A California-based start-up, Science Corp, has received European regulatory approval for its bionic eye device, marking a significant advancement in efforts to restore sight to the blind. The company announced that it obtained the European Union’s Conformité Européenne (CE) mark for its Prima device, which is designed to treat age-related macular degeneration through a retina implant paired with specialized glasses.
Founded in 2021 by Max Hodak, previously a co-founder of brain-computer interface start-up Neuralink, Science Corp’s Prima device is expected to enter commercial use soon, with initial treatments likely to begin in Germany. The company has also secured humanitarian use device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a crucial step toward approval and commercialization in the American market.
Age-related macular degeneration is a common condition affecting hundreds of thousands of people, and Prima’s implant targets late-stage forms of the disease. Clinical trials involving 38 patients showed that 84 percent of participants were able to read letters, numbers, and words using the device, while preserving their remaining natural vision. Hodak emphasized that the device currently delivers black-and-white images within a limited field of view, likening it to “looking through a straw” at the center of the user’s vision. He described the product as an early-stage technology with the potential to evolve toward providing near-native color vision in the future.
Prima consists of a wireless implant surgically placed under the retina. It operates by converting near-infrared light from the accompanying glasses into electrical stimulation signals, which are interpreted by the brain to produce sight. The technology was originally developed at Stanford University before Science Corp acquired the French company that had been advancing Prima through clinical trials and regulatory processes.
Previous attempts to commercialize similar visual prosthetics have faced challenges. For example, Second Sight, a company awarded CE approval in 2011 for its Argus visual prosthesis, encountered financial difficulties in 2020, raising concerns about ongoing support for its early users. Although the company was later acquired, its Argus system is no longer available commercially, leaving Prima as the only such product currently on the market.
Science Corp is part of a broader trend of companies exploring brain-computer interfaces. In March, Chinese regulators approved what is believed to be the world’s first commercially available invasive brain-computer interface, developed by Shanghai-based Neuralace, which enables paralyzed patients to regain some motor function. Additionally, Merge Labs, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is working on integrating human brains with artificial intelligence systems.
Since its founding, Science Corp has raised nearly $500 million, including $230 million earlier this year from investors such as Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, reportedly valuing the company at approximately $1.5 billion. Hodak expressed optimism that revenues from Prima will provide the financial foundation to support further research into “biohybrid” brain-computer interface technologies, which aim to connect living neurons with the brain rather than relying solely on wired devices.