Chinese brain–computer interface (BCI) startup Gestala has raised about $21.6 million just two months after its launch, signaling strong investor interest in next-generation neurotechnology. The funding round values the company between $100 million and $200 million and marks one of the largest early-stage bets in China’s emerging BCI sector.
Founder and chief executive Phoenix Peng said the capital will support research and development, team expansion, and the construction of a manufacturing facility in China. The company currently employs around 15 people and plans to more than double its workforce by the end of the year.
Gestala is developing brain–computer interfaces that use ultrasound rather than implanted electrodes. The approach aims to avoid the risks linked to brain surgery while enabling broader access to deep neural circuits.
According to the company, phased-array ultrasound can precisely stimulate or suppress neural activity without invasive procedures. Peng believes this method could represent the next evolution of BCI systems, especially as global investment flows increasingly into ultrasound-based brain technologies.
The startup aims to complete its first-generation prototype before the end of the year. It is also building what it calls an “Ultrasound Brain Bank,” a large clinical dataset intended to help train artificial intelligence models that decode brain signals.
Gestala is initially targeting chronic pain management, a condition that affects large populations worldwide. The company is also studying potential applications in mental health disorders such as depression, PTSD, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, along with stroke rehabilitation.
Longer-term research areas include neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, most of these programs remain in early research stages and have not yet entered full clinical trials.
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The BCI sector is experiencing worldwide growth as US companies Neuralink and Merge Labs develop competing technologies. Gestala aims to establish itself as a unique company by achieving quicker product development through access to China's manufacturing resources and reduced clinical research expenses.
Peng stated that scientists from different countries can continue to work together on neuroscience research despite ongoing political conflicts. He proposed that combining China’s extensive clinical database with American scientific knowledge would lead to quicker advancements in brain technology research.