NextSense Raises $16M to Launch EEG-Powered Smartbuds

What’s happening: NextSense, the Mountain View–based neuroscience startup, has raised a $16 million Series A to launch the world’s first truly wireless earbuds with built-in EEG sensors. The round was led by Ascension Ventures, with participation from Satori Neuro, Corundum Neuroscience Fund (CNS), and notable individual investors including Stanford neuroscientist David Eagleman, PhD, wellness pioneer Esther Dyson, and former Google VP Bradley Horowitz.

The funding accelerates NextSense’s mission to “democratize brain health” by giving consumers meaningful insights into their neural activity — the same way wearables unlocked visibility into the body.

Launching in Q4 2025, NextSense Smartbuds deliver clinically accurate sleep tracking and real-time auditory stimulation that’s been shown to boost slow-wave sleep by up to 50% in early users. Relax and Focus modes are also coming soon, offering soundscapes that adapt to calmer or more attentive brain states.

Why it matters: This is the next evolution of wearables — from passive tracking to closed-loop enhancement.
By integrating EEG sensing with adaptive algorithms, Smartbuds personalize sleep, relaxation, and focus based on real-time brain activity. Investors see this as a leap beyond step counts and HRV toward evidence-based brain optimization.

With research partnerships planned across universities and pharma, and medical applications targeted for 2027, NextSense is positioning itself at the forefront of consumer neuroscience and performance longevity.

The Playbook Take: Brain tech is officially entering the wellness mainstream. NextSense isn’t just building another sleep tracker — it’s creating a new category where earbuds become neural tools for deeper recovery, sharper focus, and more restorative rest.

As athletes and high-performers chase marginal gains in cognition and recovery, EEG-powered wearables could become the next big unlock. And with Smartbuds shipping in Q4 2025, the future of performance might start in your ears.