OpenAIAnnounceInvest in aMerge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startupThis investment has generated considerable buzz not only because of its $8.5 million valuation, but also because the company's co-founder is none other than OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
What is Merge Labs?
Merge Labs officially launched on Thursday, ending its stealth mode and announcing the completion of a $2.5 million seed funding round. According to sources, OpenAI wrote the largest check in the round.
This startup, which calls itself a "research lab," has a rather ambitious goal: "to combine biology and artificial intelligence to maximize human capabilities." Unlike Elon Musk's Neuralink, which requires invasive surgery (removing a piece of skull to implant electrodes), Merge Labs takes a "non-invasive" approach.
According to their official statement, Merge Labs plans to develop a new technology that uses molecules instead of electrodes to connect to neurons and transmits and receives information through deep modalities such as ultrasound. In short, they want to allow you to connect directly to AI using your brain without having to open it.
All-star founding lineup: The Worldcoin team is here too.
Besides Sam Altman, the founding team of Merge Labs is also quite impressive and has a strong "insider" feel to it:
• Alex Blania and Sandro Herbig: CEO and Head of Product Engineering, respectively, of Tools for Humanity (the company behind Worldcoin).
• Tyson Aflalo and Sumner Norman: Co-founders of Forest Neurotech, an implantable neurotechnology company.
• Mikhail Shapiro: Researcher at Caltech.
OpenAI announced that it will collaborate with Merge Labs on fundamental scientific models. OpenAI believes that future AI operating systems will need to be able to interpret human intentions, and brain-computer interfaces are key to enabling humans to interact with AI in a natural and seamless way.
Sam Altman vs. Elon Musk: From AI to Brain-Computer Interfaces
This investment also extends Sam Altman's battle with his former ally and now arch-rival Elon Musk from AI models to the field of brain-computer interfaces.
Elon Musk's Neuralink has already achieved initial success with paralyzed patients, and its valuation reached $9 billion after its Series E funding round in June 2025. In contrast, Merge Labs, although still in the seed stage, will be more readily accepted by the mass market if its "non-invasive" technology path succeeds, since not everyone is willing to have a hole drilled in their head just to use AI.
Analysis of viewpoints
There are two aspects of this news story worth discussing.
First, there's the controversy surrounding "circular investment." OpenAI has invested in many companies associated with Sam Altman through its Startup Fund (such as nuclear fusion company Helion Energy and AI chip company Rain AI), and now it's directly investing in Merge Labs, which Sam Altman co-founded.
This investment model of "OpenAI providing funding and Sam Altman appreciating value" is not uncommon in Silicon Valley, but as discussions about OpenAI moving towards a for-profit model increase, this governance structure is bound to attract more attention from regulatory agencies.
Secondly, there is Sam Altman's ultimate vision. As early as 2017, Sam Altman predicted the concept of "The Merge" on his blog, believing that the best outcome for humanity in the face of superintelligence is to merge with it, otherwise it can only become a "biological bootloader" for digital intelligence.
The emergence of Merge Labs is clearly aimed at realizing this vision. If OpenAI is the brain and Worldcoin is the identity card, then Merge Labs is the "neural network" connecting them all. Sam Altman is piecing together not just an AI company, but a completely new blueprint for the evolution of the human species. However, whether this future will be a "superman" scenario or a "cyberpunk" nightmare remains to be seen.
