Prime Highlight
- Merge Labs, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, raised $252 million to develop non-invasive brain-computer interfaces using ultrasound.
- OpenAI will help build AI systems to interpret brain signals and enable communication between humans and machines.
Key Facts
- Merge Labs spun off from Forest Neurotech, which will continue research and support Merge’s development efforts.
- The startup uses ultrasound and molecules to track brain activity, avoiding surgery and traditional electrode implants.
Background
Neurotechnology startup Merge Labs has emerged from stealth after raising $252 million in funding, with OpenAI among its key investors. The company aims to develop advanced brain-computer interface technology that allows computers to communicate directly with the human brain using ultrasound instead of implants.
OpenAI confirmed its investment on Thursday and said it will work closely with Merge Labs to build systems that link human brains with machines. Merge Labs was co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, marking his latest venture into brain technology. Altman has also invested previously in Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-interface company.
Merge Labs enters a fast-growing field that includes companies such as Neuralink and Synchron. However, Merge Labs says its approach differs sharply. Rather than inserting electrodes into the brain, the startup plans to use molecules and deep-reaching ultrasound to send and receive signals. The company says this method avoids surgery and could make brain-computer interfaces safer and more accessible.
According to OpenAI, artificial intelligence will play a key role in making these systems work. AI models will help interpret brain signals, adapt to individual users, and function reliably despite limited or noisy data. OpenAI said it will support Merge Labs by developing scientific foundation models and advanced tools to speed up progress.
Merge Labs spun off from Forest Neurotech, a Los Angeles nonprofit research group founded in 2023. Forest will keep operating as a nonprofit and work with Merge on research and development. Forest’s past studies on mental health and brain injuries may guide Merge’s early work.
Currently, most brain-computer interfaces rely on electrical signals from neurons. In contrast, ultrasound-based systems read brain activity indirectly by tracking changes in blood flow. Forest is already testing a small ultrasound device in an early-stage safety trial in the UK.
Merge Labs has not announced specific products yet, but it is actively hiring and building its research team. The company’s leadership includes scientists and tech entrepreneurs with experience across neuroscience, AI, and hardware development.
