Jasaun Knight, one of fewer than 200 people worldwide with a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant, described the experience as 'like telekinesis' and feeling like he had a superpower. BCIs detect neural activity and translate it into digital commands, offering potential to restore speech and movement to those with injuries or diseases.

Companies developing BCIs raised more than $1bn in 2026, according to Pitch Book data, compared with $1.56bn in the previous four years combined. Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk a decade ago, is the best-funded, having raised more than $1.3bn in seven rounds. Precision Neuroscience, which implanted Knight's device, is another key player.

The most ambitious companies are developing "invasive" devices inserted through a surgical incision in the skull. Some, like Neuralink, have electrodes that penetrate the brain and are designed for long-term use. Others, including Precision Neuroscience, are developing thin, flexible BCIs that sit on the surface of the brain without piercing it.

US companies including Synchron, Blackrock Neurotech, Axoft and Merge Labs benefit from deep American venture capital markets and a Food and Drug Administration that executives regard as more responsive than regulators in Europe. But a cluster of innovative BCI companies is emerging in Europe, among them Cor Tec in Germany, Onward Medical in the Netherlands, Spain's In Brain, and Neurosoft and Ability Neurotech in Switzerland.