American brain-computer interface startup Science Corp CEO Max Hodak told Bloomberg that its Prima retinal chip has already secured the EU CE mark (permission to list medical devices in the European Union), allowing it to be sold across the entire EU and European Economic Area without needing to apply country by country. The planned European commercial launch is set for August, and the first commercial implantation is most likely to take place in Germany.
How the Prima system works: a dual-component design with a wireless photovoltaic chip and custom eyeglasses
The Prima system consists of two parts, operating as follows:
Implant component: a wireless photovoltaic chip, implanted behind the eyeball under the retina, to receive light signals, generate electricity, and then convert it into electrical signals that stimulate surviving cells in the retina
Wearing component: custom eyeglasses with a built-in camera and a micro projector, responsible for capturing the image in front of the eyes and projecting it onto the implanted chip
Working logic: the eyeglasses capture the scene → project it onto the chip → the chip powers itself via light generation → converts it into electrical signals → stimulates the remaining retinal cells → the brain “sees” the outline of the image again
Clinical data from The New England Journal of Medicine: 26 of 32 patients tracked showed clinically meaningful vision improvement
On the science side, a clinical study published last year in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that among 32 patients with late-stage geographic atrophy who completed 12 months of follow-up, 26 had clinically meaningful improvements in vision, reaching a level sufficient to recognize letters, numbers, and words again.
Geographic atrophy is a late-stage form of age-related macular degeneration and is currently the most common cause of blindness in older adults. There are drugs that can slow deterioration, but no treatment can reverse it. Prima is the first commercial device proven effective for this late-stage form. Hodak noted that there are hundreds of thousands of potential beneficiaries in Europe alone, and as the global population ages, the patient population will continue to expand.
The strategic logic for early European commercialization: CE mark coverage across the EU/EEA
Science Corp chose Europe as its first commercialization stop for a clear regulatory reason: once the EU CE mark is approved, it can cover the entire EU and European Economic Area market without needing to apply in each country. By contrast, the US FDA approval process often takes more than a few years. Hodak is one of Neuralink’s co-founders; after leaving in 2021, he founded Science Corp and focused on visual restoration (lower technical difficulty but with a large number of patients) rather than directly taking on more complex brain signals such as language and movement. This strategic choice allowed Science Corp to prioritize clearing the CE mark hurdle first.
In valuation terms, Science Corp ($1.5 billion) is still lower than Neuralink, but it became the first brain-computer interface company to sell an implanted device commercially into clinics.
FAQ
In which markets has the Prima retinal chip been approved for sale so far, and when is the European commercial launch?
The Prima retinal chip has received the EU CE mark and can be sold across the entire EU and European Economic Area; Science Corp announced that the European commercial launch is scheduled for August 2026, and the first commercial implantation is most likely to be carried out in Germany. Pricing has not been determined yet and will vary by region and insurance plans.
What results did The New England Journal of Medicine’s clinical research on Prima show?
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine last year found that among 32 late-stage geographic atrophy patients who completed 12 months of follow-up, 26 had clinically meaningful improvements in vision, reaching a level sufficient to recognize letters, numbers, and words again.
What are Science Corp’s valuation and cumulative funding, and what is its relationship with Neuralink?
According to a Bloomberg report in March 2026, Science Corp has a valuation of $1.5 billion and cumulative fundraising of $489 million. Science Corp CEO Max Hodak is one of Neuralink’s co-founders; after leaving in 2021, he started a separate company. Today, Science Corp is the second-highest valued company in the brain-computer interface space, but it was the first to complete commercialization of an implanted device.
