Traditional neuroelectronic therapies, including deep brain stimulation (DBS), lack the precision to decode and modulate brain activity at a granular level. Consequently, patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and stroke often experience suboptimal treatment outcomes, unwanted side effects, and limited personalised care. INBRAIN Neuroelectronics addresses these challenges by developing a new generation of minimally invasive, graphene-based brain-computer interface (BCI) therapeutics.
Today, the Barcelona-based clinical-stage neurotechnology company, specialising in graphene-powered precision BCIs, announced receiving a €4 million grant from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism under the PERTE Chip initiative. This funding will accelerate INBRAIN’s development of brain-computer interface technology, which combines intelligent computing with graphene-based materials to decode and modulate brain activity in real time for therapeutic applications.
“We are honoured to receive this national support as part of Spain’s effort to lead in cutting-edge neurotechnology,” said Carolina Aguilar, CEO and Co-Founder of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics. “This grant will enable us to accelerate our mission to develop precision neurotechnologies that can transform the treatment of neurological diseases, while also helping to position Spain at the forefront of deep tech innovation in healthcare.”
Spain’s PERTE chip initiative: Paving the way for technological sovereignty
The PERTE Chip (Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation of Microelectronics and Semiconductors) is a €12.25 billion initiative running through 2027, designed to strengthen Spain’s role in the global semiconductor value chain. The program is structured around four pillars — scientific R&D, chip design, domestic production, and SME innovation — and addresses supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by recent global shortages, particularly in the automotive and healthcare sectors. By 2030, the EU’s Chips Act targets 20% global semiconductor production, with Spain’s PERTE Chip as a critical component of this vision.
On May 5, 2025, the Ministry provisionally awarded €53.2 million to support 37 breakthrough projects across 11 autonomous communities. INBRAIN’s project was among several selected for their high-impact potential in areas including disruptive materials, semiconductor manufacturing, cybersecurity, and AI-based computing tools. This funding demonstrates Spain’s commitment to fostering deep-tech ecosystems that integrate academia, industry, and healthcare — a model exemplified by Catalonia’s thriving neurotech cluster.
“INBRAIN Neuroelectronics represents exactly the kind of cutting-edge innovation we aim to support from the Government of Catalonia,” said Mr Miquel Sàmper, regional Minister of Business and Labour. “By combining advanced materials like graphene and neurotechnology, INBRAIN is pushing the boundaries of healthcare innovation and strengthening Catalonia, Spain and Europe’s leadership in strategic deep tech sectors. Supporting projects like this is essential to building the country’s technological autonomy and long-term competitiveness in the medtech industry.”
Graphene: The material revolutionising neurotechnology
INBRAIN’s BCI platform leverages graphene’s unique properties — ultra-high signal resolution, flexibility, and biocompatibility — to overcome limitations of traditional neuroelectronic materials like platinum or iridium oxide.
Unlike Neuralink’s invasive electrodes, which face immune response and signal degradation challenges, graphene-based interfaces minimise tissue damage and enable stable, long-term neural recordings. This material advantage is crucial for applications requiring precise modulation, such as targeting subthalamic nuclei in Parkinson’s patients or detecting pre-seizure biomarkers in epilepsy.
The company’s FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Parkinson’s therapy highlights graphene’s transformative potential. Integrating AI to decode neural activity in real time, INBRAIN’s system autonomously adjusts stimulation parameters, reducing side effects like speech impairment or muscle contractions common in conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS).
INBRAIN’s success stems from Catalonia’s interdisciplinary research infrastructure, including the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) and the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM). The region’s synergy between academia and industry, exemplified by partnerships with companies like Fagor Electrónica and Indra under PERTE Chip, accelerates translational research. Miquel Sàmper, Catalonia’s Minister of Business and Labour, emphasises that supporting INBRAIN reinforces Spain’s goal of achieving “technological autonomy” in critical sectors like healthcare.
How INBRAIN Neuroelectronics is solving the problem of imprecise, inflexible, and less biocompatible neural interfaces
INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, led by CEO and co-founder Carolina Aguilar, former European Director at Medtronic, is pioneering real-time precision neurology with the world’s first graphene-based brain-computer interface therapeutics (BCI-Tx) platform. Their technology combines advanced neural decoding and micrometric modulation to deliver personalised, adaptive treatments for Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and stroke rehabilitation.
The AI-driven platform enhances outcomes while reducing side effects by continuously monitoring and adjusting therapies in real time. This breakthrough has earned INBRAIN’s BCI-Tx an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Parkinson’s Disease. Through collaborations with partners like Merck KGaA and subsidiary INNERVIA Bioelectronics, INBRAIN is expanding these innovations to treat peripheral nerve and systemic diseases, advancing the future of neurotechnology and bioelectronics.
Early clinical trials show more than 80-90% decoding accuracy compared to metals (50-60%) with 70% less time and energy needs, impacting platform efficiency. Through INNERVIA Bioelectronics, INBRAIN is extending its technology beyond the central nervous system. A partnership with Merck targets hypertension by modulating baroreceptor activity in the carotid artery, offering an alternative to pharmacological treatments with systemic side effects. Similarly, vagus nerve stimulation prototypes aim to regulate immune responses in autoimmune diseases, demonstrating the platform’s versatility.
As PERTE Chip continues to fund high-impact projects, Spain is positioned to become a nexus of deep-tech innovation, with INBRAIN leading the charge in bridging nanotechnology and neuroscience.
