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INBRAIN Neuroelectronics Cortical BCI. Photo / INBRAIN
 29.07.2025

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics announces promising results from the first human study of its graphene-based brain-computer interface

The company INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, based in the Barcelona Science Park and specialized in the development of advanced neuroelectronic technologies, has announced the preliminary results of its first human study with a brain-computer interface (BCI) entirely based on graphene. The initial results of the study, carried out at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, suggest that the technology developed by the company could significantly improve neurosurgical precision and open the door to personalized interventions in the treatment of surgical disorders.

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the graphene-based electrodes during brain tumour surgeries. The results, obtained after the intervention of the first four patients, confirm the safety of the device, with no adverse effects reported so far, and validate the ability of graphene to accurately record brain activity at a micrometric scale, including gamma signals associated with language during awake brain surgeries.

This pioneering technology enables the capture of neural signals in real time with high spatial and temporal resolution, using ultrathin graphene electrodes that outperform traditional materials such as platinum.

The study involves the participation of a total of 8 to 10 patients, who will undergo surgery over the coming months. This number will allow for the expansion of the clinical database and strengthen the validation of the safety and performance of the technology across different profiles of patients undergoing brain surgery.

“This milestone demonstrates that graphene-based brain-computer interfaces can be used in the operating room and offer a level of neural fidelity impossible to achieve with traditional materials,” explains Carolina Aguilar, CEO and co-founder of INBRAIN. “We are moving toward a future in which neurosurgeons and neurologists will be able to rely on real-time, high-definition brain data to guide personalized interventions”.

“The ability to detect high-frequency neuronal activity with micrometric precision opens up new possibilities for understanding the interactions between brain tumours and broader brain functions in neurological disorders,” said David Coope, principal investigator and consultant neurosurgeon at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, and the University of Manchester. “This technology could be transformative, not only for improving surgical outcomes, but also for opening new avenues of treatment.”

A path of innovation and growth

In recent months, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics has strengthened its growth strategy through a $50 million Series B funding round, led by the imec.xpand fund, along with the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, CDTI-Innvierte, Fond-ICO Next Tech, and Avançsa. This capital injection aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of its BCI-Tx platform, as well as to expand its team and production capabilities.

Additionally, the company maintains strategic collaborations with international leaders in the biotechnology field, such as Merck KGaA, through its subsidiary INNERVIA Bioelectronics, to expand the use of its technology to other applications within the central and peripheral nervous systems.

This new clinical milestone reaffirms INBRAIN’s commitment to developing next-generation medical solutions based on the convergence of advanced materials, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.

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