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BrainCo

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BrainCo Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryNeurotechnology
Founded2015; 11 years ago (2015)
FounderBicheng Han
HeadquartersHangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Key people
Bicheng Han (CEO)
DivisionsBrainRobotics
NeuroMaker STEM
Websitebrainco.tech

BrainCo Inc. is a neurotechnology company headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, with an office in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. The company was founded by Bicheng Han, then a doctoral student at Harvard University, and was incubated at the Harvard Innovation Labs.[1][2] BrainCo develops non-invasive brain–computer interface devices. The company is one of the Hangzhou technology firms known as the "Six Little Dragons", and filed for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January 2026, after raising about 2 billion yuan (US$280 million).[3][4]

History

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Bicheng Han

BrainCo was founded in 2015 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Bicheng Han while pursuing his PhD at the center for Brain Science at Harvard University.[1] Han also founded BrainRobotics under BrainCo.[5]

In 2016, BrainCo received $5.5 million in seed funding to develop its first product: Focus 1. In 2017, it received $15 million from Chinese investors that included the China Electronics Corporation. James Edward Ryan also became an advisor to it.[1]

In 2018, BrainCo established its headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, while the Somerville office remained in operation.[6]

In April, 2025 BrainCo reportedly considered an expansion into Hong Kong,[7] and in August the company was reported to be in talks to raise funds at a valuation above US$1.3 billion ahead of a possible listing.[8] In September 2025, BrainCo opened an Asia-Pacific headquarters at Cyberport in Hong Kong.[9] It also drew scrutiny from Hunterbrook Media and Pablo Torre Finds Out for alleged ties to the Chinese government.[10][11][12]

In January 2026 the company raised about 2 billion yuan (US$280 million) in a round co-led by IDG Capital, and filed confidentially for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, working with China International Capital Corporation and UBS.[3]

Product history

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EEG headbands

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In 2016, BrainCo unveiled Focus 1 product, a headband that aims to detect and report brain activity through electroencephalography (EEG). It was advertised to schools as Focus EDU where teachers can see if a student is paying attention based on EEG score. It initially received mixed reviews. It won several awards including "Most Innovative" at the 2017 International Society for Technology in Education national conference. At the 2016 CES conference, the Focus 1 device failed during a live demo and received criticism from The Daily Dot. Later at the 2017 CES conference, the live demo was successful.[1]

In April 2019, a post on Weibo showed Focus headbands being worn by pupils at an undisclosed primary school in China. It attracted criticism for being seen as constantly monitoring children as part of mass surveillance. BrainCo issued a statement stating that headbands were used in a number of school trials in China to help children improve learning efficiency and had not been sold to any public school. The company also clarified that the attention index displayed group averages rather than individual student data, with teachers using the scores to evaluate the appeal of their lessons.[13] Despite the controversy, BrainCo had already secured a two-year contract to get its Focus 1 device manufactured and targeted shipments of 600,000 units.[5] In November 2019, it was reported that the school trials were halted in China amid parents’ privacy concerns and fears they could be used to control the children.[14][15] In September 2020, the development and promotion of the Focus headbands earned BrainCo one of the annual German Big Brother Awards, criticising the company as one of that year’s worst offenders against personal privacy.[16][17][18][19]

By 2021, the product had been rebranded as FocusCalm, aimed to help users relax. BBC reported that the headband was used by athletes to train focus and manage stress.[20]

On November 7, 2022, BrainCo released Eassleep, a headband used for sleep purposes.[21]

In October 2024, BrainCo released OxyZen which monitors heart rate, blood oxygen and brain waves to provide tailored meditation and sleep.[22]

Prosthetic limbs

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At the 2020 CES conference, BrainCo unveiled the final model of its BrainRobotics prosthetic hand with the product being launched on the market that year. The prosthetic hands read an amputee’s neural and muscular electrical signals and translate intended finger movements into finger motions.[2][4][23] Time Magazine named it as one of the top 100 inventions of 2019.[24] The technology was undergoing FDA testing and given out to volunteers for trials, which allowed them to successfully perform basic actions, such as using computer peripherals.[2]

BrainCo is also developing prosthetic legs which were demonstrated in 2021.[25]

In May 2026, BrainCo partnered with Hong Kong Polytechnic University in a pilot two-year program to provide smart prosthetic limbs to 60 eligible amputees, funded by Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Fund.[26]

Brain-controlled robotic AI platform

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During the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the company presented what it claims to be the world's first brain-to-robot controlled AI platform.[27] The device uses an EEG headset to capture neural signals, decoded by AI algorithms and translated into commands for a connected robot in under 200 milliseconds; supported robotics include third-party humanoid robots, robotic arms and robotic dogs.[27][28] During the same event, BrainCo also introduced an embodied AI solution for data collection, said to address the shortage of quality training data used for robotic AI development.[27][28]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Sydney (October 26, 2017). "This Company Wants to Gather Student Brainwave Data to Measure 'Engagement' - EdSurge News". EdSurge. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Brown, Dalvin (December 23, 2020). "AI-powered bionic hand promises lifelike dexterity". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Fioretti, Julia (January 12, 2026). "Chinese Startup Making Tech to Rival Neuralink Said to File for Hong Kong IPO". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Yu, Elaine (July 11, 2026). "While Musk's Neuralink drills into skulls, China's BrainCo bets the future of brain tech is wearable". CNBC. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Jiang, Meng (April 10, 2019). "Brainwave-tracking start-up in controversy over tests on children". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  6. ↑ Shasha, Zhang (March 3, 2025). "How do local governments fuel private sector growth?". Beijing Review. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ Wu, Willa (April 23, 2025). "John Lee vows to support Hangzhou tech firms in expanding into Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  8. ↑ "China Neuralink Rival Seeks Pre-IPO Funds at $1.3 Billion Value". Bloomberg News. August 5, 2025.
  9. ↑ "BrainCo sets up Asia-Pacific HQ at Hong Kong Cyberport, eyes global expansion". www.thestandard.com.hk. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Poaching Data, Little Dragon: Uncovering China's Secret War for Athlete Brainwaves | Pablo Torre Finds Out | Podcasts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Jannik Sinner's Brainwaves are Part of Pablo Torre's Latest Investigation". Serve On SI. September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ Jogia, Saajan. "Chinese Firm Allegedly Using Leclerc's Brainwave Data for Military Use". Newsweek. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  13. ↑ Savillo, Lia (November 4, 2019). "A Chinese School Made Students Wear Brainwave-Detecting Headgear". VICE. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  14. ↑ Standaert, Michael (November 1, 2019). "Chinese primary school halts trial of device that monitors pupils' brainwaves". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ Hong, Shen; Wang, Yifan; Tai, Crystal (October 24, 2019). "China's Efforts to Lead the Way in AI Start in Its Classrooms". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  16. ↑ Rena Tangens, Digitalcourage (September 18, 2020). "BrainCo company and Leibniz Science Campus Tübingen". Big Brother Awards Germany 2020, category Education. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  17. ↑ Big Brother Awards 2020 on the German Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2026
  18. ↑ German report on Big Brother Award 2020 by the relevant trade union: "„Das ist Dressur statt Bildung". Verein Digitalcourage vergibt Big Brother Awards". Education and Science Workers' Union (Germany). October 1, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ German media report on Big Brother Award 2020: "Preis für Datenkraken: 20 Jahre Big Brother Awards – die Jubiläumsedition". heise.de. September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ Palmai, Kitti (October 10, 2021). "Smart headbands claim to make people calmer. Do they work?". BBC. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Brain-Machine Interface Firm BrainCo's BrainRobotics Hand Obtains FDA Certification". Pandaily. November 8, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  22. ↑ Thompson, Bronwyn (October 31, 2024). "High-tech brain computer interface trains you to relax and sleep better". New Atlas. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  23. ↑ DeNisco Rayome, Alison (January 6, 2020). "You can move this prosthetic hand with your mind". CNET. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  24. ↑ "BrainRobotics AI Prosthetic Hand: The 100 Best Inventions of 2019". TIME. November 21, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  25. ↑ "麻省理工科技评论-发现改变世界的新兴科技". MIT Technology Review China. December 22, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  26. ↑ 通, 蕭 (May 27, 2026). "理大及強腦科技獲創科基金資助 免費為60人安裝智能仿生義肢". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 Changin, Minxiao (July 17, 2026). "BrainCo claims mind-to-robot link at China's World AI Conference". South China Morning Post. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  28. 1 2 Brahambhatt, Rupendra (July 19, 2026). "Chinese platform lets people control humanoid robots with thoughts". Interesting Engineering. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
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