{"entity":{"id":162,"slug":"blackrock-neurotech","name":"Blackrock Neurotech","type":"company","role":"Brain-computer interface company backed by Peter Thiel (no connection to BlackRock Inc.)","description":null,"imageUrl":null,"createdAt":"2026-04-08T02:00:54.819Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-19T09:18:36.864Z"},"electedOffice":null,"significance":{"score":4.8,"components":{"totalFindings":0,"connectionDegree":2.8,"recentFindings90d":0,"activeResearchJobs":0,"goblinAttributions":2,"recentSyntheses90d":0,"moneyFlowChainsTotal":0,"closedLoopMemberships":0,"moneyFlowHopsRecent90d":0},"computedAt":"2026-10-15T01:32:54.708Z"},"facts":[{"id":49032,"text":"The MoveAgain system, designed for home use, remains in the FDA pre-market approval (PMA) pathway as of May 2026; despite earlier company projections for commercial availability in 2023, no public announcement of full marketing authorization has been made.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2026-05-08","source":null},{"id":49031,"text":"CFO Nathan Smith departed Blackrock Neurotech in August 2025 to join CareDx as CFO; he subsequently resigned from CareDx for personal reasons effective February 25, 2026.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2026-02-25","source":{"title":"CareDx 8-K: Resignation of CFO Nathan Smith","url":"https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/CDNA/8-k-care-dx-inc-reports-material-event-efb0a77d092c.html","publication":"Stock Titan / SEC"}},{"id":49030,"text":"In August 2024, Blackrock Neurotech announced it had successfully restored the voice of an ALS patient using its BCI-to-text-to-speech interface, a project supported by the 2024 Tether capital infusion.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2024-08-16","source":null},{"id":49029,"text":"Tether (via Tether Evo) acquired a majority stake in April 2024 for $200 million. In June 2025, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated the company needed a name change to avoid confusion with BlackRock Inc. and expressed ambitions to build an 'open-source brain operating system.'","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2024-04-29","source":{"title":"Paolo Ardoino says Tether-backed BCI 'much more advanced' than Neuralink","url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/359607/tether-brain-computer-elon-musk-neuralink","publication":"The Block"}},{"id":31448,"text":"In April 2024, the stablecoin issuer Tether invested $200 million via its Tether Evo venture arm to acquire a majority stake in Blackrock Neurotech.","confidence":"secondary","dateOccurred":"2024-04-29","source":{"title":"Stablecoin Giant Tether Invests $200M In Brain-Computer Interface Startup Blackrock Neurotech","url":"[https://news.crunchbase.com/fintech-ecommerce/tether-evo-investment-blackrock-neurotech/](https://news.crunchbase.com/fintech-ecommerce/tether-evo-investment-blackrock-neurotech/)","publication":"Crunchbase News"}},{"id":12409,"text":"Blackrock Neurotech filed filing with the SEC on 2023-02-23. Accession number: N/A.","confidence":"secondary","dateOccurred":"2023-02-23","source":{"title":"SEC EDGAR: filing — Blackrock Neurotech (2023-02-23)","url":"https://efts.sec.gov/LATEST/search-index?q=%22Blackrock%20Neurotech%22&dateRange=custom&forms=4,SC%2013D,SC%2013G,DEF%2014A,10-K,10-Q","publication":"SEC EDGAR"}},{"id":31447,"text":"The company's core technology, the Utah Array (also known as the NeuroPort Electrode), received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA in 2021 for its MoveAgain system.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2021-06-15","source":{"title":"Our Tech | Blackrock Neurotech","url":"[https://blackrockneurotech.com/our-tech/](https://blackrockneurotech.com/our-tech/)","publication":"Blackrock Neurotech"}},{"id":31446,"text":"In May 2021, Blackrock Neurotech closed a $10 million financing round led by Christian Angermayer's re.Mind Capital, with participation from Peter Thiel and the University Venture Fund II.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2021-05-19","source":{"title":"Blackrock Neurotech Closes $10M Financing Round","url":"[https://blackrockneurotech.com/insights/blackrock-neurotech-closes-10m-financing-round-to-advance-development-of-its-world-leading-brain-computer-interface-bci-technology/](https://blackrockneurotech.com/insights/blackrock-neurotech-closes-10m-financing-round-to-advance-development-of-its-world-leading-brain-computer-interface-bci-technology/)","publication":"Blackrock Neurotech"}},{"id":49027,"text":"Blackrock Neurotech was founded in Salt Lake City in 2008 by Marcus Gerhardt (CEO) and Florian Solzbacher (Chairman), a professor at the University of Utah.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2008-06-15","source":null},{"id":49028,"text":"The company's core technology, the Utah Array, was cleared by the FDA in 2004 for temporary (≤30 days) monitoring; it is the most implanted invasive BCI platform, with over 30,000 cumulative days of human implant data recorded by 2024.","confidence":"primary","dateOccurred":"2004-06-15","source":null},{"id":21052,"text":"Search scope note: No lobbying disclosures found for \"Blackrock Neurotech\" in automated database search as of 2026-04-23. This reflects search coverage limits, not confirmed absence from public record.","confidence":"inferential","dateOccurred":null,"source":null},{"id":21051,"text":"Search scope note: No corporate registrations found for \"Blackrock Neurotech\" in automated database search as of 2026-04-23. This reflects search coverage limits, not confirmed absence from public record.","confidence":"inferential","dateOccurred":null,"source":null},{"id":21050,"text":"Search scope note: No usaspending contracts found for \"Blackrock Neurotech\" in automated database search as of 2026-04-23. This reflects search coverage limits, not confirmed absence from public record.","confidence":"inferential","dateOccurred":null,"source":null}],"connections":[{"id":16618,"relationshipType":"indirect business","description":"Tether's investment arm Tether Evo holds a majority stake in Blackrock Neurotech, which is connected to Lutnick's family through Dynasty Trust A's Tether loan relationship.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9791,"name":"Howard Lutnick","slug":"howard-lutnick","type":"person"}},{"id":15470,"relationshipType":"Industry Sector","description":"Both Circuit Therapeutics and Blackrock Neurotech appear in the database as entities in the neurotechnology/neural interface space, suggesting they may be competitors, collaborators, or part of the same research/investment ecosystem.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2026","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":4147,"name":"Circuit Therapeutics","slug":"circuit-therapeutics","type":"company"}},{"id":12373,"relationshipType":"unconfirmed connection","description":"BlackRock Financial Management (same brand family) managed Bear Stearns' toxic assets. Blackrock Neurotech is a separate entity; connection unconfirmed.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2008","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":8820,"name":"Bear Stearns","slug":"bear-stearns","type":"company"}},{"id":11653,"relationshipType":"name confusion entity","description":"In June 2025, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated the company needed a name change to avoid confusion with BlackRock Inc.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":25,"name":"BlackRock","slug":"blackrock","type":"company"}},{"id":11652,"relationshipType":"regulator","description":"The FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation to Blackrock Neurotech's MoveAgain system in 2021. The FDA also cleared the Utah Array in 2004 for temporary (≤30 days) monitoring.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2004","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":32226,"name":"US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)","slug":"us-food-and-drug-administration-fda","type":"institution"}},{"id":11321,"relationshipType":"investor","description":"Participated as a key investor in the $10 million May 2021 financing round.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":null,"lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":1,"name":"Peter Thiel","slug":"peter-thiel","type":"person"}},{"id":11320,"relationshipType":"owner","description":"Tether acquired a majority stake in the company in April 2024 through a $200 million investment.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":null,"lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9879,"name":"Tether","slug":"tether","type":"company"}}],"contradictions":[],"permalink":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/blackrock-neurotech","timelineUrl":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/blackrock-neurotech/timeline"}