Raphael Thys
Neurotech device uses acoustic stimulation to shift brainwave patterns, helping wearers fall asleep faster.
Neurotechnology company Elemind has launched its first product, a headband designed to improve sleep quality by altering brainwaves in real-time, claiming to help users fall asleep significantly faster. The company’s algorithm monitors brainwaves and responds with personalized electrical impulses to promote sleep.
Founded in 2019, Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Elemind is working on technologies to enhance human health through non-invasive brainwave stimulation, an approach the company calls “electric medicine.” Along with diet and exercise, sleep is inherently linked to our longevity and healthspan, and the company’s first product is part of a broader mission to provide drug-free, adaptive solutions for health issues.
Developed by MIT neuroscientists, the headband has demonstrated compelling results in clinical trials, with studies showing it can induce sleep up to 74% faster. The technology, proposed as an alternative to sleeping pills, works by reading and responding to individual brainwaves, using tailored “acoustic stimulation” to shift brainwave patterns from wakeful states to sleep states.
Meredith Perry, CEO of Elemind said that the headband will provide wearers with the ability to “start and restart sleep.”
“Elemind works like noise-cancellation for the brain,” she added. “You can switch off the world, switch off the stress, and go to sleep faster.”
The headband can be used as a standalone device or paired with a smartphone app for additional customization and analytics, including data on sleep performance, duration, efficiency, and time spent in different sleep stages. According to Elemind, an AI algorithm improves the system’s effectiveness over time by adapting to individual sleep patterns and user feedback. The company says a firmware update later this year will introduce a deep sleep stimulation feature to further boost sleep quality.
“Sleep is initiated by the brain, but very little innovation in sleep focuses on the brain directly,” said Dr Ryan Neely, VP of Science and Research at Elemind. “That’s where Elemind comes in and why we’re pioneering wearable neurostimulation that can rapidly and accurately measure EEG brain signals and deliver precise acoustic waves, to move the brain from wakeful patterns into a deeper sleep.”
Elemind recently secured $12 million in seed funding from Village Global and LDV Partners, fueling the development of its debut product. With its headbands set to ship later this year, the company has launched a beta program for early adopters, who will receive a free 12-month membership and early access to new app features.