Synaptive builds 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 existsFor decades EEG has worked best on fine, straight hair and poorly on the textured hair of millions of people. That gap shows up as missing diagnoses in clinics and missing people in research, and it compounds every conclusion the field draws.
We are three researchers from different disciplines with the same frustration: every time we run EEG experiments, we watch participants excluded because of their hair.
Between us: neuroengineering, clinical research and materials science. We were told this might not work.
Systematic exclusion of afro-textured hair from EEG research, documented through a literature review and a survey of 55 researchers, technicians and patients.
A cross-disciplinary team of three, progressing through the UCL Hatchery incubator and the Impulse programme at the Maxwell Centre, Cambridge.
Accepted at the Graz BCI Conference (GBCIC), supported by the EEG101 COST grant, and invited to lead a session on inclusive EEG hardware.
Recognised, and awarded £6,000, for the social impact of the work.
Selected onto Imperial's Venture Catalyst Challenge, its flagship venture-building programme.
The design is complete and application 2615593.7 is pending. We are organising manufacturing, testing internally, and recruiting early-adopter labs.
Selected as one of a handful of ventures to pitch at London Demo Day 2026.
Class I CE and UKCA marking for the EU and UK, an FDA Class II pathway for the US, then licensing and clinical adoption, with the long-term goal of NHS partnerships that bring equitable EEG into publicly funded care.
There are no open roles today, but we keep a list and we would rather hear from you early.