Wispr AI Raises $4.6 Million to Build Wearable Device That Connects Thoughts to Technology

By Thomas Price | Friday, 31 December 2021 | Startup, Tech, Stem

In an effort to integrate more technology into daily life, tech startup Wispr AI is working on developing new devices that combine neuroscience and fashion. The company recently announced a new seed funding round to help accelerate its business timeline and move forward with the creation of its wearable devices.

Wispr AI’s Technology and Business Goals

Tech startup Wispr AI is led by its co-founders, Tanay Kothari and Sahaj Garg, who have each previously worked with artificial intelligence (AI) teams and were originally roommates at Stanford. The company plans to create a wearable device that can register deliberate thoughts and make them actionable in everyday technology. For example, if a user were to think about setting a date in a digital calendar, the device would be able to recognize that intention and do so automatically.

The tech startup plans to combine deep learning, neuroscience, and EMG sensors to recognize and decipher a user's thoughts within its compact wearable device. In order to properly achieve this, the company has brought on an advisory team of neuroscience and business specialists. Neurotechnology expert Ben Jones, Stanford neuroscientist David Eagleman, and co-director at the UC Davis Neuroprosthetics Lab Sergey Stavisky are some of the experts who have joined the team.

The tech startup is set to enter a rapidly growing global neurotechnology market. This market was estimated to be worth approximately $10.7 billion in 2020. The market is projected to reach a total value of $19 billion by 2026. The projected value of the market is expected to be achieved through a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%.

Major players in the neurotechnology market are Cisco Systems, Dell Inc., Hewlett Packard, Oracle, and Fujitsu. Wispr AI will be competing more directly with startup companies such as Cognixion, NeuroPace, and Neuralink.

Wispr AI Funding Round and Future Business Plans

In its seed funding round, Wispr AI raised $4.6 million in capital. The funding round was led by New Enterprise Associates and 8VC with participation from several individual investors such as CRTL-Labs co-founder Josh Duyan, iota Biosciences co-CEO Jose Carmena, Warby Parker CEO Dave Gilboa, and Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed, among others.

The company plans to use the funding to continue to grow its team of neuroscientists, hardware engineers, machine learning engineers, and product developers. The tech startup also plans to advance its business goals by accelerating the development and eventual launch of its wearable device. The company's long-term plans are to integrate the devices with virtual assistants such as Siri or Google Voice Assistant as well as mobile apps such as Spotify.

When commenting on the latest business funding round for the company, CEO and co-founder of Wispr AI, Tanay Kothari, said, “The technologies we use are evolving at an unprecedented pace. We have moved from phones to smartwatches, VR headsets and immersive augmented experiences. How we interact with this technology will be one of the biggest questions to shape this decade. As we move away from keyboards and voice, the next generation of interfaces are going to be more natural, seamless and private. Our mission is to bring these interfaces to every single person in the world.”

About the Author

Thomas Price

Tom Price is a writer focusing on entertainment and sports features. He has a degree from NYU in English with a minor in Creative Writing. He has been previously published for Washington Square News, Dignitas, CBR, and Numbers on the Boards.