Elon Musk’s brain-tech startup Neuralink has raised $600 million in a major funding round, catapulting its pre-money valuation to $9 billion, as the company pushes the boundaries of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
Although details about the investors remain undisclosed, earlier reports from U.S. media outlet Semafor noted the company was eyeing $500 million at a valuation of $8.5 billion, indicating strong market confidence in the company’s vision.
Founded in 2016 by Musk alongside a team of neuroscientists and robotics experts, San Francisco-based Neuralink is developing implantable chips that enable direct interaction between the human brain and computers. These groundbreaking implants have the potential to restore movement, facilitate communication, and ultimately reshape the human experience.
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The company previously raised $43 million in November 2023 and was valued at approximately $5 billion by mid-2023. Its early years saw $158 million in total funding (including $100 million from Musk) and the recruitment of high-profile neuroscientists from leading academic institutions. Neuralink made headlines with a prototype “sewing machine-like” robot that could implant ultra-thin threads (4 to 6 microns wide) into the brain. A live demonstration once showcased a rat with 1,500 electrodes transmitting neural data.
Significant regulatory milestones have bolstered Neuralink’s credibility. In September 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the company a “breakthrough device” designation a critical step toward clinical use. The company followed this with its first human implantation in January 2024, detecting neural signals shortly after surgery and enabling the participant to play online chess and Civilization VI using only their thoughts.
So far, three individuals have received Neuralink implants. One patient recently demonstrated using the device to create 3D designs and play video games with their mind. Another, a nonverbal individual, shared a video showcasing how they now edit and narrate YouTube videos using Neuralink’s brain-computer interface.
The company’s international expansion is also underway. In November 2024, Health Canada approved Neuralink’s first clinical trial in Canada, titled CAN-PRIME, which is led by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Andres M. Lozano.
Neuralink’s implant, known as the “Link,” enables high-fidelity neural recording and stimulation, allowing users to engage with the digital world in unprecedented ways. The startup’s long-term vision includes restoring vision and motor function to individuals with severe neurological conditions, as well as eventually augmenting human capabilities.
As outlined in its 2022 Show & Tell, Neuralink’s ultimate goal is to create a generalized input/output platform capable of interfacing with every aspect of the human brain. In service of this long term goal, the company has spent the last several years building a device intended to interface with various regions of the brain to solve debilitating brain and central nervous system ailments. The first indication it aims to address is the restoration of digital autonomy to people living with quadriplegia due to spinal cord injury (SCI) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — a capability that we are calling “Telepathy.”
As clinical trials continue, Neuralink says its priority remains on rigorous safety testing and patient care. The company is currently accepting applications for its Patient Registry and is hiring talent across various roles to expand its mission of transforming lives through technology.
With its recent funding round and successful human trials, Neuralink is entering a pivotal phase one that may bring science fiction closer to reality. In the long term, Musk hopes the Neuralink devices will enable people to achieve superhuman cognition.