A New Neurotech Startup Launches to Rival Sam Altman’s Merge Labs

The newly established Bridge Neurotech startup aims to compete with Sam Altman's Merge Labs by developing a wearable device for brain-computer interfaces. Founded by Will Biederman, who previously worked on a chip licensed to Neuralink, Bridge seeks to create a non-invasive alternative to the invasive brain implants currently in use.

These implants, employed by only 100 or so individuals worldwide, carry significant risks and require high levels of safety and efficacy. Wearable devices have struggled with poor signal quality due to electromagnetic interference from bone and skin, which degrades the signals before they reach external sensors. To overcome these challenges, Bridge plans to utilize ultrasound technology, which measures brain activity indirectly through fluctuations in blood flow.

This indirect approach results in a natural delay of a few seconds between neuronal firing and the subsequent blood flow changes, potentially impacting real-time applications like controlling robotic limbs or rapid typing. Nevertheless, Bridge intends to address this issue by employing predictive AI models to improve the performance of its interface.

The company is currently conducting an observational clinical study in volunteers at Redwood City, California, with small ultrasound probes placed on the side of the head. The probes, made of semiconductor silicon chips from Butterfly Network, will record brain activity while participants engage in various tasks, such as listening, watching, moving, and speaking.

The device Bridge plans to launch is described as "something close to headphones," worn on the temporal window, which is located slightly above the ear. This location is optimal for ultrasound imaging due to the thinness of the skull, which minimizes the challenges posed by bone scattering and absorbing sound waves.