Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has secured $650 million (Hanwha 895.7 billion won) in new investments for Neuralink, a brain-computer interface (BCI) development startup, ahead of its clinical trials. BCI is a technology that helps control devices using only thoughts by implanting an electronic chip in the human brain. The company plans to accelerate the commercialization of BCI with this funding.
On the 2nd (local time), Neuralink noted, "This funding will be used to provide our technology to more people and restore the possibility of independence for those whose medical needs have not been met," adding that it would contribute to widening the limits of brain interface technology.
Founded by Musk in 2016, Neuralink is developing technology to compensate for loss of speech and motor functions due to neurological disorders through BCI devices. In 2023, the company received clinical trial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has implanted an electronic chip called "Telepathy" in the brains of five patients with complete paralysis. These patients succeeded in moving the mouse cursor on a laptop and playing chess. The company revealed that it is conducting four separate clinical trials related to the Telepathy device.
This device was designated as a breakthrough device by the FDA last month. It helps patients who cannot speak generate sentences or words using only brain signals for communication. The FDA's breakthrough device designation is a system that supports the rapid development and evaluation of medical devices for patients with limited therapeutic alternatives. Last year, a vision restoration device for the visually impaired, "Blindsight," was also designated as a breakthrough device.
Meanwhile, Musk recently stated that he will step down from the advisory role in the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump to focus on managing his corporations, including Tesla, SpaceX, artificial intelligence startup xAI, Neuralink, and the social media platform X.