Cortec Neuro raises $28M Series A for CMOS neural implant first human study
Summary
Austin-based Cortec Neuro secured $28M Series A led by DCVC Bio, with Draper Associates and Andreessen Horowitz Bio, following successful first silicon tapeout of their commodity CMOS neural recording ASIC. The chip demonstrated equivalent performance to custom-designed BCIs at 10x lower cost in bench testing. Funds support IND application and first-in-human study at UT Southwestern.
Why it matters
DCVC Bio and a16z Bio co-leading a Series A for a BCI chip company is a rare double-top-tier validation. First silicon working at spec on first tapeout is exceptional execution for a semiconductor startup — most chips require 2-3 tapeouts. Cortec's cost-reduction thesis is now hardware-validated and the path to human studies is clear.
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