In a major advancement in the field of brain-computer interface — a joint initiative between Chinese tech company NeuCyber NeuroTech and a Chinese research firm — the company announced that it has inserted a brain chip into three patients in the past month, and plans on inserts into 10 additional patients by the end of the year.
NeuCyber NeuroTech, which is owned by the Chinese government, worked in tandem with research organization Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) on the brain inserts. Dr. Minmin Luo, who is both NeuCyber’s chief scientist and director of the research firm, said the joint initiative expects to expand the number of patients it treats.
“Next year after getting regulatory approval we will do formal clinical trials that will include around 50 patients,” he told reporters at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, a Beijing-based event focusing on advanced tech like artificial intelligence (AI), green energy and humanoid robots.
The chip, called the Beinao No.1, is a semi-invasive wireless brain chip. Unlike competing BCI (brain computer interface) technology, Beinao No. 1’s semi-invasive approach means that it’s placed on the surface of the brain instead of being inserted inside the brain tissue. This technique is considered far safer because it avoids the risk of tissue damage to the brain, although it offers a weaker signal than chips placed inside the brain.
Based on videos release by Chinese state media, the Beinao No.1 chip appears to offer significant help to patients suffering from an unspecified malady. These paralyzed patients were able to transmit their thoughts onto a computer screen and manage a robotic arm well enough to pour water into a cup.
By Luo’s account, many more patients are now seeking such brain-chip treatment. “Since news of Beinao No. 1’s successful human trials came out, we have received countless pleas for help,” he said.
In April 2024, NeuCyber announced that Beinao No. 2, which was an invasive brain chip, had been tested on a monkey which was able to control a robotic arm with its thoughts, according to Chinese state media.
While brain-computer technology may appear closer to science fiction than medical science, the BCI sector has some early leaders with documented success. The sector leader is Synchron, based in New York City and founded in 2012, whose investors include Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Synchron has performed trials with 10 patients using semi-invasive BCI chip technology. The company is developing a solution using NVIDIA’s Holoscan, which is an AI platform that processes real-time data at the edge; a BCI implant is an edge computing device.
The other top BCI competitor is Elon Muck’s Neuralink, which is using invasive BCI chips in combination with wireless technology. Three patients have so far had Neuralink implants. One of the company’s biggest success stories is Noland Arbaugh, who in January of 2024 became the first patient to receive a Neuralink implant. Then 30 years old, he had been paralyzed since his early twenties after a car crash. The Neuralink implant chip enables him to control a computer with his mind.
China’s NeuCyber is clearly in competition with these BCI leaders. The company’s announcement that it will treat 13 patients by the end of 2025 appears to be a move to claim more treated patients than any other BCI provider. Furthering its competitive stance, Luo announced that NeuCyber is developing a wireless version similar to Neuralink’s invasive chip and expects to launch human trials in 2026. To support this work, NeuCyber is actively seeking funding from investors.
