Paradromics, an Austin-based neurotech company, has implanted its Connexus brain-computer interface in its first patient as part of an FDA-approved clinical study. The patient is a Michigan woman who lost her ability to speak due to motor neuron disease. The Connexus device sits on the brain's surface with 421 platinum-iridium microwires thinner than half a human hair, feeding into a chest-implanted transceiver that wirelessly transmits data. Software then translates recorded neural activity into text or synthesized speech. Paradromics claims an industry-leading data rate for neural recording. This is the company's first chronic (permanent) implant, building on a brief 2025 test. The company competes with Neuralink, Synchron, and Precision Neuroscience. Results will emerge over months and years, and Paradromics' longer-term roadmap includes direct AI interaction and human enhancement beyond medical applications.
