INBRAIN and the EIC Accelerator: Graphene Wired to the Brain

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, a Barcelona company led by CEO and co-founder Carolina Aguilar, develops brain implants made of graphene that record and stimulate neural activity. Its EIC project said current implants are "made of big metal leads with multiple limitations, such as poor resolution, low specificity and high invasiveness", and promised graphene implants that, with AI, could read "single neural cells at a resolution never seen before", according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,493,750 towards a €3.56 million project from May 2023 to April 2025, focused on a high-resolution cortical interface for brain mapping during surgery. The final report describes three large-animal studies, including a Good Laboratory Practice safety study, which "confirmed the superiority of graphene vs current metal electrodes in signal quality", a move from 4-inch to 6-inch wafer production, and work towards UK regulatory approval for a first-in-human study. In September 2024 INBRAIN announced the world's first human procedure with a graphene-based brain-computer interface, and in October 2024 it closed a $50 million Series B led by imec.xpand with the EIC Fund.

Where INBRAIN Stands Now

INBRAIN's website lists positive interim clinical results in July 2025 showing its graphene interface delivers "neural fidelity beyond conventional materials", and a strategic collaboration with Microsoft on agentic AI for precision neurology in December 2025. The Series B brought total funding since the company's founding to $68 million, and Merck KGaA provided additional funding for applications in its therapeutic areas. The company says the FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation for its Parkinson's therapy in August 2023 and accepted it into its TAP advisory programme in January 2024.

The Technology: Graphene Instead of Metal

INBRAIN describes graphene as a Nobel Prize-winning material known for its strength, flexibility and conductivity. Its implant is 10 micrometres thick and uses tiny graphene contacts to record brain signals in fine detail and stimulate precisely. The first product, a temporary interface used during brain surgery, connects to existing CE-marked equipment. The second is a chronic implant for therapies such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and speech decoding.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project covered development of the acute cortical interface through to human use. The report documents animal and GLP safety studies, industrialisation, and preparation of the first-in-human study, which took place in 2024. It says a revised design would then be validated and submitted to the FDA through the 510(k) route. No FDA clearance has been announced. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. Large-animal and GLP studiesDeliveredThree studies.
2. First human useDeliveredSeptember 2024.
3. Industrial fabricationDelivered6-inch wafers.
4. FDA clearancePendingNot announced.

The Money

The Series B was led by imec.xpand, with the EIC Fund, Spain's Fond ICO Next Tech and CDTI-Innvierte, and Catalonia's Avançsa among new investors, imec said. The EIC Fund's share and INBRAIN's revenue are not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

INBRAIN is turning a European advanced material into a brain-computer interface product developed in Barcelona. The EIC helped fund the step into humans; EU and Spanish public investors are also among its shareholders.

The Verdict

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.