TLDRs;
- Neuralink patients have logged over 15,000 hours of active brain chip use across 12 recipients worldwide.
- Expansion from 7 to 12 patients marks a rapid scaling of BCI clinical trials compared to historical timelines.
- The company secured $650 million in funding, fueling international expansion and clinical study partnerships in the UK.
- Competition is growing, but Neuralink’s head start gives it a strong lead in invasive brain-computer interface technology.
Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company, Neuralink, has revealed that patients implanted with its brain chip technology have now logged more than 15,000 cumulative hours of active device use.
The milestone highlights how far the company has come since it announced its first small-scale trials, marking a pivotal shift from experimental demonstrations to real-world clinical applications.
According to Neuralink, 12 patients worldwide, all of whom live with severe paralysis, have received the implant. This represents a notable increase from the seven patients reported earlier this year by the Barrow Neurological Institute, Neuralink’s medical partner. Collectively, patients have used the devices for over 2,000 days, suggesting that the implants are not only functional but also sustainable over extended periods.
From Research Labs to Clinical Reality
The expansion from seven to 12 patients in just a few months demonstrates how rapidly Neuralink is scaling. Historically, BCI development was painstakingly slow, dating back to early EEG research in the 1960s.
It often took decades for experimental work to even approach human trials. Neuralink’s accelerated timeline signals a major inflection point, that brain implants are moving beyond proof-of-concept and into practical, clinical adoption.
Equally important, the reported 15,000+ hours reflect actual daily use by patients rather than brief trial sessions. This suggests that Neuralink’s technology has advanced past the stage of feasibility tests and into consistent, real-world applications, something earlier neurotech ventures struggled to achieve.
Funding Fuels Clinical and Global Expansion
Neuralink’s progress comes on the heels of a $650 million funding round in June 2024, one of the largest investments ever secured by a neurotechnology startup.
The timing of this influx of capital coincides with the company’s accelerated patient adoption and its announcement of UK-based clinical trials in partnership with University College London Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals.
The funding also reflects growing investor confidence in the commercial potential of invasive neurotechnology. Neuralink’s expansion mirrors a broader boom in the sector: 81 startups in the neurotech space have collectively raised $3.7 billion, with the global market expected to grow from $17 billion in 2025 to $52 billion by 2034.
Competitive Landscape Heats Up
Neuralink may be leading in implantable BCI technology, but competition is emerging quickly. Reports suggest that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is backing a new BCI startup, Merge Labs, which could be valued at $850 million.
Unlike Neuralink’s invasive implant approach, many other companies are exploring non-invasive methods such as EEG headsets for applications in gaming, virtual reality, and rehabilitation.
Still, Neuralink’s head start in clinical-grade implantable devices positions it strongly as BCI adoption grows. Its progress from just a handful of test subjects to over a dozen active patients in less than a year signals a commercial readiness that few rivals can yet match.
