Neuralink, the biotechnology company founded by Elon Musk, recently raised $600 million in a new funding round, according to reporting by Semafor. The new capital values Neuralink at $9 billion as it works to refine its brain-computer interface devices.
The immediate goal of Neuralink’s work is to increase autonomy for people with paralysis. Down the line, the company hopes to engineer technologies that will enhance human potential. Its N1 implant device is designed to enable users to fully control computers or mobile devices anywhere while remaining cosmetically invisible.
As it’s still undergoing clinical studies, Neuralink’s technology is not slated to become commercially available anytime soon. The company is working to build a biologically safe system that offers full wireless communication through the skin. Once complete, the device will also be able to record neural activity from 1,024 electrodes, which is significantly more channels compared to the capacity of current clinically available solutions.
