Science Corp Raises $230M for Brain Sensor That Grows Into You
Science Corporation closed a $230 million Series C in March 2026, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. The money is backing a brain-computer interface that takes a different approach than Neuralink: instead of inserting electrodes into brain tissue, Science Corp's sensor sits on top of the brain, inside the skull.
The Device
The biohybrid sensor packs 520 recording electrodes into an area the size of a pea. What makes it unusual is the biology: the device embeds lab-grown neurons designed to integrate with the patient's existing neurons. Those neurons can be stimulated with pulses of light.
The team behind it is 30 researchers, led by co-founder and CSO Alan Mardinly. In 2024, they published a working paper showing the device could be safely implanted in mice and used to stimulate brain activity. Human trials are considered optimistic to begin in 2027.
The Regulatory Strategy
Science Corp does not plan to seek FDA approval for its initial human trials. The company argues the device poses no significant risk. That's a notable claim for hardware that goes inside a skull.
Dr. Murat Gunel, chair of Yale Medical School's Department of Neurosurgery, signed on as scientific adviser to lead the first U.S. human trials. The initial trial plan targets patients already requiring significant brain surgery, such as stroke victims needing a craniotomy for brain swelling. This sidesteps the usual risk calculus: the surgery is happening anyway.
The Business Beyond the BCI
Science Corp is not a single-bet company. Its PRIMA device, acquired in 2024, targets vision restoration in patients with macular degeneration. PRIMA is advancing through clinical trials and is potentially on track for European regulatory approval in 2026.
The broader application list for the biohybrid BCI includes Parkinson's disease treatment, seizure prediction for brain tumor patients, and stimulating damaged brain or spinal cord cells for healing.
Context
Science Corp was founded in 2021 by Max Hodak, former president of Neuralink. The surface-placement approach is the clearest technical departure from his previous employer. Whether sitting on top of the brain rather than inside it produces clinically useful signal density is something the mouse data hasn't fully answered. The human trials, if they start in 2027, will be the first real test.
Source: Techcrunch