What Emotiv does

Emotiv is a privately held San Francisco-based neurotechnology company, founded in 2011 by Tan Le and Dr. Geoff Mackellar, that builds a full-stack wireless EEG platform spanning hardware (EPOC X 14-channel, Flex 32-channel, Insight 5-channel, MN8 2-channel earbuds, and the CES 2025-launched MW20 noise-cancelling earphones), software (EmotivPRO, EmotivBCI, Emotiv Studio, Emotiv Cloud, Brainwear, Emotiv Play), and a developer-facing Cortex API. Its core technology converts raw brain electrical signals into 15 cognitive performance metrics — focus, stress, engagement, cognitive load, relaxation, and related states — using proprietary EEG+AI algorithms that are validated across 23,000+ peer-reviewed publications and by independent academic work (Sabio et al., University of Queensland, 2024).

The company monetizes through a hybrid revenue model: (i) hardware sales spanning $250 consumer earbuds to $100,000+ professional research rigs via direct e-commerce and enterprise contracts; (ii) tiered recurring software subscriptions (Emotiv App, EmotivPRO, EmotivBCI); (iii) enterprise licensing for Fortune 500 deployments; and (iv) EmotivLABS, a Research-as-a-Service unit for neuromarketing and custom EEG studies. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, an academic channel powered by NeuroDiscovery Grants (up to $20,000), and a developer self-service channel on the Cortex API integrated with Google Cloud Platform and Gemini.

Emotiv serves four overlapping customer segments — academic researchers (4,000+ institutions across 140+ countries), enterprise user-research and neuromarketing buyers (named Fortune 500 customers include IKEA, PepsiCo, L'Oréal, Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Hyundai, Clorox, and Target), developers building BCI and cognitive-AI applications, and consumers pursuing personal cognitive wellness. The company operates from San Francisco with offices in Sydney and two engineering centers in Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City), and holds a multi-decade US patent portfolio across EEG headsets, dry-sensor earbuds, software, and the Cortex API stack; it is GDPR/CCPA/SOC2 compliant and faces an evolving neurorights regulatory environment, exemplified by Chile's 2023 Supreme Court ruling on neural-data terms of service.

Name

Emotiv

Legal name

Emotiv Inc.

Website

https://emotiv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Emotiv is a privately held San Francisco neurotechnology company that builds a full-stack wireless EEG platform — hardware, software, and the Cortex API — converting brain signals into cognitive metrics for academic researchers, Fortune 500 enterprise neuromarketing, BCI developers, and consumer wellness users across 140+ countries and 4,000+ institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brain-Computer Interface Hardware

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurological Monitoring (EEG, Seizure/Sleep/Neuro Wearables) (HLAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hearables (True Wireless Earbuds & Smart Headphones) (CRACAIAD), On-Device Inference Runtimes & SDKs (mobile/embedded) (HDAAAJAB), Mental Wellness & Stress Management Devices (Biofeedback, Meditation/Neurostimulation Devices) (CRACAQAL)

Keywords

• Wireless EEG headsets
• Brain-computer interface
• Consumer neurotechnology
• EEG data analytics
• Neurofeedback platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of wireless EEG headsets and accessories across multiple product tiers from consumer-grade earbuds to professional research systems. Revenue generated through direct e-commerce and enterprise sales with pricing ranging from entry-level devices under $1,000 to professional systems exceeding $100,000
2. Software Subscriptions: Tiered software subscriptions including Emotiv App for beginners, EmotivPRO for professional research and data analysis, and EmotivBCI for developers building brain-controlled applications. Monthly and annual billing options available with the platform offering 20% off during promotional periods
3. Enterprise Licensing: Organization licensing for enterprise deployments with secure, compliant infrastructure supporting Fortune 500 companies and large research institutions with validated engagement metrics
4. EmotivLABS Research Services: Research as a Service offering for enterprise and academic clients seeking specialized neuromarketing studies and custom EEG research deployments, including Mentimeter partnership case studies demonstrating engagement measurement services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Emotiv designs, manufactures, and sells wireless EEG (electroencephalography) headsets and accompanying software for brain-computer interface (BCI) applications across consumer wellness, academic research, and enterprise market-research use cases. Its hardware line spans 2-channel earbuds (MN8) and 5-channel headbands (Insight) up to 14-channel headsets (Epoc X) and 32-channel caps (Flex 2.0), paired with proprietary EEG+AI analytics software (EmotivPRO, EmotivBCI, Emotiv Studio, Emotiv Play, Brainwear) and a developer-facing Cortex API/SDK plus Emotiv Cloud for data aggregation and sharing.

Product overview

Emotiv offers an integrated neurotechnology platform spanning hardware, software, and cloud services for brain-computer interface applications. The hardware portfolio includes five EEG headsets: Epoc X (14-channel professional research), Flex 2.0 (32-channel configurable research cap in gel/saline variants), Insight (5-channel headband), MN8 (2-channel in-ear earbuds), and MW20 (dual-channel EEG earphones with ANC). The software ecosystem comprises EmotivPRO (professional EEG analysis), EmotivBCI (mental command control), Emotiv Studio (neuromarketing research), Emotiv Play (brain-powered gaming), Brainwear (personal wellness app), and Emotiv Cloud (data storage/sharing). The Cortex API enables developers to build neuro-adaptive applications. The platform is designed for academic research, enterprise user research, BCI development, and personal cognitive wellness applications, processing EEG data into metrics including attention, engagement, stress, focus, and cognitive load.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Epoc X 14-channel wireless EEG headset for professional and academic neuroscience, BCI, and human-factors research.
• Flex 2.0 32-channel wireless EEG cap for high-density research, clinical, and advanced BCI applications.
• Insight 5-channel wireless EEG headband for consumer wellness and lightweight research use cases.
• MN8 EEG Earbuds 2-channel dry-sensor EEG earbuds for daily-wear personal focus, stress, and wellness tracking.
• MW20 EEG Earphones Noise-cancelling wireless earphones with integrated EEG sensors for audio, focus, and personal brain-state tracking.
• EmotivPRO Subscription-based research software for EEG recording, visualization, analysis, and export across Emotiv hardware.
• EmotivBCI BCI development and runtime software for building applications that respond to Emotiv's cognitive metrics.
• Emotiv Studio Enterprise neuromarketing software for Fortune 500 brands to run consumer-insights and ad-testing studies on Emotiv EEG.
• Emotiv Play Brain-controlled gaming and entertainment platform built on Emotiv EEG and BCI software.
• Brainwear Consumer wellness app that displays focus, stress, and relaxation trends from Emotiv EEG wearables.
• Emotiv Cloud SOC2-compliant cloud platform for storing, processing, and sharing EEG data and analytics from Emotiv hardware and apps.
• Cortex API Developer API and SDK for accessing Emotiv EEG streams, cognitive metrics, and cloud processing in third-party apps.
• EmotivLABS Research Services Paid research-as-a-service team that designs and runs EEG studies for clients using Emotiv's hardware and analytics.
• Brain Art Software Creative software that translates Emotiv EEG signals into visual art representations for consumer and creative use.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% accuracy for EEG authentication
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NXR (Neuro XR)coreTechnology or Integration · 11 December 2025Partnership to launch Emotional Heatmapping Technology, combining NXR's analytics software with Emotiv's EEG devices for real-time emotional and behavioral analysis. The technology integrates eye-tracking and movement-based heatmaps with brain activity data, offering applications across advertising, training, entertainment, and research industries.
• MYndspancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2025Strategic investment partnership to develop consumer brain health technology using MEG and EEG data. The collaboration aims to integrate clinical-grade brain assessments into wearable devices and consumer settings, enhancing proactive brain health monitoring capabilities.
• Google Cloud PlatformcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Integration of Emotiv's cognitive AI platform with Google Cloud Platform and Gemini for streamlined deployment of brain-computer interface applications. Developers can build neuro-adaptive apps using Cortex API and Gemini-powered context interpretation.
• Inclusive BrainscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership enabling individuals with paralysis and motor disabilities to control exoskeleton arms using BCI technology. Emotiv's EPOC X headset combined with Inclusive Brains' Multimodal Cognitive AI Agents enabled historic Paralympic torch relay demonstration.
• Handi'ArcademinorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023French gaming accessibility organization creates custom BCI controllers using Emotiv Insight EEG headsets, allowing physically disabled gamers to play video games using their thoughts. Demonstrated at Paris Games Week 2023.
• EmotivLABS Research ServicescoreOthersInternal research-as-a-service offering providing specialized neuromarketing studies and custom EEG research deployments for enterprise clients including Mentimeter, demonstrating scalable EEG-based engagement measurement capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• NeuroSky: NeuroSky is one of Emotiv's closest competitors in consumer-grade EEG biosensors, offering single-channel EEG chips and headsets for research, education, wellness, and gaming. Both companies target the same developer/researcher/consumer segments with similar dry-electrode wireless EEG technology.
• Muse: Muse (Interaxon) sells consumer EEG headbands for meditation, sleep, and focus, directly overlapping with Emotiv's MN8, MW20, and Brainwear personal wellness offerings. Both compete for the consumer cognitive wellness dollar with subscription-backed mobile apps.
• OpenBCI: OpenBCI produces open-source EEG and biosensing hardware for researchers and developers, with similar use cases to Emotiv's EPOC X and Insight in academic and DIY BCI. Both target the researcher/developer community with hardware APIs and SDKs.
• iMotions: iMotions is a leading biosensor research platform that integrates EEG (including Emotiv devices), eye tracking, GSR, and facial coding for neuromarketing and academic research. It is a direct platform competitor to Emotiv Studio and EmotivLABS for enterprise user research.
• Bitbrain: Bitbrain offers EEG hardware and software for research, neuromarketing, and B2B applications, directly competing with Emotiv's EPOC X, Flex, and EmotivPRO stack in academic and enterprise research deployments.
• Kernel: Kernel develops non-invasive brain measurement technology (Kernel Flow) and a brain data platform, competing with Emotiv in the broader real-world neurotechnology and cognitive AI infrastructure space. Both target enterprise and developer users with brain data APIs.

Emerging players

• Neurable: Neurable builds EEG-integrated consumer headphones (e.g., Enten) for focus tracking, directly competing with Emotiv's MW20 in the EEG + hearables form factor. Focused on consumer productivity/wellness rather than research.
• Blackrock Neurotech: Blackrock Neurotech is a leader in invasive (implanted) BCI research systems used in academic and clinical settings. It serves a different modality (invasive vs. Emotiv's non-invasive EEG) but competes in the broader BCI platform and research tooling market.
• Mentech: Mentech (formerly Mind) builds EEG-based mental wellness wearables and BCI accessibility solutions, overlapping with Emotiv's MN8, MW20, and accessibility segment in Europe. Both target the cognitive wellness and BCI-for-disability use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Apple: Apple's AirPods, Apple Watch, and Health ecosystem are a broad incumbent threat in the consumer brain/physiological sensing and accessibility space. While Apple does not yet ship a BCI-grade EEG product, its scale, distribution, and OS-level integration position it as a long-term competitive risk to Emotiv's hearables and wellness strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/Emotiv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Emotiv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emotiv
• Xx.com/emotiv
• Facebookfacebook.com/emotiv

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emotiv