OpenAI Leads $250M Investment in Sam Altman’s Brain-Computer Interface Startup Merge Labs
Merge Labs has emerged from stealth mode with significant backing from OpenAI and other investors. According to TechCrunch, the company raised $250 million in seed funding at an $850 million valuation, with OpenAI writing the largest check in the round. WIRED reported the funding total as $252 million.
The startup describes itself as a “research lab” dedicated to “bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability,” according to TechCrunch. WIRED reports that Merge Labs aims to use ultrasound technology to read from and write to the brain.
The investment represents a notable connection between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the new venture, though neither source specified Altman’s exact role or involvement with Merge Labs beyond the naming in headlines.
The substantial seed round valuation and OpenAI’s leading position in the funding underscore growing institutional interest in brain-computer interface technology, a field that has seen increased attention from major tech companies and research institutions in recent years.