Elon Musk’s Neuralink Raises Additional $43 Million Amid Mounting Scrutiny
Neuralink, the controversial brain implant company founded Elon Musk, has secured an additional $43 million in funding as it prepares to begin human trials. This comes as the company continues to face criticism and scrutiny over its operations.
The funding round was led Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, with a total of 32 investors contributing to the round, according to a recent SEC filing. This brings the total amount raised Neuralink to over $323 million.
Neuralink is developing a microchip that will be implanted in humans to monitor brain activity. The company gained FDA approval in May to start testing its implant in human trials next year, with the first trial set to include 11 participants.
However, Neuralink has come under fire for its treatment of animals used in its research. Several monkeys that were used to test the company’s chips reportedly experienced health issues and were ultimately euthanized. An animal rights group claimed that the monkeys were mistreated, with records showing “extreme suffering.”
In response to the criticism, Elon Musk has defended Neuralink’s practices, stating that “no monkey has died as a result of Neuralink’s chips.” He also declared that the chip could help save humanity from the threat of AI when combined with the limbs of Tesla’s robot.
The controversy surrounding Neuralink has prompted four House of Representatives members to call for an investigation into Musk for securities fraud over statements he made about the implant. Despite the scrutiny, Neuralink continues to move forward with its plans.
Business Insider reached out to Neuralink for comment, but the company did not respond to the request. As the company faces mounting scrutiny, its future remains uncertain amidst ongoing controversy and criticism.