China just beat everyone to the punch on commercial brain-computer interfaces. On March 13, 2026, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) granted marketing approval to Neuracle Medical Technology for its invasive BCI system, making it the first device of its kind to receive commercial clearance anywhere in the world.
That distinction matters. Neuralink gets the headlines, but a Shanghai-based company now holds the only regulatory green light to actually sell an implantable brain-computer interface outside of clinical trials.
What the device actually does
The Neuracle implant, sometimes referred to as NEO, is a disk-shaped wireless device placed on the surface of the brain. It decodes motor signals and translates them into commands that control assistive devices like robotic hands.
The approved use case is narrow but meaningful. It targets individuals aged 18 to 60 with severe paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injuries.
