BOSS is a movement designed to turn successful founders into serial angel investors. BOSS's ~50 pre-approved syndicate leads represent Boston’s most respected and high achieving founders and executives. When they personally invest in a Boston tech company (putting in the first check), we back them with $250k per deal.

Boston Syndicates (BOSS)

PJC is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in, supporting, and building relationships with entrepreneurs who are creating the future. The firm has invested in over 100 companies across North America including notable companies like Expensify, Nest, BlockFi, GetWell Network and Nexamp. PJC was founded in 2001 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Wolverine Angels was created to connect investors, entrepreneurs, and executives in the University of Michigan community. Michigan alumni, professors, and family members are supporting entrepreneurs as mentors and investors.  Their investment syndicate invests in the best investment opportunities, regardless of affiliation to Michigan.  Their goal is to support entrepreneurial programs at U of M by donating a portion of future investment profits.

Wolverine Angels Network

NXT Venture Fund is established for the purpose of discovering and enabling the next truly disruptive start-up companies, with potential to transfer and create cross-border synergies between US and China.

NXT Ventures

Loup Ventures is a research-driven venture capital firm based in Minneapolis and New York investing in frontier technology.

Loup Ventures

Cold Start is a venture builder that incubates and funds mission-oriented companies.

Cold Start Ventures

Founded in 1996, InveStar Capital, Inc. is a venture capital firm with offices in the United States and Taiwan. We, at InveStar, focus on semiconductors, communications and networking, and Internet infrastructure companies.  Managing several funds with a total size of over US$500 million, we have built a portfolio of more than 100 companies, of which roughly 73% are in the United States and 27% in Taiwan. We are seeking to expand our investment target to include companies in mainland China and other parts in the Pacific Rim. By linking our portfolio companies with our investors and other strategic partners throughout Asia, we are proud to play the role of bridging the technologies between the West and the East.  Impeccable integrity, dedication to service, and fairness to all are the core corporate values of InveStar. Our investment philosophy is to identify entrepreneurs with vision, innovative technology, and a strong sense of commitment. In addition to providing companies with venture capital, we also assume an active role in offering strategic advice to, and sharing our management expertise, experiences, and business connections with, our portfolio companies.

InveStar Capital

Merck Ventures is the strategic, corporate venture capital arm of Merck. Its mandate is to invest in innovative technologies and products with the potential to significantly impact Merck‘s core business areas. From its headquarters in Amsterdam and offices in the US and Israel we invest globally in transformational ideas driven by great entrepreneurs. Merck Ventures takes an active role in its portfolio companies and teams up with entrepreneurs and co-investors to translate innovation towards commercial success. Merck Ventures has a significant focus on early-stage investing and company creation including the creation of spin-offs to leverage Merck‘s science and technology base.

M Ventures

Innospark Ventures is a new breed of early-stage venture capital firm, investing in the AI-driven economy.

Innospark Ventures

The Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund (ZLCF) is a pre-seed investment fund established to identify and accelerate the commercialization of ideas generated within the South-East Michigan area.

Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund

Hartmann Capital is a frontier-tech investment firm, seeking out opportunities that produce global paradigm shifts, such as Digital Assets, VR/AR, AI, space, and transhumanism.  In early 2018, Hartmann Capital launched its inaugural long-biased, multi-strategy crypto asset hedge fund, Hartmann Digital Assets. The fund is renown for its long/short, thematic, event-driven, and activist investing in the digital assets ecosystem.  Since 2020, Hartmann Capital runs a pure prop arm, Hartmann Ventures, which has has made long term investments in both digital assets and spacetech (Starbridge, Space Capital, Axiom, Lynk) In October 2021, Hartmann Capital launched its second fund, Hartmann Metaverse Ventures I, a pure metaverse venture fund, focused on investing into the infrastructure, content, and access points of the metaverse.

Hartmann Capital

Global Brain Corporation is a venture capital firm that invests in companies from seed or early to pre-IPO startups.  Global Brain has invested in 300+ startups from seed/early to pre-IPO startups and achieved 25 IPOs and 61 M&As as a result of providing hands-on support services and resources to its portfolio startups. Global Brain has managed a pure investment fund as well as multiple corporate venture capital funds partnered together with tier 1 public companies of telecom, real estate development, financial service, beverages, agriculture food, logistics, and electronic devices.

Global Brain Corporation

Neurable

Neurable is a neurotechnology company specializing in developing AI-powered tools for brain signal translation and brain-computer interface technology. Utilizing patented signal processing, developed through research across labs and institutions, and advanced by a scientific and expert product team, its platform enables high-performance brain-computer interface in everyday devices.

Neurable is a neurotechnology company specializing in the development of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The company was founded in 2015 as a spin-out from the University of Michigan's Direct-Brain Interface Laboratory. Neurable's core offering is a non-invasive BCI platform that uses AI-powered electroencephalography (EEG) to record and analyze brain activity in real-time.

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Bridging the gap between the human brain and computer

Brain-computer Interfaces

BCI maker Neurable raises $13M

Neurable is a neurotechnology company specializing in the development of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The company was founded in 2015 as a spin-out from the University of Michigan's Direct-Brain Interface Laboratory. Neurable's core offering is a non-invasive BCI platform that uses AI-powered electroencephalography (EEG) to record and analyze brain activity in real-time.
The company's patented signal processing technology, developed through decades of research, enables high-performance brain-computer interfacing in everyday devices such as headphones. Neurable's AI platform can extract and analyze EEG data, allowing users to control digital interfaces and receive insights into their brain activity.
In 2024, Neurable launched its flagship product, the MW75 Neuro headphones, which integrate the company's BCI technology. These headphones can measure the wearer's brain waves and provide data on focus and cognitive performance. The company aims to optimize human performance by offering tools for understanding and enhancing brain health.
Key customers and partnerships
Neurable has partnered with consumer technology companies like Master & Dynamic to embed EEG sensors into everyday wearables. It has also collaborated with the US Air Force Research Lab to explore applications of its technology for improving soldier performance.

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Elon Musk with the goal of developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The company's flagship product is the N1 Implant, a coin-sized device that is surgically implanted in the brain. The implant contains 1,024 electrodes distributed across 64 ultra-thin threads that can monitor neural activity and electrically stimulate the brain. It wirelessly transmits brain data to external devices, allowing users to control computers or mobile devices directly with their thoughts.
Neuralink's initial focus is on providing digital freedom for people with quadriplegia by enabling them to interact with technology using neural signals. The N1 Implant will be placed in the motor cortex region of the brain that controls movement intention. As of March 2024, Neuralink has implanted its device in at least one human participant, allowing them to control a computer mouse cursor and play video games purely by thinking.
The implant surgery is performed using a custom robotic system developed by Neuralink. This surgical robot automatically inserts the electrode threads into the desired brain region with high precision. Neuralink claims the robotic implantation process aims to be as minimally invasive as procedures like LASIK eye surgery.
Key customers and partnerships
In November 2023, Neuralink announced its first clinical trial, dubbed the "Prime Study," to evaluate the N1 Implant's safety and functionality in human participants with quadriplegia caused by cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study is expected to enroll participants aged 22 and older over a period of six years.
Neuralink has previously collaborated with the University of California, Davis to conduct animal testing of its brain implants on monkeys and other research animals. However, this partnership ended in 2020 amid allegations from an animal rights group regarding the treatment of monkeys during experiments.

Neuralink

Kernel is a neurotechnology company developing non-invasive brain imaging devices. Their flagship product, Kernel Flow, is a wearable headset that uses time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-fNIRS) technology to measure brain activity. Kernel Flow emits near-infrared light and detects changes in blood oxygenation levels in the brain's cortical areas, similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it offers advantages such as portability, affordability, and the ability to measure brain activity in natural environments.
Kernel Flow features 52 modules arranged in four plates that fit on either side of the head. Each module contains two laser sources that generate picosecond pulses of light and six detectors that capture the reflected light. By recording the photon arrival times, the system can measure changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations, providing insights into brain function.
Kernel has conducted studies demonstrating the efficacy of Kernel Flow in various applications, including measuring the psychedelic effects of ketamine, predicting gaming expertise, and assessing cognitive decline. As of January 2022, the company had provided 50 systems to partners for evaluation and launched commercial sales for research teams.

Kernel

Synchron is a neurotechnology company developing an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to enable patients with severe paralysis to wirelessly control digital devices through their thoughts and improve functional independence. Their flagship technology, the Stentrode, is an endovascular brain implant that is inserted into the brain's motor cortex via the jugular vein using a minimally invasive endovascular procedure, eliminating the need for open brain surgery.
The Stentrode contains electrodes that detect motor intent signals from the brain, which are wirelessly transmitted to an external device. Using machine learning algorithms and signal processing techniques, these neural signals are then translated into digital commands, allowing the user to control personal devices like computers and smartphones for tasks such as texting, emailing, online shopping, and accessing telehealth services.
In August 2020, Synchron received FDA Breakthrough Device designation, followed by the first Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) in July 2021 for evaluating a permanently implanted BCI. The company has conducted clinical trials in Australia and the US, with the first US implantation occurring in July 2022 at Mount Sinai Health System in New York. As of January 2023, Synchron reported that the Stentrode remained safe and functional in four Australian patients after 12 months, with no serious adverse events or significant signal deterioration.

Synchron

Paradromics is an Austin, Texas-based neurotechnology company developing a high data-rate brain-computer interface (BCI) called the Connexus Direct Data Interface (DDI). The Connexus DDI is designed to collect an unprecedented number of individual neural signals from the brain using a fully implantable device intended for long-term daily use.
The first application of the Connexus DDI is an assistive communication device that translates brain signals into speech and movement in real-time. This revolutionary technology aims to restore the ability to communicate and interact with technology independently for people with conditions like ALS, spinal cord injuries, and stroke that cause severe motor impairment.
In May 2023, Paradromics raised USD 33 million in a Series A funding round led by Prime Movers Lab, with participation from Westcott Investment Group, Dolby Family Ventures, and Green Sands Equity. This investment will enable the company to launch its first-in-human clinical trial for the Connexus DDI.
Additionally, in a significant milestone, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Connexus DDI a Breakthrough Device Designation in May 2023. This designation recognizes the transformative potential of the device and allows for an expedited review process, accelerating its availability to patients.

Paradromics

Cognixion is a leading developer of non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Their flagship product, the Cognixion ONE Axon, utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to provide a non-invasive brain-computer interface. It enables patients with advanced disease progression, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Motor Neuron Disease (MND), traumatic injuries, and cerebral palsy, to communicate their responses with their thoughts and mental attention in a wearable, augmented reality headset.
The Cognixion ONE Axon integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI), including GPT large language models, to rapidly support the user's communication intentions and desired outcomes. It provides contextual predictions and suggestions that can be quickly selected and communicated audibly and visually on the front visor as a communication aid. The device aims to become the first FDA-cleared device allowing fully paralyzed or locked-in patients to communicate via a non-invasive brain-computer interface once eye-tracking is no longer usable due to ocular motor decline.
Cognixion's technology combines AI, Augmented Reality, and Assistive Technology, designed to help people with severe motor impairments communicate and interact more effectively and independently with the world around them. Unlike invasive BCI technologies, Cognixion's device can be prescribed and utilized without surgical procedures or significant training, providing a new level of independence and autonomy.
Key customers and partnerships
In May 2023, the Cognixion ONE Axon received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device designation, which will streamline its development and validation process with prioritized feedback from FDA review staff. This designation is awarded to devices that demonstrate the potential to provide more effective treatment for life-threatening or debilitating conditions where no clear alternatives exist.

Cognixion

Non-invasive hardware typically involving wearable devices that can record, monitor and interact with brain activity using methods like electroencephalography (EEG), enabling the control of prosthetic limbs, operating computers, and more

Physical devices implanted in the body, often in the brain, to interface with neural signals such as electrodes or neural implants

Companies that offer software platforms for BCI applications, including cloud platforms that enables neural data storage

Companies that gather, store, analyze, and interpret neural data collected via BCIs in order to generate valuable insights for clinical decision making

Most BCI companies personalize the BCI devices based on the patient's condition and goals

Most BCI companies leverage a digital means of extracting and interpreting neural data, some of which use mobile applications to provide insights

The products/platforms offered by most companies utilize AI/ML in enhancing their offering

Neurable

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