Merge Labs, the brain-computer interface (BCI) research lab co-founded by Sam Altman, has secured $252 million in new funding, signaling Silicon Valley’s urgent push to augment human capability ahead of frontier AI deployment.
The massive capital injection, reported by Bloomberg, is aimed at accelerating the development of high-bandwidth devices designed to connect human brains directly to computers. Merge Labs’ long-term mission is explicitly focused on bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability and agency.
Hello world! 👋
, Merge Labs (@merge) January 15, 2026
We are Merge Labs, a research lab with the long-term mission of bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability, agency and experience.
Read more about it from our founding team + join us: https://t.co/UaaOlvssrx
This is not just a financial investment; it is a strategic alignment with the highest levels of the AI industry. While Altman is listed as a co-founder in a personal capacity, OpenAI itself participated in Merge Labs’ seed round and has committed to collaborating on "scientific foundation models." OpenAI views BCIs as the next critical interface, enabling a more direct way for users to express intent and interact seamlessly with powerful AI systems.
High-Bandwidth BCIs Powered by AI
Merge Labs, led by BCI pioneers Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, is pursuing fundamentally new approaches that prioritize safety and higher bandwidth than existing neural interfaces. The core innovation relies heavily on AI operating systems.
These AI systems are necessary to interpret noisy neural signals, adapt to individual users, and reliably translate complex human intent into digital action. The company believes that high-bandwidth interfaces will benefit immensely from AI that can manage and clean up the limited and often messy data streams coming directly from the brain.
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If successful, this Merge Labs funding will accelerate the development of a natural, human-centered way to control and leverage AI, moving beyond current interfaces like keyboards and touchscreens. The goal is to create technology that ensures humans remain central and capable in an increasingly automated world.
Vivarium is Merge Lab’s in-house rodent.
The founders of Merge Labs include:
- Tyson Aflalo
- Sam Altman
- Alex Blania
- Sandro Herbig
- Sumner Norman
- Mikhail Shapiro
