Science Corp, an Alameda, California-based clinical-stage neurotechnology company, has raised $230M in Series C funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Khosla Ventures. The company develops brain-computer interfaces like the PRIMA retinal implant to restore vision in patients with retinal degenerative diseases. The capital will fund PRIMA commercialization, clinical trial expansions to Stargardt disease and retinitis pigmentosa, and biohybrid neural interface development.
BCI Trials Fuel Funding Surge
The round arrives amid BCI clinical momentum: Neuralink has raised $1.85B total with high-volume production planned for 2026, while Synchron secured $345M for endovascular implants. Precision Neuroscience follows with $250M for thin-film arrays. Science Corp's retinal focus — targeting untreatable blindness via subretinal implants — fills a vision-specific gap peers overlook.
Blindness Strikes 5M with AMD
Geographic atrophy from age-related macular degeneration affects over 5 million worldwide, causing central vision loss with no restorative treatments available. Current solutions like anti-VEGF injections slow progression but fail advanced cases, leaving patients unable to read or recognize faces. Retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease compound the crisis, impacting millions more without functional vision cures.
PRIMA Implant Restores Reading
Science Corp's PRIMA, acquired from Pixium Vision, delivers photovoltaic pixels directly under the retina, stimulated by infrared projected from glasses. Clinical trials across six countries enrolled dozens of patients, with 80% gaining visual acuity to read fluently — a first per NEJM publication. Unlike Neuralink's cortical threads for motor control or Synchron's vascular stents for paralysis, PRIMA targets vision restoration without deep brain surgery.
Biohybrids Extend Neural Reach
Beyond PRIMA, Science Foundry provides custom axon probes, SciFi headstages, and biohybrid interfaces merging lab-grown neurons with electronics for longevity. Vessel perfusion technology preserves organs longer for transplants. These tools serve academic and commercial partners, differentiating Science as a full-stack neural engineering platform.
As Science Corp Founder and CEO Max Hodak stated:
"To my knowledge, this is the first time that restoration of the ability to fluently read has ever been definitively shown in blind patients."
Tier-1 Backers Eye Profitability
Returning investors Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, and In-Q-Tel join Lightspeed and Khosla, signaling growth capital for commercialization over early-stage bets. Khosla's prior stake in Synchron underscores BCI conviction; IQT adds strategic validation for dual-use tech. Total funding hits $490M at $1.25B post-money valuation, positioning Science as Neuralink's second-most valuable rival.
Neurotech Market Scales 17x
The BCI market stands at $3.3B in 2026, projected to reach $13.86B by 2035 at 16.8% CAGR, driven by neurodegenerative disease prevalence and AI signal decoding. Neurotech drew $4.8B across 140 deals in 2025 alone. Science trails only Neuralink in funding but leads vision with CE Mark submission.
Ex-Neuralink Leader Drives Scale
Founder Max Hodak, ex-President and co-founder of Neuralink, pairs BCI expertise with Transcriptic's acquisition experience. CSO Darius Shahida orchestrated Butterfly Network's $1.5B SPAC. Medical Director Frank Brodie brings vitreoretinal surgery from UCSF, anchoring clinical execution.
Europe Launch Tops Roadmap
CE Mark approval expected mid-2026 targets Germany first for PRIMA. Plans include U.S. FDA discussions, Neurosoft Bioelectronics partnership for cortical probes, and hiring across engineering in Alameda and Paris.