Transmitter)
The Future of Brain Activity Monitoring May Look Like a Strand of Hair (Penn State University)
Animal models in brain–computer interface research (Nature Reviews Bioengineering)
‘A very exciting day’: Canadian design may revolutionize the way ALS is treated (CTV News | LinkedIn)
SpecTech applications due June 16! (Spec-Tech)
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📲 connect and collaborate with me here! email | LinkedIn | X | bluesky