Investment fund JSK Investments SICAV a.s. has participated in a $5 million funding round for UK-based MintNeuro. The London-based Imperial College London spin-out develops specialised chips for neural devices, from implants to wearable electronics. The company will use the funding to bring its products to market, expand shipments of pre-production chips to partners and strengthen its presence, particularly in the United States.
“The main obstacle holding back neurotechnology today is not a lack of ideas, but hardware. MintNeuro is addressing this gap with a platform on which the entire industry can build. We were convinced to invest by its strong technology team, working chips and first long-term commercial contract,” says Petra Cihlářová, Investment Director of the Venture Capital Sub-Fund at JSK Investments SICAV a.s.
The round was led by Odyssey Ventures, with participation from JSK Investments, 33East and Alumni Ventures. Existing investors, including Empirical Ventures and Jumpspace Ventures, also reinvested. The round brings together deep-tech, medtech and early-stage investors from Europe and the United States.
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“We are delighted to join the JSK portfolio and gain the backing of an investor with a strong network across Europe and the United States, where we are now expanding our operations. With its healthcare connections and experience as both investors and entrepreneurs, our partnership with JSK will help us bring our chips closer to the developers and clinicians shaping the future of neural devices. We also greatly value the experience of JSK’s founders in building a business in international markets, which we can draw on during our next phase of commercial growth,” says Dorian Haci, Co-founder and CEO of MintNeuro.
MintNeuro is already supplying working chips and has achieved key integration milestones with development partners, including Motif Neurotech and Amber Therapeutics. This year, it signed a multi-year agreement with Motif to supply chips for a minimally invasive neurostimulator initially targeting treatment-resistant depression. A growing number of neural-device manufacturers and research teams are now testing or integrating MintNeuro’s technology. Neural devices are opening up new possibilities for diagnosing and treating neurological and psychiatric conditions, from Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy to depression and hearing loss. However, progress is being constrained by a shortage of chips designed to meet specific requirements for power consumption, size, safety and signal quality.
MintNeuro is therefore developing a modular semiconductor platform for sensing and processing neural signals and delivering targeted electrical stimulation. This enables developers to build smaller, more energy-efficient devices and accelerate their progression from research to clinical use.
“We see neurological conditions affecting people even during their working lives. Neurotechnology has enormous potential to transform the lives of millions of patients, but without cutting-edge hardware, these innovations will remain in the laboratory. MintNeuro is building an essential foundation without which the entire field cannot move forward. That is precisely why the company is such a strong fit for our venture capital investment strategy: its tremendous potential for societal impact, outstanding technology and strong, experienced team,” says Simona Kijonková, Chair of the Board of Directors and Chief Investment Officer of JSK Investments SICAV a.s.
This is a marketing communication. JSK Investments Venture Capital Fund I, a sub-fund, is a sub-fund of a qualified investors fund. Only qualified investors within the meaning of Section 272 of the Czech Act on Investment Companies and Investment Funds (ZISIF) may invest in it.
