- Neuralink is a brain implant startup founded by Elon Musk.
- The company is valued at approximately $5 billion.
- The law enforcement arm of the U.S Department of Agriculture has been investing Neuralink for potential animal-welfare violations.
Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup said it has received approval to begin recruitment for the first human trial for its brain implant for paralysis patients.
The trial, which is slated to take an initial six years, is intended to test tech designed by the company. People being targeted are quadriplegic patients with vertical spinal cord injury or ALS who are over the age of 22.
Neuralink has previously come under scrutiny over the company’s treatment of monkeys in testing while also being under investigation for illegally transporting pathogen-laced devices removed from the monkeys by the Department of Transportation.
In May, the company said it had received clearance from the FDA for its first-in-human clinical trial.
The company has said the initial goal of the study is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.
