Sam Altman’s Merge Labs Spins Out From Nonprofit
▼ Summary
– OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is cofounding a new stealth-mode brain-computer interface startup called Merge Labs, which is being spun out of the nonprofit Forest Neurotech.
– Merge Labs will focus on developing a brain-computer interface that uses ultrasound technology to read brain activity.
– The company is linked to the concept of “the merge,” where humans integrate with machines, and was reportedly raising money earlier this year at an $850 million valuation.
– Key personnel include Forest Neurotech’s CEO and chief scientific officer, as well as other Altman-backed entrepreneurs, with connections to Caltech researchers.
– It joins a competitive field that includes Elon Musk’s Neuralink, leveraging advances in AI and hardware to make brain-computer interfaces more commercially viable.
A new brain-computer interface venture called Merge Labs is being spun out from the nonprofit research organization Forest Neurotech, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman among its cofounders. The startup will focus on a novel approach, using ultrasound technology to read and interpret brain activity. This strategic move places Altman at the forefront of another ambitious neurotechnology project alongside his role leading one of the world’s most prominent AI companies.
The company’s formation links several key figures from the neurotech field. Forest Neurotech’s own CEO, Sumner Norman, and its chief scientific officer, Tyson Aflalo, are also cofounders of the stealth-mode startup. Alex Blania, CEO of the Altman-backed Worldcoin project, is similarly involved. While Merge Labs’ existence was first reported earlier this year, its direct connection to Forest Neurotech is a new revelation. Initial reports indicated the company was seeking funding at a substantial valuation, aiming to raise hundreds of millions of dollars.
The name “Merge Labs” is a direct reference to a provocative Silicon Valley concept about the future integration of humans and machines. Altman himself has publicly mused on this idea, suggesting in a past essay that this technological merger might be closer than many assume. The startup’s mission appears to be a practical step toward realizing that vision.
Forest Neurotech, the parent organization, operates as a focused research organization. It emerged from the philanthropic incubator Convergent Research, which receives financial backing from notable figures like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and billionaire Ken Griffin. For several years, the nonprofit has dedicated its efforts to developing a non-invasive brain-computer interface that relies on ultrasound, a different approach from the surgically implanted electrodes used by some competitors.
The scientific foundation for Merge Labs seems deeply connected to the California Institute of Technology. Mikhail Shapiro, a Caltech researcher reportedly involved with the new company, serves as an advisor to Forest Neurotech. Both Norman and Aflalo have strong Caltech ties as well, with backgrounds in neural engineering and brain-machine interface research from the institution.
By entering this space, Merge Labs joins a competitive field that includes Elon Musk’s Neuralink and several other startups, all racing to commercialize technology that bridges the human brain and computers. While academic work on brain-computer interfaces spans decades, recent leaps in artificial intelligence and sensor hardware have created renewed momentum for making these systems practical. Altman’s participation, though not involving a personal financial investment this time, brings significant attention to the ultrasound-based approach Merge is pursuing.
(Source: Wired)
