Program - Neurotech Leaders Forum, San Francisco, November 9-10, 2026

2025 Neurotech Leaders Forum

November 5-6, 2025

Embassy Suites, San Francisco Airport Oyster Point

Day One

8:00-8:30	Registration and Coffee
8:30-9:15	State of the Neurotechnology Industry: 2025 James Cavuoto, Editor and Publisher, Neurotech Reports Neurotech Business Report Editor James Cavuoto provides his insights and observations on the state of the neurotechnology industry. He surveys changes in the competitive landscape that have occurred over the years, the most significant events of the last year, and challenges confronting the industry in years ahead.
9:15-10:00	Navigating the Valley of Death: Building a Sustainable Neuromodulation Business Jeremy Koff, Senior Consulting Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Brad Maruca, Managing Director, Medtech Strategy, Deloitte Robert Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, huMannity Medtec Jordi Parramon, Ph.D., General Partner, Nexus NeuroTech Ventures <!– Ariane Tom, Ph.D., Director, Kaleida Capital –> Jeremy Koff and his panelists review key elements of launching a commercial neurotech firm, such as financial modeling, establishing valuations, selecting suppliers, and managing competition.
10:00-10:30	Refreshment Break
10:30-12:00	Neurotechnology Entrepreneur Panel James Cavuoto, Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Miri Polacheck, Co-founder, Nuri Braintech Helen Bronte-Stewart, M.D., Founder, QDG Health Stefan Kampusch, Ph.D., CEO, Aurimod GmbH Pawel Soluch, CEO, Spinally Alejandro Covalin, Ph.D.,, CTO, OhmBody Manfred Franke, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, NeuronOff Inc. This session features presentations from CEOs and executives of several neurotechnology start-up firms and more established technology ventures. Each executive will present an overview of their firm’s technology and markets.
12:00-1:30	Luncheon, Sponsored by Cirtec Medical
1:30-2:15	Keynote Address Edward Chang, M.D., Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco
2:15-3:00	Changing the Mix: Private Investors Pick Up the Slack in Neurotech Funding James Cavuoto, Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Lu Zhang, Founder and Managing Partner, Fusion Fund Mudit Jain, Ph.D., Founding General Partner, Treo Ventures Samantha Tabone, General Partner, XEIA Venture Partners Reetika Bhardwaj, Ph.D., Principal, Dolby Family Ventures <!– Alaa Halawa, Head U.S. Ventures, Mubadala Capital Suraj Mudichintala, Senior Associate, Action Potential Venture Capital Jordi Parramon, Ph.D., General Partner, Nexus NeuroTech Ventures –> Although federal funding for new neurotech vendors has taken a hit in 2025, a host of private firms have pitched in to fill the pipeline. In this session, a panel of investment professionals will offer their insight on the state of neurotech funding.
3:00-3:30	Refreshment Break
3:30-4:15	From Brainwaves to Breakthroughs: The AI-Driven BCI Revolution JoJo Platt, Senior Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Tetiana Aleksandrova, Founder and CEO, Subsense Inc. Oliver Armitage, Ph.D., Vice President of Neural Data, Axoft Andreas Forsland, CEO, Cognixion <!– Vikash Gilja, Ph.D.,Chief Scientific Officer, Paradromics Craig Mermel, President, Precision Neuroscience Marcus Gerhardt, Co-founder and CEO, Blackrock Neurotech –> This session explores the powerful convergence of BCIs and AI, highlighting how advances in decoding, machine learning, and adaptive algorithms are revolutionizing the way we interact with and understand the brain. Leaders in the field will discuss breakthroughs in speech and movement restoration, neuroadaptive systems, and closed-loop therapeutics, while also addressing the challenges of clinical translation, ethical deployment, and real-world integration.
4:15-5:00	New Realities at HHS: Navigating Regulatory and Reimbursement Changes Jeremy Koff, Senior Consulting Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Kristen Mittal, CEO, Mittal Consulting Lindsey Jardine, Vice President of Clinical, Regulatory & Quality, Adraxe Corp. Renee Ryan, Independent Board Member and Investor <!– Katherine Neuenfeldt, Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategies, Presidio Medical Mark Domyahn, Partner, J.D. Lymon Group –> In this session, we’ll explore the impact of new leadership at the FDA, CMS, CDC, and other agencies and examine the outlook for future regulatory and reimbursement trends.
5:00-7:00	Cocktail Reception, Sponsored by MST

Day Two

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8:00:8:30	Registration and Coffee
8:30-9:15	Keynote Address J. Thomas Mortimer, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University <!– Carolina Aguilar, CEO, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics –>
9:15-10:00	Choosing Your Pain: Neuromodulation Firms Exploit a Variety of Therapies Jeremy Koff, Senior Consulting Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator David Dinsmoor, Senior Distinguished Engineer, Medtronic Andrew Kibler, Ph. D., Director of Research and Clinical Technology, Biotronik Neuro Lisa Brooks, Ph.D., Principal Research Scientist, Presidio Medical Jason Pope, M.D., President, American Society for Pain and Neuroscience <!– Lawrence Poree, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, UCSF School of Medicine Jon Ruais, CCO, Nalu Medical Manfred Franke, Ph.D., CEO, NeuronOff Inc. –> Vendors of peripheral nerve stimulation systems have begun to impact the market for spinal cord stimulation. Meanwhile new therapeutic approaches such as sensory stimulation, magnetic stim, and focused ultrasound are coming to market. In this session, we’ll examine the competitive landscape among the established players and upstarts.
10:00-10:30	Coffee Break
10:30-11:15	A Body of Work: Neuromodulation Firms Move Beyond the CNS Victor Pikov, Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Murthy Simhambhatla, Ph.D., CEO, SetPoint Medical Jim Surek, CEO, Valencia Technologies Uli Gommel, CTO, Neo-Bionica <!– Scott Stanslaski, Senior Distinguished Engineer, Medtronic Martin Schuettler, CTO, CorTec GmbH Brett Wingeier, Ph.D., Vice-President, Research and Development, NeuroPace Inc. –> Neuromodulation firms have expanded their anatomical targets to look at treating non-neurological disorders such as OSA, OAB, and inflammation. In this session we’ll look at some of the new competitive battlegrounds in neuromodulation and bioelectronic medicine.
11:15-12:00	Skin Deep: Wearables Vendors Build New Markets and Applications JoJo Platt, Senior Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Ryan Field, Ph.D., CEO, Kernel Christian Howell, CEO, Cognito Therapeutics Kazu Okuda, M.D., Founder and CEO, Universal Brain <!– Emily Mirro, President and Co-Founder, SynchNeuro Inc. Nathan Intrator, Founder, Neurosteer Liron Nunez Weissman, CEO, Corundum Neuroscience –> While the neurotech industry to date has been largely driven by implantable devices, a new class of vendors has emerged to offer noninvasive neuromodulation and neurosensing applications. In this session, we’ll examine the market potential for consumer neurotech and digital health.
12:00-1:30	Luncheon, Sponsored by Cirtec Medical Presentation of 2025 Gold Electrode Awards
1:30-3:00	Neurotechnology Entrepreneur Panel James Cavuoto, Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Boris Goldstein, Ph.D., CEO, BrainBit <!– Emile Radyte, CEO, Samphire Neuroscience –> Katya Sverdlov, CEO and Co-Founder, JelikaLite Fred Walke, CEO, Wave Neuroscience Andy Gotshalk, CEO, Neurologic Solutions Ludovica Labruna, Ph.D., CEO, Magnetic Tides Sumeet Mahajan, Ph.D., CEO, Brainalyze <!– Imanuel Lerman, M.D., CEO, InflammaSense, Inc. Katya Sverdlov, CEO and Co-Founder, JelikaLite Pawel Soluch, CEO and Co-Founder, Spinally Medical Andy Gotshalk, CEO, Neurologic Solutions Roy Burstin, CEO, Eno –> This session features presentations from CEOs and executives of several neurotechnology start-up firms and more established technology ventures. Each executive will present an overview of their firm’s technology and markets.
3:00-3:30	Refreshment Break
3:30-4:15	Making Use of Neurodata: Opportunities and Pitfalls for Neurosensing Vendors James Cavuoto, Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Vendors of implantable and noninvasive neurosensing systems such as BCIs and EEG devices offer a considerable opportunity for clinicians and patients to detect and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. But how the data is collected and used could have important implcations on our healthcare system and on society overall. In this session, we’ll discuss the commercial and societal impacts of advances in this area.
3:30-4:15	It Takes a Village: Neurotech Industry Looks to Outside Help James Cavuoto, Editor, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Vojkan Mihajlovic, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, imec Garrett Schumacher, Business Unit Director, Product Security, Velentium Medical Rob Crawford, Senior Director, Sales and Marketing, Micro Systems Technologies Asheesh Divetia, Ph.D., Head of Engineering and Technology, Cirtec Medical <!– Asheesh Divetia, Ph.D., General Manager, Cirtec Medical Eran Benjamin, Business Development Manager, Micro Systems Technologies Uli Gommel, CTO, Neo-Bionica –> The overall health of the neurotechnology industry depends on the availability of a network of third-party suppliers, including manufacturing firms, consultants, nonprofit organizations, and funding sources. In this session, we’ll hear from some of the parties who help keep the industry moving forward.
4:15-5:00	Fireside Chat: Neurotech’s Past and Future James Cavuoto, Editor and Publisher, Neurotech Reports, Moderator Paul Grand, CEO, MedTech Innovator In this wrap-up session, Neurotech Reports editor James Cavuoto sits down with an iconic industry veteran to review the neurotech industry’s trajectory from emerging market to established medtech sector over the last 25 years.
5:00-7:00	Cocktail Reception, Sponsored by MST