BrainCo founder Han Bicheng stated that the company, established 11 years ago, predates Elon Musk’s Neuralink by a year and a half. In terms of absolute R&D investment, BrainCo is currently one of the top-funded companies globally in its field.
Recently, OpenAI founder Sam Altman also announced the establishment of a brain-computer interface venture, Merge Labs. Han Bicheng specifically mentioned, “We are grateful to Musk and Altman. As highly influential figures in the business world, their entry has sparked explosive growth across the industry.” He admitted that translating laboratory technology into everyday applications is exceptionally challenging due to the subtlety of neural signals within the human body.
Previously, BrainCo’s products have primarily followed a non-invasive approach. However, during the forum, Han revealed that BrainCo is a company focused on solving brain-related issues and will not limit itself to non-invasive methods.
He further explained that BrainCo is currently focusing on the blind population. “China has over 10 million people who are blind, and addressing blindness requires invasive methods due to the vast amount of information input, which is difficult to achieve non-invasively.”
Han also disclosed that Alzheimer’s disease is another key area of focus for BrainCo. “Approximately 40% of people over 80 years old suffer from varying degrees of Alzheimer’s, which is difficult to reverse once it develops. However, non-invasive brain-computer interfaces can intervene at an early stage, helping to delay the onset of the condition by three to five years.”
Han emphasized that brain-computer interface technology is serious and complex, requiring cautious product development. Beyond brain diseases, many interaction challenges can also be addressed through this technology. Currently, BrainCo’s neuro-controlled prosthetics already allow users to control individual finger movements with their minds, with the future potential of enabling typing through thought.
“Many consider brain-computer interfaces the next generation of interaction technology. There is significant potential for collaboration with smartphone manufacturers and interface designers—it could become the next-generation keyboard,” Han said.
“Our current products are not yet perfect and remain in a very early stage. But we are committed to refining them over many years, determined to create products usable by the general public, not just a select few. This is why we have pushed for mass production from day one,” Han noted. He highlighted that China possesses extensive high-precision production lines, adding, “Whether in Zhejiang or Guangdong, we have excellent factories capable of producing high-quality products rapidly.”
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