Elon Musk’s Neuralink Secures $280 Mn In Funding

Elon Musk's brain-chip startup, Neuralink, has successfully raised USD 280 million in a funding round led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund.

This substantial investment comes several months after the company obtained approval for its inaugural in-human clinical trial. Although the precise valuation associated with this funding round remains undisclosed, Reuters sources had earlier estimated Neuralink's value at around USD 5 billion based on private stock trades.

Neuralink is at the forefront of creating advanced neural interface technologies that aim to establish a direct link between the human brain and computers. This revolutionary endeavour seeks to enable two-way communication between the brain and external devices, potentially leading to groundbreaking advancements in human-machine interaction and the treatment of neurological disorders.

The company's recent funding success is a testament to its ambitious goals and innovative research. However, Neuralink's journey has not been without challenges. Previous reports shed light on rushed and flawed surgeries performed on animals such as monkeys, pigs, and sheep. These incidents resulted in unnecessary animal deaths and were reportedly influenced by the pressure to attain FDA approval. The gathered data from these animal experiments was intended to support Neuralink's application for human trials, showcasing the significance of these procedures in advancing the company's groundbreaking technology.

Moreover, concerns have emerged regarding the composition of a panel overseeing animal testing at Neuralink. Lawmakers in the United States have urged regulatory bodies to investigate potential financial conflicts of interest within the panel, suspecting their contribution to the subpar and hurried experiments. These concerns highlight the ethical and regulatory challenges that Neuralink must navigate as it pushes the boundaries of brain-computer interface technology.

(Inputs from Reuters)