Sam Altman's Merge Labs raises $252 million to develop non-invasive brain-computer interfaces
11 Sources
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OpenAI invests in Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup Merge Labs | TechCrunch
Just when you thought the circular deals couldn't get any more circular, OpenAI has invested in CEO Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup Merge Labs. Merge Labs, which defines itself as a "research lab" dedicated to "bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human
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OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman's New Brain-Tech Startup Merge Labs
Merge Labs has raised $252 million in funding from OpenAI, private investment firm Bain Capital, video game developer Gabe Newell, and others to use ultrasound to read and modulate the brain. Merge joins a growing number of companies, including Elon Musk's Neuralink, that are developing
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman raises $252 million for brain computer interface venture -- but Merge Labs is still in an early research phase
OpenAI is investing as it sees BCIs as 'an important new frontier' that will deliver seamless AI interactions. It is focused on non-invasive AI-accelerated tech. OpenAI has signaled its intentions to become a major player in brain computer interfaces (BCIs). The scale of the firm's first round of
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Altman's Merge Raises $252 Million to Link Brains and Computers
Merge Labs, a company co-founded by AI billionaire Sam Altman that is building devices to connect human brains to computers, raised $252 million. The company is being formed as entrepreneurs and investors across Silicon Valley anticipate a future where artificial intelligence is so advanced that
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OpenAI co-funds brain-interface biz co-founded by CEO Altman
Merge Labs envisions controlling devices using your brain - without implanting hardware in your body OpenAI, having invested heavily in artificial intelligence, is placing a side bet on organic intelligence. The launderer of training data is participating in the funding of Merge Labs, a maker of
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OpenAI invests in brain-computer interface developer Merge Labs - SiliconANGLE
OpenAI invests in brain-computer interface developer Merge Labs OpenAI Group PBC has invested in Merge Labs Inc., a startup developing hardware that will enable users to control computers with their thoughts. The large language model provider announced the deal today. Bloomberg described the
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OpenAI Bets on Brain-Computer Interfaces With Merge Labs Investment | AIM
OpenAI-backed Merge Labs is working to safely interface biology, hardware devices, and AI at higher bandwidth. OpenAI has participated in the seed funding round of Merge Labs, a research lab focused on developing new brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. The company said such interfaces
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OpenAI secures largest stake in $250 million Merge Labs seed round
OpenAI has invested the largest amount in Merge Labs' $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation. The brain-computer interface startup, founded by Sam Altman, emerged from stealth on Thursday to develop noninvasive technology bridging human neurons and AI. In 2017, Sam Altman published a
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Sam Altman's Latest Startup Takes On Elon Musk's Neuralink
Backed by OpenAI and Bain Capital, Merge Labs enters the crowded BCI race with a long-term vision for non-invasive brain tech. One might think running OpenAI would be enough to keep Sam Altman occupied. But the CEO is also behind a diverse array of other startups, including Tools for Humanity, the
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OpenAI joins seed round of brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs
The financial terms of the investment were not disclosed. The move signals OpenAI's growing interest in technologies that extend beyond software, pointing to a longer-term focus on hardware and human-augmentation research alongside its core AI business. Artificial intelligence company OpenAI will
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OpenAI invests in brain computer interface startup Merge Labs (OPENAI:Private)
OpenAI (OPENAI) announced on Thursday that it has invested in brain computer interface startup Merge Labs, which includes OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as an investor. Brain computer interfaces, or BCIs, allow for new ways to communicate, learn, and interact with technology, OpenAI said in a OpenAI is
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Sam Altman's brain-tech startup Merge Labs emerged from stealth with $252 million in seed funding at an $850 million valuation, with OpenAI writing the largest check. The company aims to connect human brains to computers using ultrasound and molecules instead of invasive electrodes, intensifying competition with Elon Musk's Neuralink in the race to enhance human capabilities through AI-powered neural interfaces.
OpenAI Investment Fuels Sam Altman's Brain-Tech Startup
Merge Labs emerged from stealth on Thursday with a $252 million seed round at an $850 million valuation, marking one of the most significant funding events in the brain-computer interfaces sector
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. OpenAI wrote the largest single check in the round, with additional backing from Bain Capital and Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, who runs his own brain tech company, Starfish Neuroscience2
. The OpenAI investment deepens the circular relationship between the AI giant and its CEO Sam Altman, who co-founded Merge Labs alongside Alex Blania and Sandro Herbig from Tools for Humanity, Tyson Aflalo and Sumner Norman from Forest Neurotech, and Caltech researcher Mikhail Shapiro1
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Source: Tom's Hardware
Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces Using Ultrasound and Molecules
Merge Labs distinguishes itself by developing non-invasive brain-computer interfaces that avoid implants into brain tissue, contrasting sharply with the competition with Neuralink. The company plans to connect human brains to computers using molecules instead of electrodes and transmit information through deep-reaching modalities like ultrasound
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. This ultrasound-based approach interprets neural activity indirectly by detecting changes in blood flow rather than measuring electrical activity directly from neurons2
. Co-founder Mikhail Shapiro acknowledged that this non-invasive route requires solving hard scientific and engineering problems, which is why the $252 million will effectively establish a research lab rather than a product-ready company4
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Source: SiliconANGLE
AI Operating Systems to Enhance Human-AI Interaction
OpenAI will collaborate with Merge Labs on scientific foundation models and other frontier tools to accelerate progress in bioengineering, neuroscience, and device engineering
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. The company envisions interfaces that are "equal parts biology, device, and AI" to create seamless human-AI interaction2
. AI operating systems will interpret intent, adapt to individuals, and operate reliably with limited and noisy signals—critical capabilities for non-invasive technology that generates less precise data than implanted electrodes3
. This approach could position Merge Labs as a remote control for OpenAI's software, potentially driving more users to the AI platform and justifying the circular investment structure1
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Source: TechCrunch
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Intensifying Rivalry Between Sam Altman and Elon Musk
The launch of Sam Altman's brain-tech startup intensifies his rivalry with Elon Musk, whose Neuralink raised a $650 million Series E at a $9 billion valuation in June 2025
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. Neuralink has raised $1.3 billion total and currently requires invasive surgery where a surgical robot removes skull fragments and inserts ultra-fine electrode threads into the brain1
. At least 12 volunteers have received Neuralink implants, while Chinese competitors are advancing rapidly with government support3
. Altman previously invested in Neuralink before the business partners split following disagreements at OpenAI, which both co-founded4
.The Vision to Enhance Human Capabilities and Survive Superintelligence
Merge Labs plans to first develop products for medical use before targeting the general public to enhance human capabilities
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. Morgan Stanley estimated the total addressable market for brain-computer interfaces at around $400 billion in the US alone, primarily for medical applications focused on paralysis and neurological conditions5
. Altman has been contemplating "the merge"—the idea that humans and machines will combine—since at least 2017, speculating it would occur between 2025 and 20751
. He described this fusion as humanity's "best-case scenario" for surviving against superintelligence, writing that "we will be the first species ever to design our own descendants"1
. Merge Labs concedes the project may take "decades rather than years," raising questions about whether OpenAI can sustain such long-term bets given its projected $74 billion operating loss in 20285
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