Precision Neuroscience's Minimally Invasive BCI Layer 7 Goes Global: Partnership with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
On October 29, Precision Neuroscience, a minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) company, announced its first international expansion of its clinical research network. The company signed a two-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, supported by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH), to conduct collaborative research on the Layer 7 Cortical Interface. The agreement was signed on October 21 during the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, making Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Precision's first clinical site outside the United States and marking the entry of Layer 7 technology into a multicenter clinical validation phase.
Precision currently focuses on individuals with severe paralysis caused by brainstem stroke, spinal cord injury, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the long term, the company aims to extend its technology to a broader range of neurological disorders—a category that affects over 1 billion people worldwide.
Layer 7 is an ultra-thin film electrode array that adheres to the brain's surface, integrating 1,024 electrodes on a single sheet to read cortical electrical signals in real time and convert them into digital commands. It does not penetrate brain tissue, resulting in less trauma, and can be safely removed when needed, allowing patients to control computers, smartphones, and other devices using only their thoughts. In 2025, Layer 7 received FDA clearance to record, monitor, and stimulate surface brain activity during temporary implantation for up to 30 days. Since then, the clinical network has expanded to 18 medical institutions, with over 110 patient procedures completed.
Michael Mager, Co-Founder and CEO of Precision Neuroscience, said: "We want to work alongside the world's best clinical teams to bring treatments that restore function and rebuild independent living directly to patients. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's track record in neurological care and its commitment to improving care through new technologies made it the ideal partner."
Under the agreement, the two parties will jointly validate the functionality and feasibility of the BCI—covering applications of Layer 7 in neural mapping and intraoperative monitoring, as well as joint technology development, physician training, and academic exchange. Dr. Florian Roser, Chief Medical Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, noted that the hospital's expertise in neurosurgery and neurological care will help translate research from "lab technology" into "patient evidence," turning new tools into measurable treatment outcomes.
This global expansion follows Precision's completion of a $250 million Series D financing round , bringing total funding to $430 million. Previously, the company established a commercial partnership with Medtronic to integrate its cortical electrodes into neurosurgical platforms and published peer-reviewed results in journals including Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Precision's direction is clear: to develop a minimally invasive, removable, high-bandwidth BCI that serves not only niche indications but also advances toward a "whole-brain interface," reconnecting millions of patients with neurological disorders to the digital world.
