OpenAI Backs Ultrasound-Based Brain-Computer Interface Startup With $252M Seed Round
Merge Labs has emerged from stealth with $252 million in funding to develop non-implantable brain–computer interfaces that use ultrasound and molecular approaches rather than electrodes. The company is cofounded by Sam Altman and is positioned at the intersection of neurotechnology, device engineering, and AI, with OpenAI participating as both an investor and research collaborator.
According to reporting by WIRED, the seed round includes capital from OpenAI, Bain Capital, Gabe Newell, and other backers. Merge Labs aims to read from and modulate brain activity using ultrasound, avoiding direct implantation into brain tissue. The company contrasts its approach with implanted BCI systems such as those developed by Neuralink (raised $650M in Series E, June 2025) and Synchron (raised $200M in Series D, November 2025), instead emphasizing indirect neural sensing and modulation mediated by blood flow dynamics.
Merge Labs is a spinoff of Forest Neurotech, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit research organization formed in 2023, which will continue to operate independently while collaborating with the company. Forest has been studying a miniaturized ultrasound device in an early-stage safety trial in the UK, providing early experimental grounding for the technology that Merge plans to commercialize. Merge has not disclosed specific product applications, though Forest’s prior focus on mental health disorders and brain injury suggests potential early clinical directions.
AI is described as a core component of the platform. In its public statement, OpenAI framed its involvement around developing scientific foundation models and AI systems capable of interpreting intent and operating under limited and noisy neural signals. The collaboration is positioned as research-oriented rather than tied to near-term commercial deployment.
The founding team combines academic neurotechnology researchers Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman with technology entrepreneurs Alex Blania, Sandro Herbig, and Sam Altman. The company has begun hiring across research and engineering roles.
In the broader BCI landscape, implanted systems remain dominant in clinical testing. As of early 2026, at least twelve individuals have received Neuralink implants, while Synchron reports implants in ten participants via a blood-vessel-based approach. Merge Labs’ ultrasound-based strategy represents a parallel technical path, with different trade-offs around invasiveness, signal resolution, and scalability.
Estimates show around $4.8 billion flowing into neurotech across 140 deals in 2025, with implanted systems accounting for roughly $3.2 billion and non-implanted approaches making up the remainder. For a fuller review of the past year in neurotech, see our neurotech deep dive for newsletter subscribers.
Topic: NeuroTech
