BCIs: Inflection or Peak?
For 25 years, the implanted brain–computer interfaces stayed inside academic labs. Between the first chronic implant in 1998 and the end of 2023, 21 research groups implanted 67 people worldwide [1].
Since then the number has more than doubled, to roughly 150 by one leading researcher’s estimate [2]. In 2026, China became the first country to approve a BCI for medical use.
Capital has moved even faster. VC-backed BCI companies raised $1.6B in the first nine months of 2026, more than in all of 2025 ($1.5B) [3]. Philanthropists including Jed McCaleb and Bill Ackman have committed hundreds of millions to neuroscience.
So are we passing through a true inflection, or a local peak? And is the tide driven by technology, or by investor sentiment? This salon brings together researchers, founders, engineers and investors to work through those questions.
Program
5:30–5.45 pm · Registration
5:45–6:00 pm · Investment landscape
Opening talk by hosts Lucy Wang and Peter Zhegin.
Lucy is a founding partner of Divergent Capital, a first check investor in breakthrough technologies.
Peter is a program director at e184, a biotech company, and an angel investor.
6:00–6:40 pm · Research and technology landscape
Implantable, non-implantable, and cognitive BCI landscapes covered by Nicolas Vachicouras, Eloy Geenjaar, and Ignacio Saez.
Nicolas Vachicouras is the CEO & Co-Founder, Neurosoft Bioelectronics.
Eloy Geenjaar is a Research Scientist at Synaptrix.
Ignacio Saez is Ignacio Saez is an Associate Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Friedman Brain Institute.
6:40–7:30 pm · Discussion
Topics come from attendees. When you register, propose one: research and technology, investment, or something adjacent.
Hosted by Divergent Capital × e184. Venue partner: Carrara & Planeteer HQ.
Space is limited and registration requires approval.
References
[1] Patrick-Krueger et al., Nature Reviews Bioengineering (2024)
[2] MIT Technology Review, June 2026
[3] PitchBook, Q4 2026 BCI analyst note