Elon Musk-backed biotechnology company Neuralink announced the raise of $280 million in Series D funding, led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, in a short tweet on Monday.
“Excited to support Neuralink’s next chapter of helping human patients in need,” Scott Nolan, partner at Founders Fund, subsequently posted to Twitter. “The team has been working for seven years to make this possible, pulling off technical breakthroughs that feel like science fiction.”
Co-founded in 2016 by Elon Musk, Fremont, Calif.-based Neuralink develops implantable brain-computer interfaces or BCIs designed to enable direct communication between the brain and external devices like computers.
Founders Fund has invested in Other Musk projects, including The Boring Company and SpaceX.
While Neuralink did not say what the funds would be used for, the company has said it aims to help people with paralysis or other neurological conditions regain independence by controlling computers and mobile devices using their brain activity. Neuralink’s career board has several current openings for engineers, safety, operations, and IT specialists.
Others working to bring neuro implants into the mainstream include researchers at Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, which last week announced that a man living with quadriplegia after a car accident in 2020 could move his limbs and feel touch feedback thanks to a double neural bypass.
Neuralink has been the subject of some controversy around the testing of its technology on animals. In May, U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff and Earl Blumenauer co-authored a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture demanding an investigation into the panel responsible for overseeing animal testing at Neuralink, citing a conflict of interest.
“The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) appears to be composed almost exclusively of company employees with significant financial stakes in the very animal studies they are required to evaluate under the Animal Welfare Act,” the letter said.
Until recently, Neuralink tested its technology on smaller animals, including monkeys and pigs, demonstrated in April 2021 by having a monkey play pong. In May this year, Neuralink received FDA approval to start human clinical trials.
Neuralink has not yet responded to Decrypt’s request for comment.
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