Elon Musk’s neurotech company valued at $9 billion in latest funding round as clinical trials of BCI technology continue.
Neuralink, the brain-computer interface (BCI) company founded by Elon Musk, has reportedly closed a huge round of funding, raising a staggering $600 million at a valuation of around $9 billion. The news, broken by Semafor and thus far unconfirmed by the company, highlights the investor excitement around the BCI sector, and follows significant recent funding rounds for the likes of Blackrock Neurotech, Precision Neuroscience, Science Corporation and Inbrain Neuroelectronics.
According to Pitchbook, Neuralink was valued at $3.5 billion when it secured $280 million in funding back in 2023, and the surge in valuation comes on the heels of some significant milestones for the company. In the past year or so, Neuralink has successfully implanted its brain chips in three human patients, as part of its ongoing PRIME clinical trial. These patients have demonstrated the potential of the company’s technology to restore communication and mobility to people with severe disabilities.
Having recently revealed it is launching its first clinical trial in the Middle East at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Neuralink is also preparing to initiate clinical trials for its “Blindsight” implant, after receiving FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the experimental device designed to restore vision to blind people. Musk said at the time that Blindsight would “even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.”
There is clearly still a long way to go before Neuralink’s products are available to consumers, yet the company now boasts a valuation that exceeds many established neurotech companies. And, with so many well-funded competitors in the BCI market, it appears that investors are betting on the Elon Musk effect to carry the company through.
Photograph: kovop/Shutterstock
The post Neuralink raises $600 million to advance brain-computer interface tech appeared first on Longevity.Technology – Latest News, Opinions, Analysis and Research.
