Neurotech
5 Early-Stage Neurotech Startups Opening New Routes to the Nervous System
DealBio tracks early-stage neurotech startups across Europe and North America. These 5 are opening new routes to the nervous system through drug delivery, brain-computer interfaces and targeted stimulation.
- Neurology
- Drug Delivery
- Medical Devices
- Neuromodulation
Neurotech is expanding beyond devices that measure brain activity. These startups are working on therapeutic delivery into the brain, translation of neural signals into action and targeted nerve stimulation.
The technical bottleneck differs across the group: crossing the blood-brain barrier, decoding neural activity reliably outside the lab, or delivering stimulation precisely enough for repeated use. In each case, access is the core product problem rather than a secondary feature.
At a Glance
- HarmonixFrance2024Focused-ultrasound brain delivery
- Cerentry BioDenmark2026Systemic biologic delivery into the brain
- UCANACTNetherlands2025Brain-computer interface for communication
- SkaaltecSwitzerland2026Wearable vagus nerve stimulation for stroke rehab
- StimaliaBelgium2025Implanted neuroinhibition for PTSD
01
Harmonix
Using focused ultrasound and microbubbles to get gene therapies into the brain.
- Country
France- Founded
- 2024
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why Harmonix stands out
Harmonix combines focused ultrasound with microbubbles engineered for therapeutic delivery across the blood-brain barrier. The platform has preclinical proof of concept and patent-backed technology.
Harmonix won the 2025 i-Lab Jury Grand Prix and a Servier x BioLabs Golden Ticket.
What Harmonix is building
Harmonix uses focused ultrasound to activate cationic microbubbles at a selected brain region. The interaction temporarily opens the blood-brain barrier and is designed to help viral or non-viral gene and RNA therapies reach the target tissue.
Harmonix is developing a delivery platform rather than a single drug. The approach is designed to improve local brain exposure for gene and RNA therapies while limiting opening of the blood-brain barrier to the targeted region.
Developing a brain shuttle for systemic delivery of therapeutics into the brain.
- Country
Denmark- Founded
- 2026
- Sector
- Biotech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why Cerentry Bio stands out
Cerentry Bio combines brain-delivery research with repeat-founder and drug-development experience. Co-founder Mette Rosenkilde previously co-founded Antag Therapeutics and Synklino.
The startup joined BioInnovation Institute Venture Lab with €500,000 in convertible financing, while the co-founders are named on a 2022 brain-delivery patent.
What Cerentry Bio is building
Cerentry Bio is developing a brain shuttle that uses receptor-mediated transport at the choroid plexus, the tissue interface between blood and cerebrospinal fluid, to move systemically administered therapeutics into the cerebrospinal fluid and brain.
The approach is designed for biologics that otherwise struggle to reach the central nervous system. Cerentry Bio’s goal is to preserve systemic dosing while expanding which molecular formats can access brain targets.
03
UCANACT
Turning brain signals into speech and device control for people with paralysis.
- Country
Netherlands- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Medtech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why UCANACT stands out
Co-founder Nick Ramsey led a world-first implanted brain-computer interface used independently at home, with long-term follow-up extending for years. UCANACT is building on that research with hardware-agnostic decoding software.
UCANACT has secured €120,000 through grants and innovation awards, filed a patent application around its brain-decoding technology and won the 2026 Academic Startup Competition.
What UCANACT is building
UCANACT is developing hardware-agnostic software that translates neural activity from wearable or implanted sensors into speech and digital commands. The software is designed to work with multiple brain-sensing platforms rather than tie the startup to one implant.
For people with severe paralysis, the output can control communication software, personal devices and smart-home systems without muscle movement. The software is designed to work across multiple brain-sensing platforms.
04
Skaaltec
Developing a wearable nerve-stimulation system to improve arm recovery after stroke.
- Country
Switzerland- Founded
- 2026
- Sector
- Medtech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why Skaaltec stands out
Skaaltec has already tested the core automation behind SmartVNS, its wearable system that pairs arm-movement sensing with non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation. In a peer-reviewed feasibility study, the system triggered stimulation on 50.4% of functional movements versus 23.4% with therapist triggering, while maintaining similar precision.
The startup has secured a CHF 150,000 InnoBooster grant, repeat Future of Health support and a USZ Startup Label. Its next-generation circuit board has also moved into EMC testing.
What Skaaltec is building
SmartVNS pairs a wrist motion sensor with non-invasive stimulation of a vagus nerve branch in the outer ear. When the sensor detects a functional arm movement, the system automatically triggers a short stimulation pulse.
Automatic triggering is designed to pair stimulation with more rehabilitation movements without requiring a therapist to trigger each pulse manually, supporting use beyond supervised sessions.
05
Stimalia
Developing an implanted nerve stimulator to treat PTSD.
- Country
Belgium- Founded
- 2025
- Sector
- Medtech
- Funding stage
- Seed or earlier
Why Stimalia stands out
Stimalia’s founders bring direct implant-development and market-access experience. CTO Pascal Doguet led technology at Neurotech SA, where implanted vagus nerve stimulators gained European and US approvals before Sorin acquired the company; co-founders Olivier Ménage and Sylvain d'Amico have also led medtech pricing, clinical and reimbursement work, including a stent launch that reached 60% European market share and French reimbursement for two neurovascular devices.
The startup has filed a patent application covering PTSD neuroinhibition and the implant design, and joined imec.istart’s Belgium Autumn 2025 cohort.
What Stimalia is building
Stimalia is developing TraumaTone, a small implant placed against the stellate ganglion. The device is designed to deliver continuous, adjustable nerve inhibition for PTSD and is powered wirelessly, avoiding a battery inside the implant.
TraumaTone is designed to provide persistent modulation rather than a one-time nerve block for patients who remain symptomatic after first-line therapy. The approach uses the same nerve target as stellate ganglion block but is designed to extend the effect from a temporary procedure into ongoing, adjustable therapy.
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Neurotech is becoming an access layer for the nervous system
Across the five startups, the product is defined by a specific access point: the blood-brain barrier, cerebrospinal fluid, neural signals, the vagus nerve or the stellate ganglion.
That specificity ties each platform to a measurable technical problem—how much therapy reaches the brain, how reliably signals translate into commands, or how precisely stimulation can be paired with function. The category is broad, but the programs are built around narrow, testable access problems.
Methodology
DealBio selected these startups from its coverage of early-stage health and longevity startups, focusing on neurotechnology startups that address distinct access problems across delivery, decoding and stimulation. The selection spans therapeutic delivery, brain-computer interfaces and targeted stimulation rather than variations on one device model.
DealBio builds its Startup Briefs using publicly available startup materials, ecosystem sources, market references and professional profiles.