Science Corporation, a brain-computer interface startup founded by former Neuralink president Max Hodak, said Wednesday it has raised $230 million in a Series C funding round as the company works toward bringing an implant designed to restore vision to market.
A source close to the company said the funding round values Science Corp. at $1.5 billion post-money. The investment increases the startup’s total funding to $490 million.
The company is currently focused on a device known as PRIMA, an implant intended to help people with advanced macular degeneration regain functional vision.
PRIMA Implant Targets Vision Loss
PRIMA is a chip smaller than a grain of rice that is implanted in the eye. The implant works together with glasses equipped with a camera to transmit visual information, allowing users to perceive images.
Science Corp. did not originally develop the technology. The company acquired PRIMA’s assets in 2024 from French medical technology company Pixium Vision.
After acquiring the technology, Science Corp. refined the system and continued clinical trials that Pixium Vision had previously initiated.
The company reported results from trials involving 47 patients in Europe and the United States. According to Science Corp., about 80% of participants showed measurable improvement in visual acuity.
The company said participants were able to read letters, numbers, and words.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time that restoration of the ability to fluently read has ever been definitively shown in blind patients,” Hodak said in an interview with TechCrunch in December.
The PRIMA device has also appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
Regulatory Timeline For Market Launch
Science Corp. said it has submitted a CE mark application to European regulators for the PRIMA implant.
The company expects the device could receive approval in mid-2026, after which it plans to launch the product in Europe.
If the timeline holds, Science Corp. says PRIMA could become the first brain-computer interface product to reach the market.
The startup indicated that Germany may become its first launch market because the country has established regulatory pathways that allow early access to emerging medical technologies.
In the United States, discussions with the Food and Drug Administration are ongoing.
Expanding Clinical Trials
Science Corp. is expanding its PRIMA trial program beyond macular degeneration.
The company said new trials will include patients with Stargardt disease and retinitis pigmentosa. Both are inherited retinal disorders that are major causes of vision loss in young adults.
Additional Research Programs
The Series C funding will also support other research initiatives inside the company.
One program focuses on a biohybrid neural interface that combines living cells with electronic hardware. The approach involves growing engineered neurons derived from stem cells onto a device designed with a waffle-like structure.
The device sits on the surface of the brain and forms biological connections with existing neural circuits.
Science Corp. is also developing a new business unit called Vessel. The project focuses on organ preservation technology.
The system aims to develop compact perfusion devices that could allow organs to be transported on commercial flights or maintained by patients at home rather than in intensive care units.
Investors And Company Growth
Investors participating in the Series C round include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, and IQT.
IQT is a nonprofit investment organization that supports technologies used by U.S. government agencies including the FBI and CIA.
Science Corp. currently employs about 150 people.
Featured image credits: openclipart.org
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