A new startup, Bridge Neurotech, has entered the race to build a brain-computer interface, aiming to compete with Sam Altman’s Merge Labs. Funded with $13.5 million, including from General Catalyst, Bridge seeks to develop a wearable device that can translate brain signals into actions, unlike the invasive implants currently used by competitors like Neuralink.

Founder and CEO, Will Biederman, believes that the risks of neurosurgery are too high for widespread use. He aims to create a device that can be used by many more people. However, the challenge lies in the poor signal quality of wearable devices, which are affected by the weakening of electrical signals by bone and skin. This is why most companies are recording electrical impulses directly from neurons in the brain.

Ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to measure blood flow, presents an alternative to current implants and external sensors. Fluctuations in blood flow closely follow neural activity. Bridge Neurotech plans to use predictive AI models to reduce the natural delay between neural activity and the subsequent change in blood flow. The company is set to begin its first clinical study in California, with the device being worn like headphones above the ear, through the thinnest part of the skull.

While ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces show promise, the study at Caltech and USC highlighted the technical challenges involved, such as the need for a skull window for ultrasound waves to pass through. Despite these hurdles, Biederman remains optimistic about the potential of non-invasive interfaces to help people.