Synchron raises $305m to advance brain–computer interfaces

Synchron, a medical device company that produces non-surgical brain–computer interface (BCI) devices, has secured $305 million in a Series D financing round. The funding will accelerate commercialisation of the company’s first-generation Stentrode BCI platform, while advancing development of a frontier next-generation interface.

The round was led by Double Point Ventures, alongside existing investors ARCH Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Bezos Expeditions, NTI and METIS. New investors include Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), T.Rx Capital, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), K5 Global, Protocol Labs and IQT.

The Stentrode BCI platform is billed as the world’s first endovascular brain–computer interface, designed to translate brain activity into digital commands without open-brain surgery. Placed via a non-surgical catheter procedure, the Stentrode interfaces with the motor cortex through the blood vessels, recording and transmitting neural signals wirelessly to enable hands-free control of digital devices.

It is hoped that the Stentrode BCI device will allow severely paralysed people to use digital devices with just their thoughts, enabling them to text their loved ones, control electronic appliances and perform simple household tasks for themselves. Stentrode BCIs have been placed in 10 patients with paralysis to date, across clinical trials in the US and Australia.

Synchron was established in Australia in 2012 by Australian clinicians and scientists Tom Oxley, Nicholas Opie and Rahul Sharma. The company has collaborated with tech giants including Apple, NVIDIA, Amazon and Open AI, and has co-developed a Bluetooth-based iOS protocol that connects brain activity directly to Apple devices using Switch Control — with no touch, voice or eye-tracking required.

With this Series D financing, Synchron will accelerate pivotal trials, prepare for commercial launch of the Stentrode BCI system, and continue hiring engineers, neuroscientists and operators to advance the next generation of brain–computer interfaces. An expanding Cognitive AI division in New York City will be training models that learn from brain data to decode thought in real time, while a new San Diego engineering hub has been established to build the world’s most advanced brain interface.

As it moves from clinical trials to large-scale commercial deployment, the funding will also help the company establish a commercial hub in Australia, with plans to conduct clinical trials for its technology in Australia. Ultimately, Synchron’s long-term vision is to train AI directly on the cognitive functions of the brain, eventually allowing for the development of AI that understands and synthesises human cognition in real time without human input.

“This funding brings us closer to commercialising the Stentrode BCI platform, while accelerating development of a major breakthrough in the field — a next-generation, transcatheter high-channel whole-brain interface,” Oxley said.

Image caption: An overview of Synchron’s BCI system and how it allows users with motor impairment to control their digital devices. Image credit: Synchron.