Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink, says it has expanded its human clinical trials to 21 participants worldwide, marking two years since it began testing its brain implant technology on humans.

The company said the increase reflects growing confidence in the safety and performance of the implant, which allows users with spinal cord injuries to control digital tools using their thoughts. Earlier participants have demonstrated the ability to play video games, browse the internet and operate computer cursors hands-free.

Neuralink began human trials in 2024 after addressing safety concerns that initially delayed regulatory approval. According to the company, no serious device-related adverse events have been recorded so far.

The firm said expanding trials will help researchers better understand differences in how patients respond to the implant, while refining both the hardware and surgical procedures.

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Elon Musk’s brain-interface company, Neuralink Corp., is aiming to generate over $1 billion in annual revenue by 2031, with plans to implant brain chips in 20,000 people each year, according to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg.

The ambitious forecast reflects Musk’s vision of a future where brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) become mainstream medical tools. Despite currently being in the early stages of human testing—with fewer than 10 individuals known to have received implants—Neuralink anticipates receiving U.S. regulatory approval for its first commercial device, Telepathy, by 2029.

Telepathy will enable users to control digital devices using only their thoughts, marking a major leap in assistive technology for people with paralysis. The company also plans to introduce two additional products: Blindsight, aimed at restoring vision for blind individuals by 2030, and Deep, designed to treat neurological conditions such as tremors and Parkinson’s disease.

Neuralink’s investor presentation outlines plans to open five major surgical clinics by 2030, ramping up to 10,000 implant procedures per year by that time. At an estimated reimbursement rate of $50,000 per surgery, the company projects $500 million in annual revenue from Blindsight alone.

To date, Neuralink has raised approximately $1.3 billion in funding and is valued at $9 billion, according to data from PitchBook. It joins a growing number of startups exploring the rapidly evolving neurotechnology space, a field that has gained traction among both technologists and medical researchers.

However, Neuralink’s path forward is not without obstacles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve any BCI device for permanent use in humans, and long-term safety and efficacy remain central concerns. Other companies in the field face similar regulatory and scientific challenges.

Still, Neuralink’s bold projections and expanding roadmap suggest that Musk’s latest venture is betting heavily on a future where mind-controlled technology becomes a cornerstone of modern medicine.

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Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk in 2017 to implant electrodes into people’s brains has completed its first human implant.

Musk announced this on recently via his x handle. According to him, the first Neuralink product is called Telepathy.

Musk said the Neuralink implant would enable people to control their phones or computers, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.

“The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” Musk announced via a post on X.

“Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs. Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal,” Musk added

Neuralink builds on decades of technology aimed at implanting electrodes in human brains to interpret signals and treat conditions such as paralysis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. One early device is known as the Utah array, which was first demonstrated in a human in 2004. Many competitors have entered the field, including Synchron and Precision Neuroscience.

The Neuralink device contains more than 1,000 electrodes, far more than other implants. It targets individual neurons, while many other devices in development target signals from groups of neurons. If it works, this should enable a higher degree of precision.

The implant puts the chip and other electronics inside the user’s skull, with wireless communications sending out brain signal data to a Neuralink app, which decodes them into actions and intents. Charging is also done wirelessly. Neuralink has developed a bespoke surgical robot to perform the implant procedure.

Neuralink wants to help paralyzed people, to begin with. Eventually, Musk says his device could help people with hearing and vision loss. The billionaire has said he hopes one day the implant could allow for futuristic goals such as helping humans merge with artificial intelligence.

The US Food and Drug Administration gave Neuralink approval for clinical trials on humans in May last year, following a series of implant trials on various animals.

The company was heavily criticized for its surgical work in animals, particularly primates, by groups such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which said Neuralink botched many of those surgeries.

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