The Harvard incubated startup is betting that brain computer interfaces can reach more people without surgery, even as experts say major technical hurdles remain.
BrainCo was founded in 2015 and later expanded to China.
- Chinese neurotech startup BrainCo challenges Neuralink.
- Develops non-surgical brain-computer interface (BCI).
- Uses wearable sensors, unlike Neuralink's implants.
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Chinese neurotechnology startup BrainCo is drawing global attention as a potential challenger to Elon Musk's Neuralink by developing brain computer interface, or BCI, technology that does not require surgery.
Instead of implanting chips into the brain, BrainCo focuses on wearable devices that read brain signals through sensors placed on the scalp, an approach researchers say could make the technology safer and more accessible if accuracy continues to improve. Founded in 2015 by Harvard University researcher Han Bicheng and incubated at the Harvard Innovation Labs, BrainCo began in the United States before expanding its research and manufacturing operations to Hangzhou, China.
The company develops products ranging from brain controlled prosthetic hands to wearable devices designed for rehabilitation, wellness and cognitive training. Its prosthetic hand, which combines brain and muscle signals to control movement, was recognised among Time magazine's Best Inventions in 2019 and later received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration. BrainCo is taking a different route from Neuralink, which is testing implantable brain computer interfaces in human clinical trials for people with paralysis and severe neurological conditions.
Neuralink's system uses ultra-thin electrodes placed inside the brain to capture high quality neural signals, allowing users to control computers and other devices with their thoughts.
BrainCo instead relies on wearable sensors that read brain activity from outside the skull, avoiding surgery but working with weaker signals that are harder to decode accurately.
Experts say implantable systems currently offer greater precision, while non invasive devices have the advantage of being safer and easier to scale for everyday use.
BrainCo instead uses electroencephalography, or EEG, to detect electrical activity from outside the skull, avoiding the risks linked to brain implants. The tradeoff is that non-invasive systems receive weaker and noisier signals than
implanted devices. Scientists say accurately translating those signals into precise actions remains one of the biggest obstacles to widespread adoption. As a result, wearable BCIs are currently better suited to applications such as rehabilitation, attention monitoring and assistive devices rather than the high-performance control demonstrated by implanted systems.
China is also giving the sector strong policy support. Brain computer interfaces have been identified as a strategic future industry under the country's latest development plans.
Regulators have already approved several BCI related medical products, while multiple government agencies are working to accelerate research, clinical testing and commercialisation by 2027. Most ongoing clinical studies in China focus on non-invasive technologies aimed at stroke recovery and rehabilitation.
Despite growing momentum, BrainCo has faced scrutiny in the past. Its early EEG headbands, tested in some Chinese schools to measure attention levels, sparked privacy concerns from parents and educators, leading to the suspension of some pilot programmes. The company said the devices were intended to improve teaching methods rather than monitor individual students.
As competition in brain computer interfaces intensifies, BrainCo and Neuralink are pursuing different visions of the same goal. One is focused on powerful implanted devices, while the other is betting that wearable technology can bring brain-controlled applications to a much wider audience.
Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) face technical hurdles in matching the performance of implanted chips, primarily due to weaker and noisier signals received through the scalp compared to direct brain implants.
Wearable brain-computer interface (BCI) devices have potential applications in restoring communication for individuals who have lost the ability to speak due to conditions like stroke or neurological disorders.
China's BCI policy is a significant factor in the global development of brain-computer interfaces, with the government designating the sector a national growth priority.
Whether non-invasive systems can eventually match the performance of implanted chips remains one of the biggest questions facing the industry.