Neuralink is a brain-machine interface startup backed by Elon Musk. In its latest funding round, the company secured $205 million from investors including Alphabet Inc.’s Google Ventures.
The company plans to use the funding to bring its first product to market, as well as accelerate research and development of future products. But is Musk really a partner in Neuralink’s success? The answer to that question is not yet known, but his involvement in the startup has made it possible to attract attention to Neuralink.
A neuroprosthetic is implanted into the brain and can be used to track a person’s health data. Using this new technology, a person can send messages and receive information from another person, allowing them to communicate with each other and perform other tasks. The device will be invisible once it is implanted, and will transmit data wirelessly. CEO Elon Musk has called it a Fitbit for the brain, with tiny wires going into the brain. The company plans to use the funding to accelerate the development of future products, which could include telepathy and brain-computer interfaces.
A recent report published in Nature revealed that Neuralink is the only brain-computer interface startup to receive FDA approval. Neuralink’s competitors include Blackrock Neurotech and Paradromics, which both raised $20 million in recent days. The two companies are competing for the same market, and Thiel is personally funding Blackrock Neurotech, another neuroscience startup. Blackrock Neurotech is a supplier to the neuroscience research community and developing its own BCI device.
Musk could find himself in trouble with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, it is important to note that Neuralink is a separate entity from Tesla. Tesla, unlike Neuralink, operates in a different industry. So, while Musk may be a Tesla shareholder, he may soon find himself in hot water with the SEC. This could be a warning sign of Elon Musk’s impending doom.