The Syn-R1 electrode resting on woven fabric, its spring visible against the weave
About

Making EEG work for every head.

EEG hardware that reaches the scalp through every hair type, so brain research and diagnosis include everyone.

“

No one should be left out of neuroscience because of their hair.

The reason Synaptive exists

For decades EEG has worked best on fine, straight hair and poorly on textured hair. That gap shows up as missing diagnoses in clinics and missing people in research.

Three researchers, same frustration: every EEG experiment we run, we watch participants excluded because of their hair.

Between us: neuroengineering, clinical research and materials science. We were told this might not work.

The team

The people behind Synaptive.

Founders
Rishan Patel

Rishan Patel

CEO, PhD, Co-founder
University College London
Peter Bryan

Peter Bryan

CTO, PhD, Co-founder
Imperial College London
Merlin Angel Kelly

Merlin Angel Kelly

CSO, PhD, Co-founder
University College London
Advisors
Greg Dickens

Greg Dickens

Technology Advisor, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Medical device R&D and IP strategy, including work with J&J, Medtronic and Arena.
Julian Hildersley

Julian Hildersley

Business Advisor
Co-founder, Forefront RF
The team

The people who do the work with us. Most are still studying. None of them are here to fetch coffee.

Chongyang Lu

Chongyang Lu

Social Media and Marketing
Biomedical Sciences, Newcastle University
Works on
  • Social media and marketing
LinkedIn →
Wendy Eboigbe

Wendy Eboigbe

Science and Research
MPhil Translating Medical Device and Advanced Therapy Research, University of Cambridge. Co-founder, KCL Neurotech Society.
Works on
  • Opinion pieces
  • Study design
  • General scientific support
LinkedIn →
Emmanuel Ogunsakin

Emmanuel Ogunsakin

EEG Experimentation
MBBS, University of Southampton. Intercalated BSc, UCL.
Works on
  • EEG experimentation
LinkedIn →
Valentini Yioti

Valentini Yioti

Business Strategy
Neuroscience research background
Works on
  • Reaching more research customers
  • What we prioritise to grow the research base
LinkedIn →
Engineering, neuroscience, design, regulatory, marketing.

This could be you.

Any discipline
Tell us what you want to work on and why it matters to you.
Reach out →
I wanted to join Synaptive because of their mission to build EEG hardware that worked for every hair type. This directly aligned with my interest in neurotechnology and inclusive brain research. I was excited by the chance to contribute to a research-led team that is solving a real-world obstacle in the clinical and neuroscience field.
Chongyang Lu
I wanted to join Synaptive because it brings together my interests in neuroscience, innovation, and translating scientific research into meaningful real-world impact. With a background in neuroscience research, I recognise the importance of making scientific tools more accessible and inclusive. Synaptive’s mission to address a longstanding barrier in EEG research particularly resonated with me.
Valentini Yioti
Collaborators
LK

Lexi Kier

Research Collaborator
Our journey

From a documented problem to a patent-pending design.

The start

Problem identified

Systematic exclusion of afro-textured hair from EEG research, documented through a literature review and a survey of 55 researchers, technicians and patients.

The team

Formed across UCL and Imperial

Three disciplines, through the UCL Hatchery incubator and the Impulse programme at the Maxwell Centre, Cambridge.

Published

Paper and workshop at the Graz BCI Conference

Accepted at the Graz BCI Conference, supported by the EEG101 COST grant, and invited to lead a session on inclusive EEG hardware.

Awarded

UCL Hatchery Social Impact Startup of the Year 2026

Recognised, and awarded £6,000, for the social impact of the work.

Selected

Imperial College Venture Catalyst Challenge

Selected onto Imperial's Venture Catalyst Challenge, its flagship venture-building programme.

Now

Selling into the research market

Application 2615593.7 pending. Research edition going out to early-adopter labs, with manufacturing and internal testing running alongside.

Pitched

London Demo Day 2026

Selected as one of a handful of ventures to pitch at London Demo Day 2026.

Next

Raising a pre-seed

To scale manufacturing and take the clinical edition through certification.

Then

Regulatory and market

Class I CE and UKCA marking, an FDA Class II pathway, then licensing and clinical adoption. Long term: NHS partnerships.

London Demo Day 2026

Out of the lab, onto a stage.

Merlin pitching Syn-R1 at London Demo Day 2026, one of a handful of ventures selected to present.

Merlin Angel Kelly presenting Syn-R1 on stage at London Demo Day 2026, in front of a seated audience, with a slide reading "An electrode that works for all hair types"
Recognised and supported by
UCL
Imperial College London
Impulse
BioSpark
iCURe Engage
Enterprise Tech
NeuroWorks
IAE
Venture Catalyst Challenge 2026
Join us

If this problem is your problem too.

No open roles today, but we keep a list.

Register your interest Become an early adopter