Chinese neurotech company BrainCo is working on a wearable device that could help control appetite through brain stimulation, and the company is calling it a potential drug-free alternative to GLP-1-based weight loss drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound.
Chinese neurotech company BrainCo is working on a wearable device that could help control appetite through brain stimulation, and the company is calling it a potential drug-free alternative to GLP-1-based weight loss drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound.
BrainCo’s plans were revealed by company co-founder Nyx He at a Bloomberg Tech London event. According to her, the device could be on the market within the next two to three years. It is planned to launch in China first, with the US market being considered later.
He called the upcoming product “an electronic version of GLP-1.” Unlike drugs that mimic metabolic hormones that regulate appetite, the device is supposed to affect the brain using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
BrainCo, based in Hangzhou, is developing BCI technology. The company currently sells headsets that are used to treat neurological conditions, including autism, ADHD, and insomnia. The devices collect and decode neural signals, and in some cases, can also stimulate them.
The new product will be the company’s attempt to expand beyond neurotherapy, prosthetics and robotics to the weight management market. BrainCo is considering various commercialization models, including the possibility of releasing separate medical and consumer versions of the device.
The company also makes bionic hands that amputees and people with disabilities can control using brain signals. These prosthetics allow for precise movements, including playing the piano and calligraphy. In recent years, BrainCo has also supplied robotic hands to China’s humanoid robot industry.
BrainCo is positioning itself as a competitor to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which is also developing brain-computer interfaces. Historically, the Chinese company has focused on non-invasive technologies, but in the future it may consider invasive solutions involving implanting devices into the brain.
According to Nyx He, BrainCo sees significant demand for its bionic and robotic arms in the US, despite increased geopolitical attention to BCI technologies and proposals to limit American investment in Chinese companies in this sector.
In January, Bloomberg reported that BrainCo had confidentially filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong. In an interview, He declined to comment on the company’s plans for an IPO or raising additional funding before going public.
