Neuralink Reports 12 Human Implants and Over 15,000 Hours of Cumulative Device Usage as It Files for IPO

Cailian Press, September 10 (Editor: Zhou Ziyi)Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, announced on Tuesday (September 9) that 12 people worldwide have received implants of its N1 brain-computer chip as part of clinical trials.

Neuralink Corp. stated in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday that patients had used its devices for a total of 2,000 days, with cumulative usage exceeding 15,000 hours.

This update marks progress since June. In June, Neuralink’s partner, the Barrow Neurological Institute, claimed that seven patients with severe paralysis had received Neuralink’s implanted devices.

At the time, Neuralink also highlighted that patients who had lost their ability to speak due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could play video games, design 3D machine parts, control robotic arms, and communicate after implantation of the N1 chip.

Progress

Neuralink was founded in 2016, primarily developing high-bandwidth, minimally invasive brain-computer interface devices with the goal of achieving direct communication between the human brain and computers.

In 2024, after addressing safety concerns raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Neuralink Corp began human trials of its brain implants. The FDA had previously rejected its application in 2022.

This June, the company announced the completion of a $650 million Series E financing round, with its valuation surging to $9 billion as it races toward the $10 billion mark.

In July, Neuralink announced that it would conduct a clinical trial in the UK to test how its chip could help severely paralyzed patients control digital and physical tools through thought, in collaboration with University College London Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals.

Earlier this month, Musk stated that Neuralink Corp might attempt to restore partial vision to patients with visual impairments as early as 2026. Currently, Neuralink’s “Telepathy” implant has been successfully implanted outside the United States for the first time, and Musk shared this latest development on X.