Phantom Neuro Secures $19 Mn to Advance Muscle-Machine Interface Technology

The funding will support human trials, preclinical testing, regulatory submissions, and broader R&D for the company's muscle-machine interface system, Phantom X. 

Phantom Neuro, a Texas-based neurotechnology firm spun out of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has raised $19 million in an oversubscribed Series A round. 

The funding will support human trials, preclinical testing, regulatory submissions, and broader R&D for the company's muscle-machine interface system, Phantom X. This latest round brings the company’s total funding to $28 million.

The round was led by medical technology firm Ottobock and saw participation from existing backers including Draper Associates, Time BioVentures, Breakout Ventures, Risk and Return, and LionBird Ventures. New investors included METIS Innovative, e1 Ventures, Actual VC, MainSheet Ventures, Jumpspace, and Brown Advisory.

Muscle-Machine Interface

Phantom Neuro is developing Phantom X, a minimally invasive peripheral neural interface designed to enable users to control prosthetic limbs and robotic exoskeletons as if they were part of their own body. The company describes its system as enabling naturalistic control of assistive devices using muscle and nerve signals.

"For decades, Ottobock has been at the forefront of restoring mobility for millions of people. By partnering with them, we're accelerating Phantom X's path to market and laying the groundwork for the future we all desire where assistive devices truly function as natural extensions of the human body," said Dr. Connor Glass, founder and CEO of Phantom Neuro.

According to the company, the funds will also be used to scale research into broader healthcare applications, expanding its focus beyond upper-limb prosthetics to potentially include rehabilitation, mobility support, and neurological recovery technologies.

Earlier this year, Phantom Neuro received two designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Phantom X—Breakthrough Device designation and inclusion under the Targeted Acceleration Pathway (TAP). These designations are aimed at supporting faster review processes for technologies addressing unmet medical needs.

In recent years, Phantom Neuro has made strategic technology alliances to further its healthcare integration goals. In 2023, the company collaborated with Silicon Labs to integrate internet-of-things capabilities into implantable medical devices, focusing on edge connectivity solutions. In 2022, it partnered with Blackrock Neurotech to support research and accelerate clinical development.