Motif Neurotech

Motif Neurotech

Designs wireless-powered neural implants for medicine

Overview

Motif Neurotech develops neural implants that are powered wirelessly by magnetic fields from an external wearable transmitter, enabling minimally invasive operation for medical and research use. The devices are designed for both animal studies and human applications, with a full-stack engineering approach that covers PCB design, embedded firmware, and system integration. Revenue comes from selling the neural implants and through partnerships with medical institutions and research organizations. The company emphasizes regulatory compliance and quality management, using an electronic quality management system (eQMS) to move research devices toward market-ready products. Its main goal is to scale its operations and team to advance neurotechnology by delivering reliable, compliant, and field-ready neural implant solutions.

About Motif Neurotech

Simplify's Rating
Why Motif Neurotech is rated
B
Rated A on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Robotics & Automation

Biotechnology

Healthcare

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Early VC

Total Funding

$18.9M

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Founded

2022

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • April 2026 FDA clearance unlocks first human data and legitimizes the platform.
  • ARIA and MintNeuro funding extend runway into pivotal hardware iterations and data collection.
  • Treatment-resistant depression is massive, and Motif targets patients after failed medication and TMS.

What critics are saying

  • RESONATE’s single depression indication risks total failure if early efficacy data disappoints in 2026.
  • Neural implant safety issues, seizures, infection, or explantation trigger FDA suspension and investor collapse.
  • Eight-site clinical execution across Baylor, NYU, and Mass General Brigham creates major coordination risk.

What makes Motif Neurotech unique

  • Patented Rice wireless power enables 20-minute implantation without penetrating brain tissue.
  • April 27, 2026 FDA IDE approval makes Motif a first-mover in therapeutic BCIs.
  • April 30, 2026 MintNeuro partnership hardens its chip supply chain for clinical stages.

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Funding

Total Funding

$18.9M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

2 Rounds

Early VC funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Early VC Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

3%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

3%
InnovationMap
May 6th, 2026
Houston startup's brain implant for depression advances to clinical trial.

Houston startup's brain implant for depression advances to clinical trial. May 6, 2026, 11:30 am Motif Neurotech is developing minimally invasive bioelectronics to treat psychiatric conditions. Photo via motifneuro.tech Houston-based Motif Neurotech has received FDA approval to move forward with its first clinical trial for its innovative way to fight treatment-resistant depression and other mental health disorders. The company has developed a brain-computer interface technology based on research from Rice University. The blueberry-sized, wirelessly powered implantable device known as the Digitally-programmable Over-brain Therapeutic (DOT) stimulator delivers electrical stimulation to brain circuits linked to depression. The DOT stimulator sits in the skull above the dura without touching the brain and is considered an alternative to transcranial magnetic stimulation, which requires multiple treatment sessions and can cause headaches. "The goal for this technology is that it would be the mental health equivalent of a continuous glucose monitor for diabetes," Jacob Robinson, a Rice University professor of electrical computer engineering and bioengineering and CEO of Motif Neurotech, said in a news release. "What has been really special for me personally on this journey is to be able to work all the way from a concept through the process of research and development funded by the federal government at Rice, and take that into a product that is going to affect people's lives for the better." Eligible adults whose depression has not improved after trying multiple therapies can take part in the study. The clinical trial will be conducted in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, Brain Health Consultants (Houston), UT Health Houston, Massachusetts General Brigham, Emory Healthcare, University of Iowa, University of Utah Health and New York University, according to Rice. Motif also announced that it was one of the first teams selected for ARPA-H's EVIDENT initiative, which recently awarded up to $139.4 million to spur new, effective therapies for behavioral health. Through the initiative, Motif will collect additional data alongside its clinical trial. "The idea with this funding is to support a number of teams who have rapid-acting interventions for a mental health condition and to collect additional data to help determine with greater precision whether a treatment is working, how it is working and which patients are benefitting most from which course of treatment," Robinson added in the release. Motif Neurotech was spun out of Robinson's and Professor Kaiyuan Yang's labs at Rice, along with collaborators and co-founders Dr. Sameer Sheth at Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Sunil Sheth at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. It was founded through the Rice Biotech Launch Pad. The company closed its Series A round with an oversubscribed $18.75 million last year.

PR Newswire
Apr 30th, 2026
MintNeuro partners with Motif Neurotech to deliver blueberry-sized brain implant for mental health therapy

MintNeuro, a semiconductor company specialising in neural implant technology, has partnered with Motif Neurotech to advance miniature brain-computer interfaces for mental health treatment. The collaboration combines MintNeuro's low-power neural sensing and stimulation chips with Motif's clinical-stage therapeutic implant platform. Motif recently received FDA approval for a US clinical trial treating treatment-resistant depression using its DOT device, a blueberry-sized implant placed in a 20-minute outpatient procedure. MintNeuro's chips enable critical sensing and stimulation functions whilst meeting extreme miniaturisation requirements. The partnership includes a multi-year commercial supply agreement covering pre-clinical, early clinical and pivotal study phases. MintNeuro's sensing chip has already been integrated into Motif's pre-clinical devices. Both companies received grants from the UK government's ARIA Precision Neurotechnologies programme, supporting development of ultra-small wireless neural implants.

Redmond Spokesman
Apr 30th, 2026
MintNeuro and Motif Neurotech partner to advance miniature brain-computer interface therapy for mental health.

MintNeuro and Motif Neurotech partner to advance miniature brain-computer interface therapy for mental health. PR Newswire Today at 3:13am PDT Strategic partnership combines MintNeuro's purpose-built neural sensing and stimulation chips with Motif's ultra-miniaturised therapeutic implant platform - enabling precision neuromodulation and real-time response monitoring LONDON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - MintNeuro, a pioneer of scalable, low-power semiconductor technology for neural implant applications, and Motif Neurotech, a therapeutic brain-computer interface (BCI) company developing miniature implants for mental health, today announced a new strategic partnership that will unite MintNeuro's specialised neural interface chip technology with Motif's clinical-stage therapeutic implant platform - accelerating the clinical availability of therapeutic BCIs for mental health conditions. The collaboration gives Motif access to MintNeuro's highly miniaturized, purpose-built sensing and stimulation integrated circuits, with chip development closely aligned to Motif's clinical device roadmap. With this formal alliance, MintNeuro gains a direct pathway to clinical application, including real-world system validation and a continuous feedback loop on chip requirements from one of the most demanding device programmes in the sector. The partnership is underpinned by a multi-year commercial supply agreement, securing access to MintNeuro's neural interface ICs for Motif's pre-clinical, early clinical, and pivotal study phases. Motif Neurotech is developing the world's first fully implantable brain stimulating and recording technology designed to address mental health conditions, like depression and bipolar disorder. Motif recently received FDA approval to begin a US clinical trial to treat treatment-resistant depression. The DOT, a device roughly the size of a blueberry, can be placed in a 20-minute outpatient procedure without exposing or touching the brain. MintNeuro's compact, ultra-low-power ICs enable the critical neural sensing and stimulation functions within the system, meeting the extreme miniaturisation requirements demanded by these next-generation devices. Advanced sensing capabilities enable continuous monitoring of neural activity during therapy and may provide clinicians with rapid feedback on stimulation parameter effectiveness, and risk of relapse, laying the foundation for transformative closed-loop therapeutic approaches. The two companies have been closely collaborating for over a year, progressing from joint system architecture definition through to active hardware validation. MintNeuro's sensing chip has already been successfully integrated into the Motif's devices used in pre-clinical work. Going forward, the partnership roadmap will align successive MintNeuro chip generations with Motif's clinical development programme, beginning with high-performance sensing and advancing toward fully integrated stimulation capability. "MintNeuro is a core technology partner for Motif as we advance delivery of our BCI device roadmap," said Steven Goetz, Chief Technology Officer of Motif Neurotech. "MintNeuro's specialised ICs combine compact form factor, high performance and ultra-low power. These are the leading-edge capabilities needed to achieve our shared strategic vision of delivering neuromodulation therapy to the brain with the smallest and safest devices possible." "Every design decision we make is ultimately about how quickly and safely we can reach patients who have run out of options. MintNeuro's technology has already proven itself in our pre-clinical work, and formalizing this partnership means we have a chip roadmap that's tightly coupled to our clinical program," said Jacob Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO, Motif Neurotech. Dorian Haci, CEO and Co-Founder of MintNeuro added: "We really value working together with Motif to deliver world-first BCI-enabled therapies. Motif is a visionary partner that is pushing the boundaries of what is technically and clinically possible in this emerging space, and that is exactly the kind of collaboration our technology is built for. Our formal co-operation is also a clear signal that the treatment of mental health conditions is moving into a phase where scalable, chip-based platforms can start to be applied commercially at scale, and play a central role in enabling new therapies that can improve quality of life for patients everywhere." The partnership builds on successful project grants awarded to both companies as part of the UK government's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) Precision Neurotechnologies programme. The Brain Mesh project, a £4.7 million collaboration involving teams from both MintNeuro and Motif Neurotech, is developing distributed networks of ultra-small wireless neural implants for mental health applications. The ground-breaking work achieved under the project framework has accelerated MintNeuro's chip miniaturisation roadmap and led Motif to establish a UK subsidiary that employs UK-based software engineers and data scientists that can work more closely with their UK partners. Notes to editors Founded as a spinout from Imperial College London, MintNeuro is a semiconductor company focused exclusively on advanced integrated circuits for neural implants. The company designs purpose-built, low-power sensing and stimulation ICs that enable medical device developers to build smaller, smarter, and more capable implantable systems. MintNeuro's modular chip platform addresses applications across neurology and mental health, including epilepsy, movement disorders, depression, and cognitive conditions. With a robust intellectual property portfolio and strategic partnerships with leading research institutions and neurotech companies, MintNeuro is at the forefront of the emerging neural implant and brain-computer interface sectors. Motif Neurotech is building the world's first therapeutic brain-computer interface (BCI) to treat drug-resistant mental health conditions. The company's first product, the DOT, is a blueberry sized implantable neural device delivered in a 20-minute outpatient procedure and does not contact or expose the brain. The extreme miniaturisation of the device is made possible by patented wireless power technology invented at Rice University by the founders and exclusively licensed by Motif. The company received FDA approval in April 2026 to begin a clinical trial for treatment-resistant depression, and is also exploring applications in other neuropsychiatric conditions. Since its founding in 2022, Motif has raised over $30M in venture capital from Arboretum, KdT, and Dolby Family Ventures, and non-dilutive funding from ARIA, DARPA, ARPAH, and the NIH. SOURCE MintNeuro This is a paid placement. For further inquiries, please contact PR Newswire directly.

Business Wire
Apr 27th, 2026
Motif Neurotech gets FDA approval for trial of blueberry-sized brain implant treating depression

Motif Neurotech has received FDA approval to begin its first clinical trial for treating treatment-resistant depression, becoming the fastest implantable brain-computer interface company to progress from founding to Investigational Device Exemption approval with a novel device in just four years. The RESONATE Early Feasibility Study will evaluate the Motif XCS System, a blueberry-sized wireless implant that delivers electrical stimulation to brain regions linked to depression reduction. The device sits in bone above the brain without contacting brain tissue and can be implanted in a 20-minute outpatient procedure. The study will enrol patients across eight medical institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine and Massachusetts General Brigham, targeting nearly three million Americans with treatment-resistant depression who have not found relief from two or more medications.

DNYUZ
Jun 14th, 2025
Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang says he's waiting for Elon Musk's Neuralink before he has kids

Motif Neurotech is developing a neurostimulator system that works like a pacemaker for the brain and is now used for treating severe depression.

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