What OpenBCI does

OpenBCI, incorporated as OpenBCI, Inc. (a Delaware corporation headquartered in Brooklyn, New York) and founded in 2014, designs and sells open-source biosensing hardware and software for brain-computer interface (BCI) and neuroscience applications. Its stated mission is to lower the barrier to entry for brain-computer interfacing. The company serves academic and research institutions, developers and engineers, healthcare and assistive-technology builders, and consumer wellness/gaming users, with academic and research institutions as the primary segment. It operates with a small team (11-50 employees; roughly 12 core members plus 3 advisors) led by CEO and Co-Founder Conor Russomanno.

The core product portfolio centers on modular biosensing boards: the Cyton (8-channel EEG/EMG/ECG, expandable to 16 channels with the Daisy module and built on the ADS1299 ADC) and the Ganglion (4-channel, positioned for portability and accessibility). Supporting products include the OpenBCI GUI (a standalone interface under the MIT License for real-time visualization and data streaming, released as v6.0.0-beta.1), the 3D-printable Ultracortex headset, the Wifi Shield, and the Cyton Dongle. Its flagship platform, Galea, integrates EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking into a single mixed-reality headset. Hardware designs are released as open-source, and the platform integrates with BrainFlow, cEEGrid electrode arrays, and development environments such as Python, MATLAB, Unity, and JavaScript.

The business model is primarily hardware sales through a direct e-commerce storefront (shop.openbci.com), with modular systems typically ranging from roughly $1,000 to $2,000 depending on configuration. Go-to-market is predominantly community-led—an active forum with 3,500+ discussions, open-source development, documentation, published research citations, and educational programs—supplemented by direct-to-consumer sales and an emerging enterprise field-sales function indicated by job postings. Additional, smaller revenue mechanics include community donations/sponsorships (tiered from $20+ to $1,000+) and freely licensed software. No revenue figure is disclosed in the provided sources.

Name

OpenBCI

Legal name

OpenBCI, Inc.

Website

https://openbci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OpenBCI builds open-source biosensing hardware and software for brain-computer interfaces—EEG/EMG boards (Cyton, Ganglion) and the multi-modal Galea headset—serving academic researchers, developers, healthcare/assistive-tech builders, and consumer wellness/gaming users via direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of biosensing boards (Cyton, Ganglion), headsets (Ultracortex), electrodes, and accessories through their e-commerce storefront. Hardware is modular with various price points based on channel count and components.
2. Software Licensing: OpenBCI GUI provided under MIT License. Software templates and SDKs available for developers. BrainFlow provides examples and direct access in multiple programming languages.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Accepts community donations and sponsorships. Platinum donor status at $1000+, Gold at $100+, Silver at $50+, Bronze at $20+. Note: donations are not tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OpenBCI designs, manufactures, and sells open-source biosensing hardware and software for brain-computer interface (BCI) research and applications. Core offerings include modular EEG biosensing boards (Cyton 8-channel, Ganglion 4-channel, Cyton+Daisy 16-channel), the 3D-printable Ultracortex headset, the OpenBCI GUI software, and the Galea multi-modal mixed reality platform integrating EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking. All hardware designs and software are released as open-source, enabling researchers, developers, and institutions to build, modify, and customize their own biosensing systems.

Product overview

OpenBCI offers an open-source biosensing and neuroscience product portfolio centered on non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) hardware and software. The core offerings include the Cyton (8-channel, expandable to 16 with Daisy) and Ganglion (4-channel) biosensing boards for EEG, EMG, and other physiological signals; the OpenBCI GUI for real-time data visualization and streaming; and the Galea platform integrating EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking with mixed reality. Supporting products include the Ultracortex 3D-printable headset, Wifi Shield for enhanced connectivity, and Cyton Dongle for wireless communication. The open-source approach allows users to customize hardware and software, while community-developed integrations like cEEGrid expand electrode options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Galea: A hardware and software platform that merges next-generation biometrics with mixed reality. Galea is the first device that integrates EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking into a single headset.

Products and services

• Galea A hardware and software platform that merges next-generation biometrics with mixed reality, integrating EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking into a single headset for augmented and virtual reality applications. Aimed at researchers, developers, and creators working on understanding and augmenting the human mind and body.
• Cyton An 8-channel biosensing board for EEG, EMG, and ECG recording, expandable to 16 channels when combined with the Daisy module. Supports wireless connectivity via dongle. Designed for neuroscience researchers and developers.
• Ganglion A 4-channel biosensing board designed for portability and accessibility, supporting EEG and other biosignal acquisition. Aimed at researchers and developers needing a portable, lower-cost entry point.
• OpenBCI GUI A standalone graphical user interface for connecting to OpenBCI hardware, visualizing physiological data in real-time, and streaming data to other applications and tools. Free and open-source under MIT License.
• Ultracortex A 3D-printable EEG headset design that users can print and assemble themselves, providing an open-source hardware solution for mounting electrodes.
• Cyton + Daisy An expanded configuration combining the Cyton board with Daisy module to achieve 16-channel biosensing capability for higher-resolution EEG, EMG, and ECG recording.
• Cyton Dongle A USB dongle for wireless communication with Cyton and Cyton+Daisy boards, enabling cable-free data streaming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% classification accuracy achieved with OpenBCI Ganglion board in low-cost SSVEP BCI speller research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BrainstormILcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021BrainstormIL is a key partner in the BCI4ALS project, a multi-institute academic course teaching students to develop BCI systems for ALS patients. OpenBCI provides hardware for the program.
• IsrALS FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021IsrALS Foundation provides ALS mentors for the BCI4ALS program, working with students to develop personalized communication solutions for patients.
• NeuroTechSCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021University team (UCSC) developing subvocal speech recognition using OpenBCI hardware. Won 1st place in 2020 NeuroTechX competition. Partner received Discovery Program support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Emotiv: Direct EEG/BCI headset competitor offering Emotiv EPOC and Insight for research and consumer applications. Closely comparable product category, pricing band, and target customers to OpenBCI's Cyton/Ganglion line.
• Muse (InteraXon): Consumer-grade EEG wearable (Muse S) for meditation, sleep, and focus. Comparable consumer BCI form factor and D2C distribution model, though focused on wellness rather than research-grade customization.
• NeuroSky: Pioneer in low-cost EEG biosensor chips and headsets for consumer and educational BCI applications. Overlaps with OpenBCI on accessibility-priced, multi-channel biosensing hardware.
• iMotions: Biosensor research platform that integrates EEG with eye-tracking, GSR/EDA, EMG, and PPG in a single software stack. Highly comparable multi-modal biometric aggregation approach to OpenBCI's Galea vision.

Broad incumbents

• Brain Products: Established research-grade EEG and neuroimaging equipment manufacturer serving academic and clinical labs. Comparable research-customer base, but with broader clinical/medical-grade positioning than OpenBCI.
• ANT Neuro: Research-grade EEG, MEG, and neuroimaging systems used in academic and clinical neuroscience. Comparable BCI/EEG research buyer base, with a deeper installed base in clinical settings.
• g.tec medical engineering: Developer of high-channel EEG/BCI systems (e.g., g.USBamp, intendiX) used in stroke rehabilitation and communication. Comparable research-customer segment and non-invasive BCI modality, with deeper clinical footprint.
• Kernel: Neurotechnology company building brain-interface hardware (e.g., Kernel Flow) for cognitive and physiological measurement. Comparable BCI/neurotech category and research-customer overlap, with a focus on broader brain-activity metrics rather than open-source customization.

Emerging players

• Mentalab: Mobile/wearable multi-channel EEG biosensing platform for research. Comparable hardware/software offering and research-customer segment, with a focus on portability that overlaps with OpenBCI's Ganglion line.
• Cognixion: Non-invasive BCI headset combined with AR for assistive communication, especially for ALS/cerebral palsy patients. Comparable EEG + XR integration concept to OpenBCI's Galea, applied to a clinical/assistive niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openbci
• GitHubgithub.com/OpenBCI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3fzPmzq0XND2El9jIs802g
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenBCI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openbci
• Instagraminstagram.com/openbci

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OpenBCI