MintNeuro, a semiconductor startup developing specialised chips that enable devices to connect with the brain and nervous system, has raised £4 million in seed funding led by Odyssey Ventures. The round includes participation from 33East, JSK Investments, Alumni Ventures, Empirical Ventures, Jumpspace Ventures and other first-round investors. Funding supports faster product launches, new partnerships and international expansion as MintNeuro moves from technology validation to commercial scale-up.
MintNeuro designs very small implantable semiconductor chips that are purpose-built to work in the brain and the wider nervous system. These chips are engineered to function optimally in the special conditions found inside the human body, enabling implants and other devices that aim to improve management of conditions such as stroke, epilepsy and depression. Device and therapy developers often face a choice between using generic components that were never designed for the body or embarking on years of custom chip development. MintNeuro develops chips intended to remove that trade-off and place specialised hardware directly in the hands of neural device developers.
Neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease affect over one billion people worldwide, with many conditions underserved by current treatments. Neural implants are presented as a promising alternative route to long-term solutions, but progress depends on access to hardware that can operate safely and efficiently in the body. Investors and advisers to MintNeuro highlight a phase in neurotechnology where specialised hardware is expected to determine how far and how fast the field can advance, with semiconductor technology positioned as a key factor in achieving industry scale.
MintNeuro’s implantable chip technology originated in the Next Generation Neural Interfaces Lab in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial, led by Tim Constandinou. Constandinou and Dorian Haci, then a postdoctoral researcher, started MintNeuro in 2022, building on a business case developed through the MedTech SuperConnector, an Imperial-run accelerator supporting medical technology innovations. In 2024 MintNeuro raised £1 million, supported by investment from the Imperial College Enterprise Fund and the conversion of a loan note issued through the MedTech SuperConnector Seed Fund.
MintNeuro has already delivered functioning chips and reached key integration milestones with research and development partners, including Motif Neurotech in the United States and Amber Therapeutics in the United Kingdom. Earlier in 2024 MintNeuro announced a partnership and multi-year commercial chip supply agreement with Motif Neurotech, supporting development of a minimally invasive neurostimulator initially targeting treatment-resistant depression.
Today, most device and therapy developers still have to choose between generic components that were never designed for the body and years of custom chip development. We are building the chips that end that trade-off.
Neurotechnology is entering a phase where specialised hardware will determine how far, and how fast, the field can go. MintNeuro’s semiconductor technology is well-placed to remove the key obstacle to industry scale, which could dramatically accelerate the pace of innovation.
MintNeuro is a standout example of what the MedTech SuperConnector Seed Fund exists to do: back exceptional deep tech founders early and help them reach their next stage. Going from Imperial spinout to delivering working silicon for neural devices is a major achievement, and we congratulate Dorian and the team on this raise.
Neural devices such as brain-computer interfaces represent one of the most exciting frontier technology opportunities today, and significant value will accrue to those solving the foundational infrastructure challenges that stand between innovation and widespread adoption. MintNeuro has the technology, market pull and ambition to become a globally important semiconductor company, and we are backing this exceptional team as it scales from the UK into global markets, including Silicon Valley.
