AI for Good Summit: Cognixion One on One

New Video Alert! 🎥

Roll the clip from the AI for Good Global Summit, where our CEO @Andreas Forsland shares his exclusive perspectives! 🚀 Dive into his insight and discover key takeaways on advancing global development priorities through AI.

Check it out here:

We were honored to attend the AI for Good Global Summit which is the leading action-oriented United Nations platform promoting AI to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities. AI for Good is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the UN specialized agency for information and communication technology – in partnership with 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the government of Switzerland.

Don't forget to like, comment, and share your thoughts! Let's learn and grow together. 💡✨

#AssistiveTechnolofy #Learning #Growth #AIforGood #Innovation #GlobalDevelopment #Cognixion #AI #Technology

Cognixion: Pioneering a New Path in Brain-Computer Interface Adoption

Cognixion: Pioneering a New Path in Brain-Computer Interface Adoption

In the rapidly evolving field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), Cognixion is emerging as a formidable player, offering a distinct approach compared to its well-known rival, Neuralink. Backed by Amazon, Cognixion is dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities through non-invasive BCI technology. Andreas Forsland, the founder and CEO of Cognixion, sheds light on the company's unique strategy and vision.

A Different Approach to BCI

While Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, focuses on high-definition, implantable chips that require surgical procedures, Cognixion is taking a different route. Forsland emphasizes that Cognixion's non-invasive BCI headsets are designed to be accessible and practical for a broader audience. “Neuralink is an interesting technology, but it requires surgery, and most people are not going to volunteer for that,” Forsland told Observer. He added that only extreme use cases with high-needs neurological conditions would necessitate such invasive procedures, and most neurologists would avoid prescribing implants unless absolutely necessary.

Patient Advocacy Over Technology Investment

Cognixion's journey in the BCI space began in 2015, around the same time as Neuralink. However, Forsland points out a fundamental difference in their focus. “They focus much more on technology investment. We focus much more on patient advocacy,” he said. Cognixion aims to provide solutions that are less risky and more immediately beneficial to users. Their non-invasive headsets can unlock a variety of use cases, particularly in healthcare, by enabling speech through a speaker and a mirrored screen, accessing apps for home automation and entertainment, and tracking physiological data.

Strategic Partnerships and Clinical Collaborations

Cognixion's innovative approach has attracted significant investment from Amazon, which includes integrating Amazon Alexa technology into Cognixion devices. This integration allows patients to have full smart home controls, enhancing their independence and quality of life. Forsland also hinted at future partnerships with other major companies, further solidifying Cognixion's position in the market. On the clinical side, Cognixion's Axon-R is collaborating with prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Mass General, Northwell Health, Memorial Hermann Health System, and the Veterans Health Administration.

Scaling Impact and Regulatory Milestones

Forsland envisions a future where Cognixion's technology can scale to millions of people within years, not decades. The company has already received the FDA Breakthrough Device designation, which fast-tracks its approval process. Despite the regulatory challenges, Cognixion's products are already in clinical and laboratory use, and the company aims to become the first fully FDA-cleared BCI device.

Empowering Independence

The potential impact of Cognixion's technology extends beyond the individuals using it to their caregivers and families. Forsland explains, “Our system can enable individuals to be more independent of communication, smart home controls, mobility controls, where it reframes the role of the caregiver to a true companion versus somebody who just needs to suction a tracheostomy or turn on off the lights or change TV channels.” This ripple effect of increased independence and empowerment is at the heart of Cognixion's mission.

Conclusion

Cognixion is charting a new course in the BCI landscape, prioritizing patient advocacy and non-invasive solutions over high-risk, invasive procedures. With strategic partnerships, clinical collaborations, and a clear vision for the future, Cognixion is poised to make a significant impact on the lives of millions of people with disabilities. As Forsland aptly puts it, “If you think about a future where people are using their brain, especially people with disabilities, our technology can scale to millions of people within years, not decades”

Read the full article featured on Observer here

Mindblowing Neurotechnology, Cognixion CEO at Aspen Ideas Festival

Mindblowing Neurotechnology… 

featuring never before seen Cognixion ONE demos of our wearable BCI +AR system

Our CEO Andreas Forsland spoke about the work we are doing at Cognixion in AI-powered BCI with AR.  Specifically for enabling speech generation to those who are minimally or non-verbal due to an acquired or degenerative condition specifically the complete #ALS journey.

He spoke alongside: 

Thomas Oxley, MD - Neurologist Synchron- Creators of a implantable vascular brain sensor resembling a stent) 

Kate Rosenbluth, PhD, Associate Professor at Stanford, CEO Cala Health- Creators of a wearable wristband with electrical stimulation for essential tremors

Nita Farahany, Esq-Legal scholar, Ethicist at Duke University, Author of The Battle for Your Brain

Make sure to watch the whole special below to see never before seen demos of our wearable BCI+Augmented Reality system by ALS patients in various stages from early (cervical control), mid (visual/eye control), and late stage/locked-in stage (mental attention control) using it to communicate.

To learn more about Cognixion ONE or to sign up to be first in line for updates head over to https://one.cognixion.com/ and sign up at the bottom to join our Cognixion community!

Cognixion Receives CMS Accreditation Allowing for Future Reimbursement Through Medicare & Medicaid

• CMS accreditation allows Cognixion Medicare billing privileges as a supplier of durable medical equipment, enabling financial accessibility for its forthcoming technologies. 

• Medicare & Medicaid provides financial support and access to quality healthcare to over 65 million Americans. 

• Over 8 million Americans with Disabilities rely on Medicare or Medicaid. 

• Cognixion recently received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation which accelerates its interactions with the FDA towards regulatory clearance. 

• Cognixion aims to become the first FDA cleared Brain Computer Interface with Augmented Reality device allowing fully paralyzed or locked-in patients to communicate using visual mental attention. 

• Cognixion ONE is the first and only wireless brain computer interface, integrated with augmented reality in one system. 

 
On the heels of announcing FDA Breakthrough Device designation, Cognixion®, a leading developer of noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology, announced today that it has been accredited by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a durable medical equipment supplier (DME). This accreditation paves the way for insurance reimbursement via Medicare, Medicaid and Private Insurance for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).  

The company’s flagship product, Cognixion ONE, is a revolutionary assisted reality device — the bionic combination of Context-Aware AI Language Models, Augmented Reality and Assistive Technology Access Methods — designed to help people with severe motor impairments communicate and interact more effectively and independently with the world around them. The device utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to provide a noninvasive brain-computer interface (BCI) enabling patients with advanced disease progression to communicate their responses with their thoughts and mental attention in a wearable, augmented reality headset.  

"CMS accreditation is another important milestone in our path to bringing Cognixion ONE to market and making it available to those most in need by way of insurance reimbursement." said Andreas Forsland, CEO and Founder of Cognixion. "Since day one, our company has been focused on accessibility and CMS accreditation will go a long way in making Cognixion ONE accessible to those that are unable to pay out of pocket." 

To receive DMEPOS accreditation, Cognixion met rigorous quality standards set forth by CMS, addressing factors such as product quality, business integrity, accountability, and performance management. With this accreditation in place, the company will be ready and able to accept insurance reimbursement immediately following FDA clearance and product launch. 

To learn more contact our media relations {meaghan@cognixion.com}, investor relations {chris@cognixion.com} or head to https://www.cognixion.com/press-kit-cognixion-one

About Cognixion® 

Cognixion is a leader in brain-computer, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and natural user interface technology. The company is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with severe motor impairments by providing cutting-edge patented technology that allows them to independently communicate and interact with the world around them. The Cognixion ONE™ device is the company's flagship product, and it has already received significant recognition for its design and potential to transform the lives of individuals with severe motor impairments. 

SOURCE: Cognixion  

Cognixion Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation

Cognixion Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its Brain-Computer Interface with Augmented Reality for Assistive Communication 

• U.S. FDA Breakthrough Device designations are granted to expedite the review of technologies with the potential to greatly impact those suffering from life threatening and debilitating diseases. 

• Cognixion ONE Axon aims to become the first FDA cleared device allowing fully paralyzed or locked-in patients to communicate via a noninvasive brain-computer interface. 

• With Breakthrough Device designation, Cognixion ONE Axon could become available sooner to help those most in need. 

• Cognixion ONE is the first and only wireless brain computer interface, integrated with augmented reality in one system 

Cognixion®, a leading developer of noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology, announced today that its flagship device, the Cognixion ONE™ Axon, has been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device designation. The designation will allow the company to streamline their development and validation process with prioritized interactive feedback from FDA review staff in preparation for regulatory submission. This special FDA Breakthrough designation is awarded to devices that demonstrate the potential to provide more effective treatment of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions for which no clear alternatives exist. 

The Cognixion ONE is a revolutionary assisted reality device — the bionic combination or AI, Augmented Reality and Assistive Technology — designed to help people with severe motor impairments communicate and interact more effectively and independently with the world around them. The device utilizes electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to provide a noninvasive brain-computer interface (BCI) enabling patients with advanced disease progression to communicate their responses with their thoughts and mental attention in a wearable, augmented reality headset. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as GPT large language models that run on the device with contextual predictions, the device aims to rapidly support the user’s communication intentions and desired outcomes, providing suggestions that can be quickly selected and communicated audibly and visually on the front visor as a communication aid. 

The device has been specifically designed to help individuals with neurodegenerative conditions such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease and MND (Motor Neuron Disease) as well as acquired conditions such as traumatic injuries and cerebral palsy that result in severe motor impairments. At present, no such cleared device exists which can allow fully paralyzed or locked-in patients to communicate once the current standard of care, eye-tracking, is no longer usable for their disease state due to ocular motor decline.  

"This FDA Breakthrough Device designation is a significant milestone, and we are thrilled to receive it for our Cognixion ONE device," said Andreas Forsland, CEO and Founder of Cognixion. "It validates the potential of our technology to make a real difference in the lives of individuals with severe motor impairments and underscores the importance of how AI can be used to assist people in everyday situations. We are excited to continue our work to bring this life-changing technology to those who need it most." 

While a number of neurotech companies are developing invasive BCI technologies including Elon Musk’s Neuralink aimed at assisting patients with communication abilities, Cognixion’s device could be prescribed and utilized without the need for surgical procedures or significant training, providing a new level of independence and autonomy to individuals who have been unable to communicate effectively due to their conditions. With planned further development, Cognixion ONE could become a one-of-a-kind platform, aggregating additional inputs to restore life changing abilities that have been lost to people with loss of language or personal agency.   

About Cognixion® 

Cognixion is a leader in brain-computer, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and natural user interface technology. The company is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with severe motor impairments by providing cutting-edge patented technology that allows them to independently communicate and interact with the world around them. The Cognixion ONE™ device is the company's flagship product, and it has already received significant recognition for its design and potential to transform the lives of individuals with severe motor impairments. 

Contact: 

Media 

Meaghan Azlein, Marketing Manager 

meaghan@cognixion.com 

Investor Relations 

Chris Ullrich 

chris@cognixion.com 

Cognixion 

24 East Cota Street, Suite 101 

Santa Barbara, CA 93101 

Cognixion at CES with Amazon

Cognixion seeks to help people worldwide who are affected by speech disabilities or cognitive impairments. The company provides affordable and accessible AI-based technologies like the Cognixion ONE “Assisted Reality” headset.

'Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!'

Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!

The Mind Behind Assisted Reality: Andreas Forsland

Hosted by The Institute of Neuroapproaches and its founder, Milena Korostenskaja, Ph.D.

Have you ever asked yourself: 'What new can I learn today?' and dedicated yourself to constantly growing and expanding your knowledge?

In this episode of 'Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!', we bring you Andreas Forsland, the founder and CEO of Cognixion, a company that is leading the way in the field of Assisted Reality. To democratize technology and make it accessible to millions of people, Andreas and his team at Cognixion are using biological sensors and intuitive user interfaces, including brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for augmented reality.

Andreas not only shares his journey as a successful entrepreneur in the field of neurotech, but also talks about his approach to life-long learning. He believes that starting each day with the question: 'What new can I learn today?' is a great way to continuously grow and progress, even if the day doesn't go as planned.

From creativity and the drive to optimize to the ability to listen and understand, he reveals the key components that have allowed him to succeed in neurotech. He also shares his insights on what he looks for in job applicants at Cognixion and what qualities he believes are essential for success in the field.

Join us as we explore the incredible potential of neurotech to make a difference in the lives of millions of people with disabilities and learn from Andreas how he is doing the impossible and changing lives through technology, all while continuously learning and growing. Tune in now to 'Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!'

About the Podcast Guest:

Andrea Forsland is the Founder & CEO of Cognixion, the Assisted Reality company based in Santa Barbara, California and Toronto, Ontario. Cognixion ONE is a brain-computer interface that is integrated with an augmented reality display. It has wide-ranging implications as the foundational technology for a future metaverse where our mind and body are immersed in the user experience. Their primary focus is ensuring that the future of AR is universally accessible with the help of biological sensors and intuitive user interfaces and designed to assist millions of people with complex disabilities using their face, eyes, and now brain as a direct control interface for mobile and AR, and is addressing the needs of a half billion people worldwide with physical and communication challenges. Cognixion is recognized as a top 21 neurotech startup to watch, recently won the Red Dot Best of the Best Award for AR/VR and was nominated for the Red Dot Luminary Award, the Edison Award, and Singularity Global Grand Challenge, and is led by luminaries including the creator Siri, and signal processing sensor fusion for the Tricorder Xprize winner, plus multiple patents in the areas of natural user interfaces and brain-computer interface for augmented reality.

To learn more about Cognixion ONE: one.cognixion.com

Linktr.ee: Here

Cognixion LinkedIn: Here

Andreas’ LinkedIn: Here

About the Podcast Host:

The Neurocareers podcast is brought to you by The Institute of Neuroapproaches (https://www.neuroapproaches.org/) and its founder, Milena Korostenskaja, Ph.D. (Dr. K), a neuroscience educator, research consultant, and career coach for students and recent graduates in neuroscience and neurotechnologies. As a professional coach with a background in the field, Dr. K understands the unique challenges and opportunities facing students in this field and can provide personalized coaching and support to help you succeed.

Listen in here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mind-behind-assisted-reality-andreas-forsland/id1512069366?i=1000599217220

Accessibility at CES: Featuring Cognixion ONE

CES was a blast 🚀 The team brought Cognixion ONE to the masses and everyone had great things to say!

Want an inside look? Hop over to the 9 minute mark to see Brad & Dan from All Access Life experience Cognixion ONE ✨ with our CEO Andreas Forsland

Want try out Cognixion ONE for yourself? Let us know at one.cognixion.com

#CES2023 #CES #accessibility #Cognixion #CognixionONE #A11y

Amazon Science Feature: Cognixion gives voice to a user’s thoughts

Cognixion gives voice to a user’s thoughts

Alexa Fund company’s assisted reality tech could unlock speech for hundreds of millions of people who struggle to communicate.

In 2012, Andreas Forsland, founder and CEO of Alexa Fund company Cognixion, became the primary caregiver and communicator for his mother. She was hospitalized with complications from pneumonia and unable to speak for herself.

“That experience opened my eyes to how precious speech really is,” Forsland says. According to a Cognixion analysis of over 1,200 relevant research papers, more than half a billion people worldwide struggle to speak clearly or at conversational speeds, which can hamper their interactions with others and full participation in society.

Forsland wondered whether a technology solution would be feasible and started Cognixion in 2014 to explore that possibility. “We had the gumption to think, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to have a thought-to-speech interface that just reads your mind?’ We were naïve and curious at the same time.”

To read the full article head over to Amazon Science here

XR and Accessibility

Feature written by Shanna Finnigan of USCDornslife

One of the biggest contentions most critics have with Extended Reality is its lack of attention to accessibility. The fact of the matter is, it is not guaranteed that we can all use our senses to the same extent as everyone else around us; we will all therefore experience XR in different ways. Some are at an even bigger disadvantage due to issues in motor, visual, or auditory capabilities. XR is all about being able to engage with the world around you through your senses. It depends heavily on motion, visuals, and audio to create a memorable experience. So what happens when someone is unable to engage with this medium due to a disability?

VR and AR designers are entering the age of new mediums, in which the usual solutions we tend to have for accessibility are no longer as applicable. Dylan Fox and Isabel Thornton bring up a great example of this issue in their overview of ethical practices in the space: “features like captions are well understood on rectangular 2D screens but present many new challenges in XR” (IEEE Global Initiative). It has been challenging for designers to completely reimagine user interface and experience to accommodate as many people as possible. VR is already very taxing on the able body, but for people who have motor dysfunctions that either cause them to move their head non-stop or to be paralyzed, it is even more so. Many XR products have turned to eye-tracking as a method of solving this problem, but even this is not enough. Many people who have undergone strokes or who have developed ALS, for example, cannot move their eyes at all. Because we are so early in the process, not many solutions exist yet.  

Ventures like Cognixion are trying to change this. Cognixion is a growing company that specializes in “Assistive Reality” solutions. Their main product, Cognixion One, is an AR headset that aids in communication between users who are non-verbal (or cannot clearly communicate verbally) and other people, who may include their caretakers, family members, friends, etc. In a very simplified sense, this is how it works: there is an EEG at the back of each headset which is secured to the user’s head and reads the brain waves in their occipital lobe in the back of their head. On the sunglass-like frames in front of the user’s eyes, they are able to see a stereoscopic hologram-like projection of a keyboard and other UI elements. The EEG at the back of the headset is able to detect the most minute changes in brain activity, and deduct what letter the user is trying to look at on the display in front of them. Essentially, they are typing out words to the little computer inside their headset using their brain! Once fully formulated, the words are played back in the form of audio, and as a reflection on the front side of the shades on their headset. This way, whoever they are holding a conversation with can see and hear what the user is saying. 

The field of XR is growing rapidly, and with this fast growth, comes a responsibility of designers and engineers to be mindful of who they are designing for. 

For the full feature and to see more of Shanna’s great work head over to USCDornslife here

Cognixion ONE Nexus in action

This year we had a blast attending CSUN’s Assistive Technology Conference in Anaheim, CA. While we were there we got to show the Cognixion ONE Nexus in action!

Press play below to listen in on Allison Sheridan from NosillaCast chat with our very own Lucas Steuber about Cognixion ONE

“Cognixion ONE headset provides "Assisted Reality” - the blending of Assistive Technology and Augmented Reality. It is a universally accessible, wearable device that enables users with a wide variety of physical and neurological abilities to access augmented reality. Cognixion ONE senses brainwaves through several sensors on the interior of the headset and interprets what the user is viewing based on the sensed brainwave patterns. Even people who cannot move their eyes can use the Cognixion ONE to invoke simple commands and view results projected onto an augmented reality display. Cognixion ONE is expected to become available to the public around the end of 2022 to early 2023. The setting is the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference show floor at the Marriot in Anaheim, CA.”

Ability Central Annual Impact- Helping to provide communications and information access

At least one-in-six Americans will have a sensory or communication disorder during their lifetime. Many will benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and other Assistive Technology (AT). 

As you know our whole mission at Cognixion is to unlock speech for hundreds of millions of people worldwide affected by communication disabilities. And our CEO Andreas Forsland takes that mission seriously. Beyond his work at Cognixion he is also a board member of Ability Central, the only foundation exclusively focused on improving communications and information access for individuals who are Deaf and disabled.  

• Over the past twelve years, Ability Central has given out more than $11.5 million in grants for work on communications disabilities.

• More than $4 million in funding has supported AAC training, device enhancement, app creation, and research to establish best practices.

• This support has helped at least half a million people who either work with AAC users or who use AAC devices themselves.

These innovative projects are creating new technologies and methodologies that empower AAC users.  

“Andreas Forsland embodies the mission of Ability Central to transform the field of communications access,” said Matt Cherry, Director of Philanthropy. “Andreas combines generosity, expertise, and innovation to help people realize their right to receive information and express themselves. We see that not only in the transformative work of Cognixion, but also in his exceptional contributions as a board member at Ability Central.”

Ability Central has just published its annual impact report, showing how its work continues to transform the lives of people with disabilities.  

The Ability Central impact report includes the story of William, an AAC user who, thanks to an Ability Central grant, is interning with the Communication Disabilities Access Network (CDAN). William is currently not in school because his district is unable to meet his communication needs. 

William presenting at a virtual Communication Disabilities Access Network training.

Image courtesy of Disability Voices United.

William took the internship with CDAN as an opportunity to learn to participate in a team and express his ideas and opinions. He has now presented at multiple trainings and is an active group leader in the Communication Access Connect. His insight and contributions are highly valued. William is a model of how access to communication makes all the difference in how we view individuals with communication differences.  

To learn more about the work Ability Central is doing, check out their 2021 impact report, showcasing their programs and their impact on communities of people with disabilities: https://aboutus.abilitycentral.org/ability-central-2021-impact-report/ 

The Big Ideas Behind Cognixion By Mathew Olson at The Information

The Big Ideas Behind Cognixion

 By Mathew Olson/The Information

The Santa Barbara-based startup Cognixion is getting closer to releasing its first headworn device, a headset designed primarily as a speech generation device for people with disabilities. 

I had the chance to try one of the prototype Cognixion One headsets in a demonstration this week led by CEO Andreas Forsland and recently-hired CTO Chris Ullrich, who joined the company from haptics company Immersion last month. We were also joined by Chris Benedict, a DJ and disability advocate born with cerebral palsy who consults for Cognixion.

The standout feature on Cognixion’s hardware spec sheet is the inclusion of six adjustable electrodes along the back of the headset, there to allow for use of the device just with brain-sensed inputs. But that, Forsland explained, is not the only or even necessarily the primary way Cognixion expects its devices will be used. In my demo, I navigated the headset’s menus—running on an iPhone concealed in the headset, which also doubles as its display thanks to a reflective visor—simply by moving my head around to guide a cursor.

For Benedict, an early tester of Cognixion’s assistive hardware, head movements are quick and easy for speech generation. In addition to that and the brain-sensing electrodes, Cognixion also plans for its headset to support eye-gaze inputs and physical switch controls, the idea being to give users flexible options for control that can work across a range of disabilities.

That, Forsland explained as I began dialing in sentences with small twists of my head, could potentially make the Cognixion One a more useful device for those with degenerative disorders. Of the over 1 billion people estimated to live with disabilities of some form, those with neurodegenerative diseases like ALS can face particularly tough challenges when it comes to accessibility accommodations—a tool or technology that helps them communicate and accomplish tasks one year might be unusable to them the next. Cognixion hopes that by supporting a range of inputs, a person could keep using its headset even as their condition changes over time. All the while, the AI systems underneath its speech keyboard and interfaces can adapt and continue to surface more relevant options to the user.

Cognixion is still moving through the processes of regulatory approval and certification needed to release its headsets, which it hopes Medicare will cover. Meanwhile, work continues on integrating Amazon’s Alexa with the headset by way of the same systems used for speech-generation, a partnership which saw the Alexa Fund venture arm participate in Cognixion’s last funding round.

For the full article check out The Infomation’s Reality Check newsletter here

Cognixion Announces Chris Ullrich as Chief Technology Officer

We are ecstatic to announce that Chris Ullrich has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

In this role, Mr. Ullrich will lead technology and IP strategy and will dramatically grow the research and development capabilities at Cognixion as the company accelerates on the heels of our recent seed round.

Mr. Ullrich is a well-known technology, UX, and standards leader in the field of haptics, where he worked for the past 20 years. Mr. Ullrich was instrumental in leading the early research and productization of haptic technologies used in more than 3 billion devices worldwide including mobile phones, game consoles, XR devices, and automotive HMI. He most recently worked as CTO at Immersion Corp., where he led the research, engineering, and standards initiatives across the company. Mr. Ullrich is a prolific inventor and is named on more than 100 patent families with worldwide coverage. Mr. Ullrich holds a M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from the University of British Columbia and a B.Math from the University of Waterloo.

"I look forward to leading the creation of accessibility technologies at the forefront of technological possibility and driving Cognixion's innovation investments so that these technologies are pervasive and fundamental to human machine interactions for at least the next decade," said Mr. Ullrich, "Assisted Reality represents a unique opportunity to both create a meaningful impact for some of the least well served users and to move forward the state of the art in AR+BCI (Augmented Reality + Brain Computer Interface) interactivity to enable diverse application areas from cognitive prosthetics to media interaction to gaming to productivity to the metaverse."

"We received many outstanding applicants for this position, but ultimately decided that Mr. Ullrich's unique perspective on human machine interaction, his track record of innovation and value creation and his experience driving ideas to realized products deployed across literally billions of consumers mobile and gaming devices to industry standards was the right way to accelerate Cognixion's mission," said Andreas Forsland, Founder and CEO of Cognixion. "We want to unlock new capabilities for hundreds of millions of people with disabilities, and make the future of XR universally accessible for all to enjoy, ultimately setting new standards for biological interfaces and immersive experiences. Chris has a history of not only helping to create an industry, but setting the standard for its prolific adoption. We see a similar pathway for neurotechnologies like those at Cognixion."

Cognixion Raises $12 Million to Advance Assisted Reality Tech for Millions Affected by Communication Disabilities

Cognixion Raises $12 Million to Advance Assisted Reality Tech for Millions Affected by Communication Disabilities

Funding round led by Prime Movers Lab, including Northwell Health, Amazon Alexa Fund and Volta Circle

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Nov 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Nov 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognixion®, a neural interface startup, raised $12 million in seed funding to develop AI-powered neural interfaces that unlock speech and smart home controls for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide with communication and physical disabilities. The funding will help Cognixion develop new adaptive interfaces that make the Assisted Reality technology easier to use by everyone. Prime Movers Lab led the round with co-investors Northwell Health, Amazon Alexa Fund and Volta Circle.

Cognixion’s patented non-invasive, wireless brain-computer interface with an integrated augmented reality display, Cognixion ONE, detects the signals from the user's brainwaves associated with visual fixation on interactive objects and enables hands-free, voice-free control of AR/XR applications in the headset. Cognixion ONE is a closed-loop device that stimulates the visual cortex within the brain and reads its activity while sending control signals back to the AR application. It also integrates with leading research software.

In addition to Cognixion ONE, the company is building advanced machine learning algorithms and an AI-powered language system, which adapts to each user's unique communication style, making it more efficient at recognizing and anticipating what they intend to communicate. Equally exciting, a Cognixion headset user will be able to interface directly with Amazon Alexa from anywhere, accessing the smart assistant’s functions within the headset to interact with their environment and control smart devices, or access news, music, information and more.

“Cognixion is solving usability and accessibility issues for AR/XR and enabling new capabilities for people with disabilities today,” says Andreas Forsland, Cognixion Founder and CEO, “And in the near future, we see our innovations becoming a fundamental part of the metaverse, as a biological interface plus highly adaptive algorithms that unlock new use cases for XR.”

“We believe that technology should be inclusive and universally accessible to every individual, and everyone deserves a solution that can adapt to their needs – and that it’s possible to build ONE solution that can be personalized for communication, information access, interacting with smart devices, and everything else life has to offer,” Andreas Forsland said. “Prime Movers Lab has the same focus around making augmentative human capabilities a reality. Unlike most VCs, Prime Movers Lab is an extension of our team. In addition to the funding that they are providing, they are already helping us with hiring, marketing, government relations and building a pipeline of prospective customers.”

“Cognixion has created a breakthrough human-machine interface that accelerates and enriches human communication and connection,” Prime Movers Lab General Partner, Amy Kruse said. “You would think that Cognixion ONE is something out of science fiction if it didn’t already exist.  We believe that it will be a fundamentally life-changing and integral blend of an AI software platform with hardware to assist people of all ages who live with speech and motor disabilities, including Cerebral Palsy, Brainstem Stroke, ALS and many other conditions. Further we see the broader expansion of this platform to extend to all users to enrich life experiences, including: gaming, apps, the metaverse, and beyond. ”

“Cognixion ONE’s combination of visual stimulation and EEG reading could profoundly change the means of communication for patients with physical and neurological impairments,” said Dr. Souhel Najjar, SVP and Executive Director of the Neurology Service Line at Northwell Health. “We look forward to collaborating with the Cognixion team as they develop this technology and assess its efficacy in addressing this significant challenge.”

“Cognixion’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the way patients with impairments can communicate in a variety of settings. We believe Northwell’s investment and expertise will support Cognixion’s expansion into health care provider markets,” said Rich Mulry, President and CEO of Northwell Holdings & Ventures.

Click here to find more information about Cognixion ONE and to submit interest for pre-order.

If you’d like to work at Cognixion, click here to preview career opportunities.

About Cognixion

Cognixion is an internationally award-winning neuroscience and technology company pioneering the field of Assisted Reality.  Cognixion develops AI powered non-invasive BCI (Brain Computer Interface), assistive tech, and useful applications for people, including those affected by neurodevelopmental disorders and injuries to the brain and spinal cord. Based in Santa Barbara, California, the company develops software that helps people with communication challenges express themselves significantly faster than any other solution on the market, and provides a direct non-verbal interface to control Alexa enabled devices around the home, school and workplace.  For more information, please visit https://cognixion.com.

About Prime Movers Lab

Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture and human augmentation. Portfolio investments span in-space transportation, industrial solar heat, ag tech, brain upgrades, nanostructured materials, wafer slicing, prosthetics, 3D printing, mobility, longevity and AI. For more information, please visit https://www.primemoverslab.com.

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, 830 outpatient facilities and more than 16,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 77,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,800 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Going for the gold! The IDEA Gold that is...

We are delighted to announce that the Cognixion ONE has received a Gold 2021 IDEA Award 🏆 from the Industrial Designers Society of America, IDSA! 

The #IDSAIDEA has been the top design awards program made by designers and for designers for 41 years.  This year the IDEA received the most entries ever, with over 2,087 entries from 25 different countries. Of the 142 designs that received top awards, this year 13 countries were represented and we are one of only 31 gold winners.

It is fantastic to see accessibility take center stage this year with the Gold for Best in Show won by Microsoft for their Xbox Adaptive Controller!   

Thank you so much to our team & partners who have worked tirelessly to make Cognixion ONE a reality and to STEL for being such an amazing design team. 

Accessibility for All.

Want to learn more about Cognixion One?

Signed, sealed, & patented....

We are so excited to congratulate the team on one of their latest achievements….

Cognixion has recently received two United States Patents!

Brain-Computer Interface for Augmented Reality & Dynamic Eye-tracking Camera Alignment Utilizing Eye-Tracking Maps.

Congratulations to the Inventors our CEO Andreas Forsland & Leonard Zerman, for accomplishing this huge milestone! We are most definitely ringing bells today!

Want to learn more about how these patents further our work here at Cognixion

and help us to build a more accessible world with the Cognixion One?