India’s neurotech scene is getting its moonshot moment. Nexstem, a Bengaluru-based startup, is building non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that let humans control machines with their minds. Behind the futuristic promise is a more grounded question, can India lead in a space still dominated by Silicon Valley?
Founded in 2020 by BITS Pilani graduates Siddhant Dangi and Deepansh Goyal, Nexstem is betting on the convergence of neuroscience and AI. Its flagship product, the Nexstem Instinct, is a lightweight EEG headset with 19 active electrodes, real-time signal analysis, and a built-in AI accelerator. It promises seamless, plug-and-play brain data capture for researchers and developers.
Hardware That Talks to Your Brain
The Instinct isn’t a novelty. It’s designed for professionals in healthcare, neuroscience, and assistive tech. Unlike invasive BCIs that require surgery, Nexstem’s dry-electrode system makes setup painless and under five minutes.
Key features include:
- Motorized electrodes for consistent contact
- Onboard ARM processor with 6 trillion operations per second
- Real-time data visualization tools including FFTs and spectrograms
This strikes a balance between cheap EEG headbands and multi-million-dollar invasive systems, offering serious capability without the hospital bill.
Ethical Questions Ahead
With brain data comes responsibility. Nexstem says it’s committed to “neuroethical responsibility,” focusing on transparency and user privacy. But neural data regulation remains a grey zone. Who owns your thoughts once they’re digitized? What’s the protection if those signals are hacked or misused?
Experts also worry about how BCIs may reshape behavior. As machines begin predicting intent, where is the line between choice and suggestion? These aren’t just engineering challenges. They’re societal ones.
Powering It All with AI
AI is central to Nexstem’s value. Its software supports machine learning models that decode brain signals for motor control, attention levels, and cognitive states. Techniques like feature selection and deep learning help tailor performance to individual users.
By offering APIs and SDKs, Nexstem enables developers to build applications across prosthetics, gaming, neurotherapy, and more. It’s not just hardware, it’s a full-stack brain-tech platform.
From Lab to Market
Nexstem raised $3.5 million in late 2024 and has caught the attention of global players like Microsoft and Vivatech Paris. But like all deep-tech startups, it faces hurdles. Commercial adoption is slow, regulatory oversight is evolving, and hardware R&D is expensive.
Still, Nexstem signals a shift. As Indian startups move beyond consumer apps and fintech, companies like Nexstem are proving that the next big interface might not be in your hand; it might be in your head.
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