Neuralink, the brain implant startup run by Elon Musk, said it has raised another $650 million in Series E funding. It's money the company said will help it bring its technology to more people, "restoring independence for those with unmet medical needs and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with brain interfaces."
Neuralink's core technology is the N1 Implant, a "cosmetically invisible" device that records and transmits brain activity that's intended to allow the patient to control a computer. The implant uses more than 1,000 electrodes distributed across threads that are thinner than a human hair.
Due to the fragile design, Neuralink has also developed a surgical robot to assist with inserting the threads into the appropriate regions of the brain. Once implanted, the company's proprietary app decodes movement intention from brain signals.
Neuralink said that five individuals with severe paralysis are now using Neuralink to control digital and physical devices with their thoughts. The implants are part of several clinical trials at institutions for neurosurgical care including Barrow Neurological Institute, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami, University Health Network (Toronto Western Hospital), and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Neuralink is also looking beyond device control at more applications for its technology. The company's CONVOY trial has secured FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for both vision and speech restoration programs. And the company said it won't stop until it's developed a whole-brain interface.
"We have invested heavily in expanding the number of neurons and brain regions that our device interfaces with to unlock new dimensions of human potential," the company said in an announcement.
Neuralink is currently hiring engineers and operators across multiple disciplines to help expand access for its brain-computer interface.
