Braintree founder Bryan Johnson wants to put a computer chip in your brain. And he's investing $100 million to make what sounds like science fiction become a reality.
Johnson announced that he's putting $100 million into Kernel, his new Silicon Valley-based startup that's building a tiny computer chip that will be implanted in the human brain to combat neurological damage. Kernel looks to help patients dealing with Alzheimer’s, strokes and concussions improve their memory and cognitive function.
Johnson unveiled the ambitious project earlier this year, which he acknowledged will take years to build. He's reportedly hired top neuroscientists to build the chip.
Kernel is being funded through the OS Fund, which is made up exclusively from Johnson's personal fortune.
"I started Kernel in 2016 ... to build the world’s first neural prosthetic for human intelligence enhancement," Johnson wrote in a Medium post Thursday. "The investment I’m making in Kernel today will expedite the development of this prosthetic and similarly transformative neurotechnologies."
Johnson's wealth comes from the sale of his previous company Braintree, a Chicago-based mobile payments technology that Johnson founded in 2007 at the University of Chicago. Johnson sold Braintree to PayPal in 2013 for $800 million.
Kernel looks to raise approximately $1 billion from public and private sources, Johnson said, and the company plans to develop multiple products. Each product will require approximately $200 million and 7–10 years to build, he said.
"I’ve chosen to start a company instead of funding academic research or setting up a foundation because, as a for-profit endeavor, Kernel has the unique potential to give birth to a usable product that could benefit the lives of billions," he said.
"Many of the components needed to build a cognitive neuroprosthesis are already being developed by researchers or medical device companies. We’d like to accelerate this progress."
