Bridge Neurotech (‘Bridge’), which emerged from stealth today with the goal of building a completely non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI), and Butterfly Network (‘Butterfly’), a pioneer and leader in semiconductor-based ultrasound, programmable cloud software and AI, has announced a research and development agreement through Butterfly Embedded.
Bridge was founded with a mission to make BCIs possible without brain surgery or implants. The company believes advances in neuroscience, semiconductors and AI have created an opportunity to use ultrasound to image and decode brain activity through the skull, with the potential to restore function and expand human capabilities. As part of its emergence from stealth, Bridge also announced its first human research study and is now enrolling participants.
Bridge will license Butterfly’s Ultrasound-on-Chip technology for its exploration of non-surgical BCIs. The multi-year agreement includes payments to Butterfly for technology access and development milestones, as well as commitments to purchase Butterfly hardware.
“We started Bridge because we believe the pieces are finally in place to make a non-invasive brain-computer interface possible and ultrasound is central to that opportunity,” said Will Biederman, Founder and CEO, Bridge Neurotech. “Butterfly has already brought ultrasound onto a fully integrated semiconductor chip, giving us a powerful and programmable foundation as we work toward real-time, non-invasive interaction with the brain.”
“The BCI category holds enormous potential, from treating serious conditions to expanding human capabilities,” said Joseph DeVivo, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Butterfly Network. “One of the most fundamental challenges will be expanding that potential to the masses. Innovators like Bridge are exploring surgery-free approaches to broaden access, and we’re proud our Ultrasound-on-Chip technology can help advance that pursuit.”
