Elon Musk has built up quite a portfolio of companies and startups over the years. One of those business ventures is Neuralink Corp., which is now looking to fund the development of brain computers. To do so, the company is willing to part with up to US$100 million in stock. Creating a technological solution that merges human brains with computers sounds a lot scarier than it really is.
Brain Computers and Elon Musk in one Sentence
The concept of brain computers is not something most consumers necessarily look forward to. Though it sounds very scary and invasive, the technology has yet to be developed in the first place. Elon Musk‘s startup Neuralink Corp. is looking to do exactly that. It hopes to raise US$100 million and is willing to sell a vast amount of company stock to do so.
So far, the company has received US$27 million in funding, according to a document posted on the SEC website. Neuralink is not actively looking for outside investors at this stage, which is rather remarkable. No one knows for sure where this US$27 million came from or whether or not the same parties are willing to buy up to US$100 million of stock to help the company succeed in its mission. Then again, stranger things have happened in the technology sector.
According to Musk himself, Neuralink is a top priority as is the technology he hopes to develop. Having previously worked with automotive rocket companies, exploring the concept of brain computers is next on his agenda. That in itself is pretty interesting, considering Musk is also focusing on Tesla, OpenaI, and SpaceX right now. It will be interesting to see how these power rankings play out in the coming years.
For the time being, it is anybody’s guess as to what Neuralink is working on exactly. Merging computers with the human brain through futuristic technological developments is a very strange idea. Since no other noteworthy company has succeeded in doing anything similar, it is impossible to know what we can expect in the coming months and years. The company knows exactly how much money will be needed, though, which indicates there is a plan of action on the table.
According to the startup’s website, its goal is to develop an “ultra-high bandwidth brain machine interface to connect humans and computers.” This is a very vague statement at best which leaves a lot to speculation. It may sound pretty scary to most people, since connecting a human brain to a computer in any way sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Until the company comes up with a project people can properly evaluate, there is little reason to speculate.
It seems the company is in the process of actively recruiting additional engineers and scientists to assist with the development of this technology. Interestingly, there is no neuroscience experience required. A lot of people will want to keep a close eye on this technology, mainly because Elon Musk is involved. Brain computers remain a mystery for the time being, but the idea certainly sounds intriguing.
