OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup co-founded by Sam Altman, Alex Blania, Sandro Herbig, Tyson Aflalo, Sumner Norman, and Mikhail Shapiro.
The company, which emerged from stealth with a $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation, aims to develop noninvasive BCIs that integrate biological and artificial intelligence to expand human capabilities. OpenAI reportedly contributed the largest single investment in the round. Other participants included Bain Capital, Interface Fund, Fifty Years, and video game developer Gabe Newell.
Merge Labs is focused on high-bandwidth, noninvasive neural interfaces that use molecules and modalities such as ultrasound instead of traditional electrode-based systems. The technology is designed to interpret neural signals more effectively and enable seamless interaction with AI systems. OpenAI will collaborate with Merge Labs on scientific foundation models and AI tools to accelerate research across bioengineering, neuroscience, and device engineering.
The startup positions itself as a competitor to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which develops implantable BCI devices requiring surgical procedures. Merge Labs’ approach emphasizes noninvasive methods to achieve similar or enhanced capabilities, reflecting a broader goal of combining human cognition with AI.
Merge Labs’ co-founders include researchers with backgrounds in neural engineering and implantable neural technologies, alongside entrepreneurs and technologists with experience in AI and hardware development. The company intends to continue collaborative operations with the founders’ other ventures, including Tools for Humanity and Forest Neurotech, while Shapiro will maintain his academic role at Caltech.
The initiative highlights the growing convergence of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and human-computer interfaces, with potential applications in communication, cognitive enhancement, and medical rehabilitation.
Merge Labs aims to provide human-centered BCIs that could restore lost abilities, support healthier brain function, and expand the ways humans interact with technology.
