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Tracker · last updated 22 Oct 2026

Companies

Who has put chips in, on or next to human brains. A curated list, not an exhaustive one.

Humans implanted

01020302024202520262027F1: 30 by 31 Dec 2026 · us 65% · Kalshi 74%11221no newer official total01020302024202520262027F1: 30 by 31 Dec 2026 · us 65% · Kalshi 74%11221no newer official total
Neuralink, people implanted: every published total we can source. The dashed line is forecast F1 (30+ by year end). Sources: Reuters, 29 Jan 2024 Reuters, 9 Sep 2025 Neuralink, 27 Jan 2026 Kalshi, read 19 Oct 2026
Precision Neuroscienceas of 15 Oct 2026100+Blackrock Neurotechunverified · as of 29 Apr 2024~40+Science Corp.as of 5 Oct 202638+Neuracle (NEO)as of 30 Apr 202636+Neuralinkas of 27 Jan 202621+Synchronas of 30 Sep 202410ONWARD Medicalunverified · as of 9 Sep 20267Paradromicsas of 17 Jun 20261Precision Neuroscienceas of 15 Oct 2026100+Blackrock Neurotechunverified · as of 29 Apr 2024~40+Science Corp.as of 5 Oct 202638+Neuracle (NEO)as of 30 Apr 202636+Neuralinkas of 27 Jan 202621+Synchronas of 30 Sep 202410ONWARD Medicalunverified · as of 9 Sep 20267Paradromicsas of 17 Jun 20261
Humans implanted, latest public count per company. Not like-for-like: Precision counts mostly temporary implants during surgery, Science counts an eye implant. Faded bars are approximate or single-source.
Sources (8)Sources: precisionneuro.io homepage Reuters Science Corp.: 36-month results Paradromics analysis of the NMPA approval Neuralink: "Two Years of Telepathy" Synchron / Business Wire: COMMAND results ONWARD H1 2026 results (summary) Paradromics

Scoreboard

Humans implanted = latest public count. Counts are not like-for-like: some are temporary implants during surgery, one is an eye implant. Tap a company for details and sources.

CompanyHumans implantedStatusLast milestone
Precision NeuroscienceBrain surface 100+as of 15 Oct 2026 FDA 510(k) cleared (≤30 days) Precision Brain Atlas: Layer 7 recordings from 70 patients at 12 medical centers (87,342 microelectrodes, 180+ hours)Precision Neuroscience (X thread), 14 Oct 2026
Blackrock NeurotechPenetrating ~40+unverifiedas of 29 Apr 2024 IDE research use · Breakthrough (2021) WIRED profile: a participant composing music with his Blackrock implantBlackrock news, 1 Apr 2026
Science Corp.Retina 38+as of 5 Oct 2026 CE mark (EU) · FDA pending Update on first Stargardt-disease patient (implanted May 2026): reads a word with PRIMAScience Corp.: Stargardt trial update, 13 Oct 2026
Neuracle (NEO)Epidural 36+as of 30 Apr 2026 Approved for sale (China NMPA) First surgery with a commercially approved BCI, Huashan Hospital, ShanghaiThe Next Web, 17 Jul 2026
NeuralinkPenetrating 21+as of 27 Jan 2026 FDA IDE trials (US, CA, UK, UAE) Self-supervised decoder pretrained on 50,000 hours of brain data; reports an 11.32 bits-per-second recordNeuralink update, 1 Oct 2026
SynchronEndovascular 10as of 30 Sep 2024 FDA IDE · pivotal trial in prep INTENT study active at US sites (e.g. UB Neurosurgery, Buffalo)UBNS, 10 Aug 2026
ONWARD MedicalEpidural + spine 7unverifiedas of 9 Sep 2026 Investigational · Breakthrough Two more ARC-BCI implants completedBioSpace (press release), 22 Jan 2026
ParadromicsPenetrating 1as of 17 Jun 2026 FDA IDE · Connect-One study Four years of stable neural recording (preclinical, sheep)Business Wire, 8 Oct 2026

Spot an error? Email contact@wetwired.si and we aim to correct it quickly.

Inside the skull (and the eye)

Synchron

Minimally invasive: endovascular · Brooklyn, New York, US

10humans implanted

Stentrode: a stent-mounted electrode array threaded up the jugular vein into a blood vessel beside the motor cortex. No open-brain surgery.

Status, money & milestones
Status
Investigational. FDA Breakthrough Device (Aug 2020); first FDA IDE for a permanently implanted BCI (Jul 2021); COMMAND study met its primary safety endpoint (Sep 2024). INTENT (US) and FOCUS-AUS studies enrolling in 2026; preparing a pivotal trial.
Count
Publicly confirmed: 4 (SWITCH, Australia) + 6 (COMMAND, US). Newer trials are enrolling; no updated company total found. A June 2026 secondary report of "100 patients" is unverified. Synchron / Business Wire: COMMAND results, 30 Sep 2024
Money
$200M Series D (Nov 2025). Business Wire, 6 Nov 2025

Milestones

  • First FDA IDE for a permanently implanted BCI Business Wire
  • First native thought-control of an iPad via Apple's BCI HID protocol Synchron news
  • Named to TIME100 Most Influential Companies; preparing larger trial for commercial approval TIME
synchron.com ↗

Precision Neuroscience

Minimally invasive: surface (ECoG), non-penetrating · New York, US

100+humans implanted

Layer 7 Cortical Interface: a film thinner than a hair carrying up to thousands of electrodes, slid onto the brain's surface through a micro-slit in the skull.

Status, money & milestones
Status
FDA 510(k) clearance for Layer 7 (decision 30 Mar 2025) for implantation of up to 30 days. Long-term implant still in clinical studies.
Count
"Implanted clinical study patients", company claim. Most are temporary implants during brain surgery. precisionneuro.io homepage, 15 Oct 2026
Money
$250M Series D (Sep 2026). Valuation "just over $1B" (reported by NYT, not confirmed by company: unverified); ~$430M raised in total (reported). HedgeCo summary of release + NYT, 28 Sep 2026

Milestones

  • World record: 4,096 electrodes recording from a human brain (Mount Sinai) Fierce Biotech
  • FDA 510(k) clearance, K242618 FDA
  • $250M Series D GlobeNewswire
  • Precision Brain Atlas released: 70 patients, 12 centers, 87,342 microelectrodes Precision Neuroscience (X)
www.precisionneuro.io ↗

Blackrock Neurotech

Invasive: intracortical, penetrating electrodes · Salt Lake City, Utah, US

~40+humans implantedunverified

Utah Array: a 4×4 mm bed of silicon micro-needles. The workhorse behind most academic BCI records (BrainGate, UC Davis & Stanford speech BCIs).

Status, money & milestones
Status
Arrays used chronically in humans under FDA IDE research trials for ~20 years; MoveAgain BCI got FDA Breakthrough Device designation (Nov 2021). No approved chronic BCI product yet.
Count
Reuters (Apr 2024): Blackrock tech had been used by ~40 people at the time of Tether's investment. No newer official count; treat as approximate. Reuters, 29 Apr 2024
Money
Tether: $200M for a majority stake (Apr 2024). Reuters, 29 Apr 2024

Milestones

  • MoveAgain BCI receives FDA Breakthrough Device designation Blackrock
  • Tether invests $200M for a majority stake Reuters
  • Utah Arrays power UC Davis speech BCI with up to 97% accuracy (NEJM) UC Davis Health
blackrockneurotech.com ↗

Paradromics

Invasive: intracortical, fully implanted · Austin, Texas, US

1humans implanted

Connexus BCI: a high-density microelectrode array in the cortex, wired to a transceiver in the chest that beams data through the skin. Built for speech.

Status, money & milestones
Status
FDA IDE approved Nov 2025 for the Connect-One early feasibility study (U. Michigan, UC Davis, Mass General). Aug 2026: FDA OK to use personal phones and laptops in the trial.
Count
First chronic Connect-One participant (Michigan). Plus a 2025 temporary implant during epilepsy surgery. No later count published. Paradromics, 17 Jun 2026

Milestones

  • FDA approves Connect-One IDE Paradromics
  • First Connect-One implant at University of Michigan Paradromics
  • Real-time speech: first participant answers open questions in her own words Business Wire
paradromics.com ↗

Science Corp.

Invasive: subretinal implant (eye, not skull) · Alameda, California, US

38+humans implanted

PRIMA: a 2 × 2 mm wireless photovoltaic chip under the retina plus camera glasses that beam near-infrared light, restoring central vision in geographic atrophy (dry AMD).

Status, money & milestones
Status
CE marked and commercially launched in Europe (Jul 2026). FDA Breakthrough Device (2023) and Humanitarian Use Device designations (Jul 2026); US approval pending.
Count
38 implanted in the PRIMAvera pivotal trial (17 sites, 5 countries); plus Stargardt-disease patients in the PRIMAlia trial in Sydney (first implanted May 2026) and early European commercial cases (not counted). Science Corp.: 36-month results, 5 Oct 2026 Science Corp.: Stargardt trial update, 13 Oct 2026
Money
$230M Series C (Mar 2026). Science Corp., 5 Mar 2026

Milestones

  • NEJM publishes pivotal PRIMA results NEJM
  • European commercial launch after CE mark Science Corp.
  • First Stargardt-disease patient implanted (PRIMAlia trial, Sydney Eye Hospital) Science Corp.
  • 36-month data: mean +29 letters of vision, better than at 12 months Science Corp.
  • That Stargardt patient saw a letter in his first rehab session and read a word in his second Science Corp.
science.xyz ↗

Neuracle (NEO)

Semi-invasive: epidural, under the skull, above the brain's membrane · Shanghai, China

36+humans implanted

NEO: a coin-sized titanium implant resting on the dura (8 contacts), wirelessly driving a pneumatic glove that restores grasp after spinal cord injury.

Status, money & milestones
Status
China NMPA commercial registration approval (13 Mar 2026), widely described as the world's first market approval of an implanted BCI. First commercial surgery 13 Jul 2026 (Huashan Hospital).
Count
36 implant procedures in the trial behind the approval, plus commercial cases since July 2026 (count not published). Paradromics analysis of the NMPA approval, 30 Apr 2026

Milestones

neuracle.cn ↗

ONWARD Medical

Invasive: epidural brain implant + spinal stimulator · Eindhoven, Netherlands

7humans implantedunverified

ARC-BCI: a skull-mounted brain implant (with Clinatec) paired with ONWARD's spinal-cord stimulator, a "digital bridge" that turns intent to move into walking and hand movement.

Status, money & milestones
Status
Investigational. FDA Breakthrough Device designation for ARC-BCI. Listed on Euronext.
Count
ARC-BCI implants to date per the H1 2026 results, as summarised by a financial news site (company report not checked directly). ONWARD H1 2026 results (summary), 9 Sep 2026
Money
Public company, listed on Euronext (ONWD). ONWARD IR, 15 Oct 2026

Milestones

  • Two additional ARC-BCI implants BioSpace
www.onwd.com ↗

No surgery required

Wearables that read brain or nerve signals from outside the body. Lower bandwidth, zero scalpels.

Meta Neural Band

Non-invasive · Menlo Park, California, US

sEMG wristband that reads nerve signals at the wrist to control Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with tiny finger movements.

Status: On sale since Sep 2025, from $799 bundled with the glasses.

Money: n/a (Meta Reality Labs)

Meta Newsroom, 17 Sep 2025

about.fb.com ↗

Kernel

Non-invasive · Los Angeles area, US

Kernel Flow 2: a helmet combining time-domain fNIRS (up to 40 modules) and EEG to measure brain activity. Used for research and brain-health measurement.

Status: Commercial research device.

Money: Private company; no recent round disclosed.

Kernel, 15 Oct 2026

www.kernel.com ↗

Bridge Neurotech

Non-invasive · US

Wearable ultrasound BCI ("close to headphones") that reads blood-flow changes in the brain, with predictive AI models to cut lag.

Status: Launched Oct 2026; probes use Butterfly Network's ultrasound chips. First observational study in volunteers (Redwood City, CA).

Money: $13.5M launch funding, including General Catalyst.

WIRED, 6 Oct 2026

www.bridgeneurotech.com ↗

In between: gene therapy + ultrasound

Not a wearable and not an electrode implant. The plan is to genetically modify brain cells so ultrasound can read them, which means gene therapy and likely a “window” in the skull: invasive, though nothing goes into brain tissue.

Merge Labs

Gene therapy + ultrasound · US

Research lab co-founded by Sam Altman. Plans to connect with neurons using molecules instead of electrodes and read them with ultrasound, avoiding implants into brain tissue. Reported to combine an ultrasound device with gene therapy that makes brain cells respond to sound; likely still needs a "window" in the skull.

Status: Research stage. Multi-year licence for Butterfly Network's ultrasound-on-chip (Sep 2026).

Money: $252M seed at ~$850M valuation; OpenAI wrote the largest check (Jan 2026).

Merge Labs, 15 Oct 2026 · WIRED, 19 Dec 2025 · Butterfly Network, 1 Sep 2026 · TechCrunch, 15 Jan 2026

Corrected 15 Oct 2026: previously listed as non-invasive and ultrasound-only.

merge.io ↗

Timeline

2016 to now: 23 moments that mattered

  1. Neuralink is founded; the modern BCI startup race begins. Reuters

  2. Neuralink unveils its "threads" and sewing robot MIT Technology Review

  3. Synchron's SWITCH study begins implanting the Stentrode in Australia JAMA Neurology

  4. Synchron wins the first FDA IDE for a permanently implanted BCI Business Wire

  5. FDA clears Neuralink's first-in-human study Reuters

  6. Speech BCIs hit 62 words/min (Stanford) and ~78 words/min (UCSF) in Nature Nature

  7. Neuralink implants its first human, Noland Arbaugh Reuters

  8. Tether buys a majority stake in Blackrock Neurotech for $200M Reuters

  9. Precision sets a record: 4,096 electrodes on a human brain Fierce Biotech

  10. UC Davis speech BCI reaches up to 97% accuracy for a man with ALS UC Davis Health

  11. Synchron's COMMAND study meets its primary safety endpoint in all 6 US patients Business Wire

  12. Precision's Layer 7 gets FDA 510(k) clearance (up to 30 days) FDA

  13. Apple adds a BCI protocol to Switch Control; Synchron first to integrate Apple Newsroom

  14. Meta ships the Neural Band EMG wristband with Ray-Ban Display Meta

  15. NEJM: Science's PRIMA implant restores reading vision in geographic atrophy NEJM

  16. Merge Labs launches with a $252M seed; OpenAI biggest check TechCrunch

  17. Neuralink: 21 participants enrolled worldwide Neuralink

  18. China approves Neuracle's NEO: first implanted BCI cleared for sale anywhere Paradromics blog

  19. Paradromics' first Connexus implant in the Connect-One study Paradromics

  20. PRIMA goes on sale in Europe, the first vision BCI to market Science Corp.

  21. Paradromics shows real-time speech; UCSF decodes speech + gestures at once (Nature Neuroscience) Business Wire

  22. Neuralink claims an 11.32 bits-per-second cursor record Neuralink

Wetware 101

What's a BCI? Invasive vs non-invasive. Why the name.

What's a BCI?

A brain-computer interface reads electrical activity from neurons and turns it into commands, like moving a cursor, typing, speaking through a synthetic voice or gripping with a robotic glove. Some also write back in, stimulating the brain or retina to create sight or touch.

Invasive vs non-invasive

Penetrating implants (Neuralink, Blackrock, Paradromics) put needles into the cortex: best signal, most surgery. Surface and epidural arrays (Precision, Neuracle, ONWARD) sit on the brain or its lining. Endovascular (Synchron) goes in through a vein, no open-brain surgery. Non-invasive headsets and wristbands read from outside: safe and cheap, but blurrier. Gene therapy + ultrasound (Merge Labs) skips electrodes but modifies brain cells and likely needs a skull window.

Why “wetwired” and “.si”?

“Wetware” is cyberpunk slang for the brain, the squishy hardware. Being wetwired means your brain is jacked straight into a machine. “SI” is superintelligence: AI beyond human level. The bet behind half these companies is that the brain will need a faster port to keep up with it.