Back in November, I shared my discovery about BCI research in France that had utilised Akida. The LinkedIn profile of a researcher named Ilyass Hammouamri, which I had stumbled across, revealed two completely different projects he had been involved in.
During his time at CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) CerCo (Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition) in Toulouse, where he was a PhD candidate in Timothée Masquelier‘s NeuroAI lab from to September 2021 to February 2025, Ilyass Hammouamri “worked on a joint project between different labs and BrainChip: Decoding speech from ECoG brain signals”.
A few weeks later, I found out more about this project, namely that BrainChip was one of the consortium partners of “BRAIN-Net: Spiking Neural Networks for Real-Time Processing of Brain Signals” (scheduled project duration: December 2020 - November 2024), which was coordinated by Blaise Yvert from Brain Tech Lab at the Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences. Besides the above-mentioned CeRCO, other consortium partners included INSERM and IMS Laboratory.
The second Akida BCI research project Ilyass Hammouamri had been involved in took place while he was working for BrainChip partner Neurobus as a part-time research engineer between September 2024 and April 2025. According to his LinkedIn profile, he “developed a Proof of Concept solution for motor imagery classification from a Dry EEG Headset using
a BrainChip Akida neuromorphic chip for robotic arm control”.
It doesn’t come as a surprise, then, that BrainChip has now teamed up with a company developing medical solutions based on advanced BCI technology.
We found out about this earlier this month, when
@ChrisBRN spotted two new logos that had appeared on the BrainChip Partners webpage overnight - one of them is the logo of Korea-based BCI technology company Gbrain (
https://www.gbrainlife.com/).
Earlier today, James Shields liked one of Gbrain’s latest LinkedIn posts:
Gbrain In-Depth: Pioneering the Future of BCI 🧠✨ We are proud to share a special three-part feature series that takes a deep dive into Gbrain’s innovative BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) technology and our strategic vision for the global market. Often referred to as the "Neuralink of Korea,"...
www.linkedin.com
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Although we haven’t yet heard anything official from either company, the fact that BrainChip lists Gbrain under OEM Integration Partners (“OEM integration partners produce board and box level product solutions based on Akida silicon implementations that are suitable for end markets.”) suggests to me that our company is interested in the “contracted clinical-grade electrode manufacturing” services Gbrain is offering besides developing their own products, such as Phin Array™, an ECoG cortical electrode, and Phin Stim™, a next-generation wireless cortical implant for neurostimulation, initially targeting patients with Parkinson’s disease. These two products are still in clinical trials, though, and there is also a disclaimer on promotional material by Gbrain that Phin Array and Phin Stim are currently “intended for investigational use only and have not been cleared by the FDA for the treatment of neurological disorders”.
Here is Gbrain’s company profile on the MEDICA website, the International Trade Fair for Medical Technology and Healthcare:
Visit Gbrain Inc. from Incheon at MEDICA 2025 in Düsseldorf in Hall 15 / E48
www.medica-tradefair.com
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And here is a photo Gbrain shared on LinkedIn that shows a poster at their CES 2026 booth:
🚀 CES 2026 Day 1 – Booth Officially Open! Gbrain has officially kicked off CES 2026 with our booth open on Day 1! 📍 LVCC North Hall, Booth #9013 (Incheon IFEZ) We’re excited to showcase our latest innovations and vision in Digital Health on a global stage once again. We’re also incredibly...
www.linkedin.com
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CES® is the most powerful tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where brands get business done, meet new partners and where the industry’s sharpest minds take the stage to unveil their latest releases and boldest breakthroughs...
www.ces.tech
Phin Stim™ for Parkinson’s Disease
Gbrain
Phin Stim™ is a next-generation, fully implantable wireless neurostimulation system for treating Parkinson’s disease. It offers a safer, less invasive alternative when medications fail or patients are reluctant to undergo deep brain procedures. Unlike traditional deep brain stimulation (DBS), Phin Stim™ uses ultra-thin, flexible electrodes to stimulate the motor cortex through a minimally invasive surgical approach. The system is easy to install, remove, or replace, and provides precise surface stimulation. Phin Stim™ continuously monitors brain signals and delivers AI-powered adaptive stimulation to reduce tremors and slow movements in real time. It uses wireless power and data transmission for safe, daily use. Beyond symptom relief, it supports long-term neuroplasticity, helping the brain rewire itself to restore motor function. By combining bioelectronics, intelligent software, and digital therapeutics, Phin Stim™ delivers smarter, more responsive care—offering hope to patients seeking effective alternatives to traditional brain surgery.
Short CES 2026 interview with Gbrain Chief Device Officer Sung Q Lee:
On their website, Gbrain also provide some information on future projects:
- Next Generation Electrode Array: “Syringe-injectable surface multi-modal sensor array”
- Next Generation Wireless System: “Miniaturized wireless body-coupled communication”
- New Materials for Neural Implants:
“Graphene-coated electrode channels”
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And if you’ve come this far, you might as well also read the following article:
I spoke with neuroscientists from an Incheon, Korea-based startup that's looking to minimize the symptoms of epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.
www.cnet.com
At CES 2026, Gbrain's Phin Stim Signals a New Era for Implantable Brain Therapy
I spoke with neuroscientists from an Incheon, Korea-based startup that's looking to minimize the symptoms of epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.
Macy Meyer
Jan. 8, 2026 1:43 p.m. PT
3 min read
Phin Stim is designed to help treat neurological conditions by gently stimulating the brain with precise electrical signals. Macy Meyer/CNET
CES has a unique rhythm. Fast footsteps on carpeted aisles. Neon slogans. Screens flashing promises about the future being smarter, faster, louder. Covering startups on the floor means learning to filter aggressively, to keep moving even when something looks interesting, because there's always another booth waiting.
And then, sometimes, something interrupts that rhythm.
In the middle of the noise, I found myself in the corner of the Las Vegas Convention Center at a booth for Gbrain, a Korean neurotechnology startup specializing in advanced brain-computer interface medical solutions and implantable brain-stimulation devices. No spectacle. No buzzwords shouted from a screen. Just precise hardware, clinical diagrams and conversations that felt unusually grounded for a show known for hype and an oversaturation of AI-nonsense.
It wasn't trying to be the future of everything. It was trying to fix something specific, and that's what made it stand out.
How the Phin Stim works on the human brain
Phin Stim is designed to help treat neurological conditions by gently stimulating the brain with precise electrical signals.
The brain communicates through tiny electrical impulses. When those signals become irregular -- as they can in conditions like epilepsy or Parkinson's disease -- the results can be severe. Phin Stim works by monitoring brain activity and delivering targeted stimulation to help guide those signals back into healthier patterns.
Think of it less like controlling the brain and more like correcting interference on a signal line.
One of the key innovations is Gbrain's ultrathin, flexible electrodes, which sit on the surface of the brain rather than pressing into it like other brain implants. Because they're soft and adaptable, they conform to the brain's natural shape, improving signal quality while reducing irritation. It's the difference between wearing a rigid helmet and something that actually moves with you.
The long-term goal is a fully implantable system: something that can work continuously inside the body, monitoring brain activity and responding when intervention is needed, without bulky external hardware.
The future of Gbrain's work and innovation
I spoke with Euiyoung Kim, a manager at Gbrain, who holds degrees in neuroscience, about the future of Phin Stim and Gbrain's innovations.
Gbrain is showcasing two versions of its flagship system, Phin Stim, at CES. The first, which is undergoing clinical trials, and the second, a prototype, are currently under review by a regulatory body in Korea, according to Kim. The earlier model was a CES 2025 Innovation Awards Honoree, while the updated version earned the same recognition for CES 2026. The newer Phin Stim is smaller, cleaner and more integrated -- less like a prototype and more like a medical device inching toward real-world use.
Gbrain is showcasing two versions of its flagship system Phin Stim at CES 2026.
Macy Meyer/CNET
"[The goal of the devices] is more towards minimizing the symptoms," Kim said. "It would be great if we could further get it to research where we discover the actual core causes of these diseases, but they currently focus more on making people's lives less hard, bringing everyday life back to patients."
What struck me most was how little Gbrain leaned into sci-fi narratives or overpromises. There were no grand claims about mind reading, enhancement or futuristic spectacle. This was neuroscience presented as medicine, not mythology. The focus was squarely on patients whose conditions don't respond well to medication alone and on giving clinicians more precise tools to help them. That restraint felt rare and refreshing on a show floor where ambition can outpace responsibility.
Rather than chasing attention, Gbrain seems focused on the unglamorous fundamentals: manufacturing standards, clinical validation, regulatory pathways and the intense work required to turn technology into treatment.
After hours of walking the CES floor, Gbrain was one of the booths I kept thinking about. In an industry obsessed with speed, Gbrain is moving at the pace medicine demands. And in a space crowded with promises about what technology might do someday, this was a reminder that some of the most meaningful innovation is focused on what technology can do now -- for people who actually need it.
