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When we closed out the year 2023 in this space last month on a somewhat optimistic note, we really had no idea how quickly good fortune would visit the neurotechnology industry. But in fact, January 2024 proved to be a landmark month for startups, strategics, and investors in the space. Just in case Neuralink founder Elon Musk doesn’t get enough news coverage, his announcement of the first-in-human implantation of the company’s robotic-driven BCI system was greeted even a significant milestone.

About 110 neurotechnology industry professionals, including founders of startup-firms, executives of larger companies, clinicians, university researchers, investors, and government representatives, took part in a series of discussions at the 2023 Neurotech Leaders Forum, produced . Several of the sessions featured lively though respectful debates on critical issues facing the industry, including fu…

Neurotech Reports, the publisher of the Neurotech Business Report newsletter, announced that several promising neurotechnology startups and early-stage firms will present at the 2023 Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco, November 6-7. The 23rd annual event—the most established in the industry—will also feature presentations and panel discussions on important issues confronting the neurotechnology industry.

As we bid farewell to another year, it’s worth taking a look at some of the more significant events that took place in the neurotechnology industry in 2023. While the industry has not yet returned to the levels of investment and valuations of 2021, there is certainly more optimism among startups in this space compared to a year ago. Among the neurotech startups and emerging firms who fared well thi…

The market for visual neuroprosthetics products has taken some interesting turns since our last article on this product category earlier this year [NBR Aug23 p1]. Prominent companies like Second Sight Medical Products and Pixium Vision SA, once pioneers in implantable vision restoration devices, now grapple with financial challenges. In 2022, Second Sight (founded entrepreneur Alfred Mann) merged with Nano Precision Medical, forming Vivani Medical, Inc.

The bioelectronic medicine market for treating overactive bladder and related disorders is likely to become more congested as new players enter the arena with new targets and new technology. Market leaders Medtronic and Axonics currently own the vast majority of the market for implanted sacral nerve stimulation systems. In recent weeks three new competitors in this space reported progress toward commercial development.

The bioelectronic medicine market for treating overactive bladder and related disorders is likely to become more congested as new players enter the arena with new targets and new technology. Market leaders Medtronic and Axonics currently own the vast majority of the market for implanted sacral nerve stimulation systems. In recent weeks three new competitors in this space reported progress toward commercial development.

The 23rd annual Neurotech Leaders Forum, which took place in San Francisco earlier this month [see conference report p15], offered an excellent opportunity for neurotech professionals to sound off—and to listen in—on pressing issues confronting the industry. One of the most productive sessions, we think, was devoted to responding to negative publications and negative decisions impacting neuromodulation firms.

Manufacturers of surgically implanted brain devices have generally had to make a compromise between the level of invasiveness and the ability to access deep brain structures. Most DBS systems on the market today are able to reach brain centers such as the subthalamic nucleus or the GPi only of cerebral cortex and other brain structures. Most BCI systems on the market or under development minimize penetration deep in the brain but only come into contact with cortical neurons on the surface of the brain.

The interface between technology and medicine has reached a milestone with the development of DART (Direct Current-Actuated Regulatory Technology), an electrogenetic interface that integrates wearable devices with gene-based therapies. This has potential in real-time medical adaptations, specifically in the management of type 1 diabetes—a condition that requires meticulous monitoring and immediate therapeutic interventions.