OpenAI has invested $252 million in Neuralink rival NeuralBridge, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in late 2024. The funding round, confirmed today by sources close to both companies, marks one of the largest single bets OpenAI has made outside its core AI research.
NeuralBridge is developing implantable neural devices that aim to let humans control computers directly with their thoughts, restore lost functions for people with disabilities, and eventually enable direct brain-to-brain communication.
The company claims its next-generation implant will have 10× more electrodes than current Neuralink devices while being fully wireless and rechargeable through the skin.
Altman, who stepped down from day-to-day Neuralink involvement in 2023 to focus on OpenAI, quietly founded NeuralBridge with a small team of former Neuralink and DARPA engineers. The startup has kept a low profile until now, with only a single patent filing and a sparse website.
The $252 million comes entirely from OpenAI’s corporate treasury and is structured as a mix of equity and convertible debt. OpenAI will gain a board observer seat but not majority control.
In a short statement released this afternoon, OpenAI said:
“Advancing human-AI symbiosis is central to our mission. NeuralBridge’s work on safe, high-bandwidth neural interfaces complements our efforts in artificial general intelligence. We are proud to support Sam and the team in this important frontier.”
Altman posted on X shortly after the news broke:
“NeuralBridge is separate from OpenAI — different team, different mission, different funding. But yes, the two organizations will collaborate where it makes sense. Excited for what’s ahead.”
Industry analysts see the investment as strategic. OpenAI has increasingly framed its long-term goal as merging human and machine intelligence. A high-performance BCI could provide a direct interface between human brains and AGI systems, giving OpenAI a potential hardware moat in the post-AGI era.
Critics, however, raised immediate concerns about conflicts of interest, given Altman’s dual role. Some pointed to the unusual structure of the investment coming directly from OpenAI rather than Altman personally or through a separate vehicle.
NeuralBridge has not yet announced clinical trials or regulatory filings, but sources say first-in-human implants are targeted for late 2027, pending FDA breakthrough designation.
The move comes at a time when BCI companies are attracting intense interest.
Neuralink (backed by Elon Musk) performed its first human implant in 2024, while Synchron and Blackrock Neurotech are also advancing. OpenAI’s entry via NeuralBridge signals that the race to connect brains and AI is now a top priority for the world’s leading AI lab.
More details are expected when NeuralBridge holds its first public briefing later this quarter. For now, the $252 million bet makes one thing clear: OpenAI is no longer just building AI; it’s preparing to plug directly into the human mind.
