Neuralink rival Paradromics completes its first brain implant in a human patient

Neurotech startup Paradromics implanted and tested its brain-computer interface on a human patient for the first time on Monday. The company hopes to use the implant to help people with motor neuron disorders by directing their brain signals to computers or other electronic devices.

Neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan Matthew Willsey safely placed a chip smaller than a penny on the patient’s brain while the person was undergoing surgery for epilepsy and left it there for 10 to 15 minutes.

According to Willsey, needles half the diameter of a human hair were used to poke into the brain tissue, aiming to pick up electrical signals from individual neurons. Dr. Oren Sagher oversaw the traditional clinical component of the procedure. The brain implant was completed less than four months after the company secured an investment from Saudi Arabia’s Neom.

The procedure took place on May 14th at the University of Michigan with a patient who was already undergoing neurosurgery for epilepsy treatment. Paradromics demonstrated that its device could be safely implanted to record neural activity. The company plans to kick off a clinical trial later this year once regulators give its system the green light. The study will examine this technology’s long-term safety and use in humans.

Angle says the device is best in class from a data and longevity standpoint

Yes, that's correct—Paradromics recently announced they have successfully implanted their brain-computer interface (BCI) in a human for the first time, with the procedure taking place at the University of Michigan in May 2025 during epilepsy surgery.

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Paradromics’ BCI has not yet received U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) approval. Still, the company’s founder and CEO, Matt Angle, said the device had been successfully tested on dozens of sheep. Two sheep had the chip for over two-and-a-half years without degrading the signal it read out of the brain. He added that the device was currently compatible with humans and was best in class from a data and longevity standpoint. 

Willsey also said the device was placed safely and appeared to be recording signals from the brain. He pointed out that the same kind of brain-computer interface that could read out whether someone intended to speak or move their arm could also read out things like the patient’s mood or if the patient was experiencing pain.

“That’s really exciting and raises a lot of excitement for our upcoming clinical trial.”

–Matt Angle, Founder and CEO at Paradromics

Paradromics initially hoped to use Connexus to help people with diseases where the neurons that control movement did not work anymore, said Matt Angle, the company’s founder and chief executive officer. The device could assist people who can’t speak because their facial muscles don’t respond or people who can’t move because their limbs are paralyzed by directing their brain signals to computers or other electronic devices.

Neurotech startup raises $140M through Saudi Arabia’s Neom

Paradromics raised $140 million with support from the government of Saudi Arabia through the Neom Investment Fund. Angle said he was trying to build a device that would last for more than 10 years in the brain. 

The Paradromics CEO said his company was planning a feasibility study for speech restoration that would enroll 10 patients at two different research sites, subject to approval by the U.S. FDA. Patients would be monitored for safety over the course of a year, and researchers would measure the stability of the signal and collect information about participants’ experiences. Angle said implants like these could be used for mental health conditions as well as neurodegenerative diseases.

According to data from Pitchbook and interviews, some companies have already tested BCI devices in humans that aim to facilitate direct communication between the brain and electronic devices. The field has attracted more than $2 billion in investment so far. Tesla boss Elon Musk said Neuralink had been implanted in five people, while a Synchron Inc. spokesperson said their device was in 10 people. Musk said he envisioned a future in which brain implants allowed humans to achieve “symbiosis with AI” and communicate telepathically.

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