What is Neuralink’s stock price, and are they publicly traded? Unfortunately, investors cannot purchase shares of Neuralink because it is a private company. However, Medtronic (NYSE: MDT), Integra Lifesciences (NASDAQ: IART), and Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) are healthcare technology stock symbols that traders can invest in.
Have you been keeping track of Elon Musk’s companies? His latest company, Neuralink, has been making waves, but not in the car industry. Neuralink is a company that develops implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
Since its creation in 2016, the company has achieved many significant breakthroughs but remains at a very early stage. It’s in the same stage as a computer before the Internet was invented.
Neuralink is still a private company, but that might change eventually. Here is everything you need to know about Neuralink stock and other companies conducting business in the same field.
Is Neuralink Publicly Traded?
We all know how popular Elon Musk’s Tesla company is on the roads, with consumers, and especially on the stock market. Unfortunately, that is not yet the case with Neuralink. Neuralink remains a privately held company with no plans for an IPO.
Since there is no Neuralink stock, it doesn’t have to disclose quarterly reports to the public. Its current focus is on R&D rather than generating revenue, let alone profitability or returns for its shareholders.
Neuralink Company Overview
Elon Musk founded Neuralink in 2016 with seven scientists and engineers: Max Hodak, Benjamin Rapoport, Dongjin Seo, Paul Merolla, Philip Sabes, Tim Gardner, Tim Hanson, and Vanessa Tolosa.
The company’s initial focus was to develop technology to address serious brain diseases, with a long-term vision of human enhancement and transhumanism thanks to implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
Despite being founded in 2016, Neuralink was unknown until March 2017. There was little to no information about the company’s projects, goals, and progress.
In 2019, Neuralink’s first significant public outing occurred when its executive team showcased its technology in a live-streamed presentation. It created a lot of excitement and skepticism in the scientific and tech communities. Can you trade Neuralink stock?
Neuralink Growth and Development
Since its founding, Neuralink has experienced significant growth in funding, personnel, and technological development.
- Funding: As of August 2023, Neuralink’s total funding has exceeded $600M. Many well-known figures, such as Elon Musk, Google’s GV, and Peter Thiel, have participated. This substantial financial backing has allowed the company to pursue ambitious research and development goals. Good for Neuralink stock.
- Personnel: Of the eight scientists Elon Musk initially hired to establish Neuralink, only two remain with the company as of 2022 (Dongjin Seo and Paul Merolla). Various former employees have reported a high turnover rate due to a culture of blame, fear, and pressure to meet Musk’s ambitious schedules. There have also been many departures due to concerns about the safety of the technology. Others, like Dr. Benjamin Rapoport, left Neuralink to start a new competing company.
- Facilities: Initially headquartered in San Francisco’s Mission District, Neuralink moved its HQ to Fremont, California. The company plans to build a three-story building worth $14.7M with office and manufacturing space near Austin, Texas. It will be close to Tesla’s HQ.
Neuralink Achievements
Since its creation, Neuralink has made several notable technological advancements in BCIs.
- Thread-like electrodes: In July 2019, Neuralink announced the development of a “sewing machine-like” device capable of implanting very thin threads (4 to 6 μm in width) into the brain. This technology allows for more implanted electrodes with potentially less damage to brain tissue.
- High-density electrode arrays: The company demonstrated a system that could read information from a lab rat via 1500 electrodes, simultaneously monitoring a significant increase in neural connections.
- Animal testing: In April 2021, Neuralink demonstrated a monkey playing the game Pong using their BCI implant. The company has faced controversy due to animal and ethical testing.
Human Trials
In 2024, Elon Musk announced that Neuralink had successfully implanted a device in two humans for the first time.
The first subject is Nolan Arbaugh, a 30-year-old who has been paralyzed below the neck since 2016. The purpose of the implant was for him to regain control and independence.
Within a week of the surgery (January 2024), he could move a digital cursor, browse the web, play games, and control a computer using thoughts. However, 85% of implant threads retracted after about a month, which caused some complications.
The second implant was on a patient named Alex (August 2024), who had a spinal cord injury. According to a report, it worked well, with approximately 400 of its 1042 electrodes providing signals from the brain. It’s not a bad start for a young company in a challenging field.
Neuralink Challenges & Controversies
I believe it’s an understatement when people say there will be challenges in this field. We are playing with our anatomy and skeleton.
The technology will likely take decades to reach its full potential. Some sacrifices will have to be made, just like in the past.
Since its creation, Neuralink has faced criticism for the euthanization of primates during medical trials. Veterinary records have shown complications with electrode implantation surgeries.
These complications are necessary if the company hopes to succeed with all the regulatory issues it will face. If Neuralink is to be used commercially one day, many more tests and failures remain on its path. We’ll see if anything affects Neuralink stock if it goes public.
Public Neurotechnology Companies to Consider
| Symbol | Name |
|---|---|
| MDT | Medtronic |
| BSX | Boston Scientific |
| IART | Integra LifeSciences Holdings |
| NPCE | NeuroPace |
Neuralink stock may not be public, but several companies are working on related technologies or in adjacent fields. They are listed on major US stock exchanges. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT)
We begin our Neuralink stock alternatives list with Medtronic, an established company and global leader in medical technology specializing in designing, developing, and manufacturing medical devices. Its Neuroscience Portfolio includes innovative solutions for various neurological conditions and spinal disorders.
One of Medtronic’s key technologies surrounds its AiBLE™ ecosystem. I won’t get into the technicals, but it integrates advanced technologies such as navigation, robotics, AI, imaging, software, and implants to enhance predictability and precision in spine and cranial procedures.
The company also operates the only commercially available sensing technology to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and epilepsy. Keep an eye on Medtronic in the decades to come.
Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX)
Next on the Neuralink stock alternatives list is Boston Scientific, which specializes in innovative solutions for various medical fields, focusing strongly on neuroscience and neuromodulation.
Its neuroscience division is developing advanced therapies for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and chronic pain.
Boston Scientific is developing precise tools for real-time visualization of each patient’s unique brain anatomy and understanding and interacting with the nervous system.
The company is growing very quickly and catching the eye of many investors. Its stock is trading near an all-time high price, up 53% YTD and 109% in the last 5 years.
Integra LifeSciences Holdings (NASDAQ: IART)
We continue our Neuralink stock alternatives list with Integra LifeSciences, which specializes in neurosurgery, reconstructive, and general surgery products. It provides instruments, implants, and devices for neurosurgery and neurocritical care.
Despite its strong presence in neuroscience (implants for neurosurgical and spinal procedures, brain tissue oxygen and temperature monitor, etc.), it faces major challenges. The company’s revenues and profits are slowly decreasing.
As a result, Integra’s stock is down 57% in the last 5 years and 42% YTD. However, it believes in its neuroscience portfolio but has to work on its quality control and FDA violations.
NeuroPace (NASDAQ: NPCE)
Our last public company on this Neuralink stock alternatives list is NeuroPace. It is a medical device company specializing in neuroscience technology, particularly in treating epilepsy.
Its FDA-approved epilepsy device delivers treatment by reacting to abnormal brain activity and gives EEG data.
NeuroPace is expanding its market presence through various initiatives and is growing thanks to additional clinical trials.
Unfortunately, NeuroPace hasn’t performed very well since its IPO in 2021. The stock is down over 60%, but the company has shown a strong financial performance.
Synchron
We conclude this Neuralink stock alternatives list with Synchron, a pioneering neurotechnology company founded in 2016 that attempts to address neurological disorders and improve the lives of people with paralysis.
Unlike other BCI approaches (Neuralink) that require open brain surgery, Synchron’s Switch device is inserted through blood vessels. This reduces risks and recovery time associated with traditional neurosurgery.
The company has achieved several milestones thanks to its clinical trials, including receiving the first-ever Investigational New Drug approval from the FDA for its BCI technology.
Similar to Neuralink, Synchron isn’t expected to go IPO anytime soon.
Final Thoughts on Neuralink Stock
To conclude, Neuralink is working on a technology that could revolutionize humankind and bring us closer to transhumanism.
Thanks to its first two human trials performed earlier in 2024, we can see this technology’s potential, and there are still plenty of untapped possibilities. Neuralink’s founder, Elon Musk, is well-known among investors thanks to Tesla.
It’ll likely be a huge success if he takes Neuralink to the public markets. Even though there’s no Neuralink stock, there are several healthcare technology companies that traders can invest in.
