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Episode

InBrain: Graphene BCI Therapeutics Strategy

InBrain CEO Carolina Aguilar outlines a strategic pivot from assistive to therapeutic Brain-Computer Interfaces using graphene. The company leverages AI and robotics to address neurological diseases, aiming for mass-market scalability through partnerships with Merck and Microsoft.

Strategic Pivot to Therapeutic BCI

InBrain, a Spanish startup led by CEO Carolina Aguilar, is redefining the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) market by shifting focus from assistive communication to therapeutic intervention. While competitors like Neuralink prioritize decoding neural signals for cursor control, InBrain leverages graphene-based electrodes to actively modulate neural circuits. This material advantage allows for high-resolution stimulation that resolves symptoms of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s, directly within the body. This strategic pivot targets a broader patient population and aligns with existing clinical trial endpoints and reimbursement codes, accelerating the path to commercialization.

Technology and AI Integration

The core innovation lies in the convergence of graphene, AI, and robotics. Graphene’s superior charge injection limit enables safe, long-term stimulation at micrometric scales. To manage the complexity of neural data, InBrain partners with Microsoft to deploy AI agents that act as a "mini neurologist" in the patient’s home. These agents continuously analyze brain signals and fine-tune stimulation parameters in real-time, addressing the gap between infrequent medical appointments and daily symptom management. This approach not only improves patient outcomes but also reduces the burden on healthcare systems.

Scaling Through Global Partnerships

InBrain is scaling its impact through strategic alliances with major industry players. A five-year partnership with Merck focuses on vagus nerve modulation, leveraging the pharma giant’s expertise in personalized medicine and drug delivery. Additionally, collaborations with robotic surgery firms like Nanoflex and Robote enable remote, minimally invasive implantation. This democratizes access to specialized neurosurgery, allowing experts in one location to perform procedures on patients in another, thereby overcoming the scarcity of skilled neurosurgeons.

Regulatory and Market Positioning

Operating within the European Union, InBrain navigates a fragmented regulatory landscape by treating strict compliance as a competitive advantage. While China and the US move rapidly with less regulatory friction, InBrain emphasizes safety and ethical standards to build trust. The company is also addressing the critical issue of patient continuity, planning insurance-backed support structures to ensure care persists even if the startup faces financial challenges. This holistic approach positions InBrain as a leader in responsible, scalable neurotechnology.

Key insights

Graphene’s 200x higher charge injection limit compared to platinum enables safe, high-resolution neural stimulation, allowing BCIs to function as therapeutic devices rather than just communication tools.
Impact: This material breakthrough unlocks new therapeutic applications for neurological diseases, expanding the addressable market beyond assistive communication.
Technology →
InBrain’s focus on therapeutic BCI aligns with existing clinical endpoints and reimbursement codes, unlike assistive BCI which lacks clear regulatory and financial pathways.
Impact: This strategic choice accelerates commercialization and investor confidence by reducing regulatory and market entry barriers.
Business Strategy →
Integration of AI agents for real-time signal analysis and stimulation adjustment addresses the gap between infrequent physician visits and continuous patient needs.
Impact: Enhances patient care quality and reduces healthcare costs by enabling autonomous, personalized treatment adjustments at home.
AI Application →
Partnerships with robotic surgery firms enable remote, minimally invasive implantation, democratizing access to specialized neurosurgical expertise globally.
Impact: Scales the service model by overcoming geographic limitations of skilled neurosurgeons, increasing patient reach and operational efficiency.
Operational Efficiency →
Strict EU regulatory compliance is leveraged as a trust-building moat, differentiating InBrain from faster but less regulated competitors in the US and China.
Impact: Builds long-term credibility with healthcare providers and patients, potentially leading to preferred adoption in regulated markets.
Regulatory Strategy →

Action items

Evaluate material alternatives like graphene for high-resolution stimulation in medical devices to enable therapeutic rather than just diagnostic functions.
Impact: Unlocks new product categories and market segments by enabling active treatment capabilities in existing device architectures.
Develop AI-driven real-time adjustment systems for implanted devices to reduce reliance on frequent clinical visits and improve home care outcomes.
Impact: Enhances patient satisfaction and reduces healthcare system burden, creating a more sustainable and scalable care model.
Form strategic partnerships with robotic surgery companies to enable remote, minimally invasive procedures, expanding geographic reach and access to specialized expertise.
Impact: Overcomes talent scarcity and geographic barriers, allowing for a global service model that scales without proportional increases in local infrastructure.
Leverage strict regulatory compliance as a marketing and trust-building asset, emphasizing safety and ethical standards in competitive positioning.
Impact: Differentiates the brand in risk-averse healthcare markets, potentially leading to faster adoption by conservative institutional buyers.
Establish insurance-backed patient support structures to ensure continuity of care in case of company financial instability, addressing a critical gap in the MedTech sector.
Impact: Builds long-term trust with patients and healthcare providers, mitigating reputational risk and enhancing brand resilience.

Quotes

“We have a divergent dream that I think is as big or bigger than that, which is teach the nervous system to self-repair so we can self-repair ourselves from neurological diseases that affect one out of three people.”
“Since graphene can endure at micrometrics size all that stimulation at functional level, we have that superpower. And that's what we call BCI therapeutics, meaning we can actually resolve within the own body those symptoms without the need of any computer.”
“We could actually embed AI into our systems to have a mini neurologist living with you in your brain that you could interrogate and help you with that fine tuning.”