Neuralink
US neurotechnology company developing implantable brain-computer interfaces. It raised a USD 650 million Series E in June 2025 and had implanted its device in 21 people by January 2026.
Industry: Neurotechnology | Location: Fremont, United States | Founded: 2016 | Total Funding: USD 930M
About Neuralink
Neuralink is a United States neurotechnology company that develops implantable brain-computer interfaces. Its implants are designed to carry signals between the brain and digital devices, and the company is testing them in people with conditions such as stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Wikipedia places its headquarters in Fremont, California.
Elon Musk launched Neuralink in 2016 with a founding group of scientists and an engineer; Fortune reported in March 2025 that only Musk and Dongjin Seo, now president, remained from that group. Fortune lists Jared Birchall as chief financial officer, based on company filings, and Shivon Zilis as director of operations and special projects, and says Musk leads the company. Co-founder Max Hodak, who was president, left in 2021 according to Wikipedia.
The device used in human trials is called Telepathy, and a surgical robot inserts its flexible electrode threads. A second project, Blindsight, is a visual prosthesis meant to restore a form of vision to people who are totally blind. Storyboard18 reported in January 2026 that Neuralink was preparing a first human Blindsight implant pending regulatory approval, and that Musk described a successor implant with three times the capability as possibly ready by late 2026.
The first human implant took place in January 2024. TechCrunch reported in June 2025 that the FDA had granted the device a breakthrough device designation in May 2025 and that five people with severe paralysis had received implants. Trials have extended to Canada and the United Kingdom. Times of Oman reported that 21 people had been implanted by January 2026, 17 of them during 2025, with no serious device-related adverse events reported.
Neuralink raised a USD 280 million Series D in 2023, followed by a USD 43 million tranche. On 2 June 2025 it announced a USD 650 million Series E, with ARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital and Thrive Capital among the investors; Semafor reported a pre-money valuation of about USD 9 billion. The Oman Investment Authority announced an investment on 6 May 2026 without disclosing the amount. Musk has set a target of 1,000 implant procedures by the end of 2026.
Leadership
- Elon Musk, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Dongjin Seo, Co-founder and President
- Elon Musk, Founder
- Jared Birchall, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
- Shivon Zilis, Director of Operations and Special Projects