US EditionOpenAI Co-Funds Brain-Interface Biz Co-Founded by CEO Altman
OpenAI led the $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation to develop non-invasive brain-computer interfaces aimed at enhancing human-AI integration.
- On Thursday, Merge Labs came out of stealth with OpenAI writing the largest single check in its $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation, planning to collaborate on foundation models.
- Sam Altman has long promoted the Merge idea since at least 2017, framing it as shaping human-machine descendants while Merge Labs aims for non-invasive interfaces using molecules and ultrasound.
- The company lacks a president or CEO and lists its four co‑founders on the board; Sam Altman serves personally, and OpenAI holds rights to a board observer seat at Merge Labs.
- Altman's launch raises competition in the brain‑computer interface sector as OpenAI said collaborating with Merge could accelerate R&D across bioengineering, neuroscience, and device engineering, deepening rivalry with Elon Musk and Neuralink.
- The BCI industry has grown rapidly in recent years, raising more than $2 billion in the US; Merge Labs plans medical products first, favoring non-invasive devices as observers note OpenAI's circular investment.
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OpenAI invests in a company called Merge Labs that proposes to make it possible to control the devices with the help of the brain, but without the need for hardware implants in the human body. It is also called Sam...
TechCrunch
OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs
OpenAI is participating in a $250 million seed round into Merge Labs, Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup. The startup is valued at $850 million.
OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s BCI startup Merge Labs
OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as part of a large seed funding round. The startup, which describes itself as a research lab focused on linking biological and artificial intelligence, emerged from stealth this week with an undisclosed seed round. According to a report by Techcrunch, the round totalled about $250 million and valued the company at roughly $850 million…
OpenAI invests in brain-computer interface developer Merge Labs
OpenAI Group PBC has invested in Merge Labs Inc., a startup developing hardware that will enable users to control computers with their thoughts. The large language model provider announced the deal today. Bloomberg described the investment as a $252 million seed round, while TechCrunch cited a source as saying that Merge Labs raised $250 million. Besides […] The post OpenAI invests in brain-computer interface developer Merge Labs appeared first …
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