Gabe Newell, the founder of Valve, has shown support for the new startup Starfish Technologies, which focuses on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) aimed at treating neurological disorders. TechSpot reports on this development.
Starfish Technologies is not linked to the gaming industry; rather, it is focused on medical applications. The startup plans to unveil its first chips by the end of 2025. Developers are working on miniature, energy-efficient, and wireless implants that can read and stimulate activity across multiple areas of the brain simultaneously.
The technology is aimed at disorders related to disrupted neural connections, such as Parkinson's disease. Starfish is actively seeking partnerships with experts in wireless energy transfer, neurointerfaces, and communication systems.
Valve has previously explored brain implants in the gaming context, and interest in the technology is also shown by companies like Sony, Tencent, and Apple. However, Starfish intends to focus initially on medical use cases.
The startup has already released technical specifications for its chip. The device measures 2×4 mm and consumes only 1.1 mW of power during standard recording. It is capable of recording brain activity (spikes and local field potentials) from 16 channels simultaneously at a frequency of 18.75 kHz using 32 electrodes. Additionally, the chip supports electrical stimulation, has built-in impedance monitoring, voltage measurement during stimulation, and digital signal processing, which allows it to operate through low-speed wireless interfaces. Chip manufacturing follows TSMC's 55 nm process.
Starfish's main competitor is Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk. Neuralink is already testing its BCI systems on humans – the first patient received an implant in January 2024, and its functionality has been maintained despite some disconnection of certain threads.
Neuralink uses a larger implant with 1024 electrodes that consumes about 6 mW of power and requires periodic wireless charging. The company focuses on both medical and experimental applications of brain interfaces.
