Ria Rustagi, co‑founder and CEO of Neuphony, has launched Sychedelic, a CDSCO‑approved headphone that pairs a PPG sensor with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and adaptive music. The device is on Kickstarter after the company raised a $3.5 million seed round ahead of the launch, the company said.
Sychedelic is designed to estimate stress and cognitive state with photoplethysmography (PPG) and then respond in two ways: play music matched to the measured state and deliver brief, low‑intensity tDCS to support sustained focus, the company says. tDCS passes a small electrical current across the scalp; Neuphony describes its implementation as a gentle, user‑facing intervention.
Neuphony began in Germany in 2019 and moved headquarters and R&D to Gurugram, India, the company said. The firm also sells EEG devices. EEG, which records the brain's electrical activity, is the basis of Neuphony's Headband and of a Flex Cap for researchers. The company offers a developer kit called Neuphony EXG Synapse for DIY brain‑computer projects and provides mobile and desktop apps and an SDK.
Rustagi frames the product line as a progression from measurement to intervention. "People don’t just want data about their stress, they want their lives back," she told The Global Indian in an interview. She said Neuphony's earliest public boost came from Shark Tank India Season 2 in 2022, when the founders secured ₹1 crore for 5.4% equity.
Neuphony says its dry, wireless EEG sensors were validated against clinical equipment during development and that it partners with neuroscientists and therapists to build credibility. The company markets its devices to consumers, therapists, research labs and corporate wellness programmes, and says it subsidises devices for therapists in underserved areas.
Rustagi ties the company's mission to a personal story: her sister died after a brain infection in 2016, which she says highlighted an information gap in brain health. She also hosts a podcast and advocates for consent‑first use of neurotechnology. The company warns its tools are for self‑use and not for monitoring others, particularly children.
Photo credit: www.globalindian.com
Tags: EEG, tDCS, PPG, Wearable neurotech, Neurofeedback
Topics: Wearable neurotech, EEG & neuro-sensing headsets, Transcranial electrical stimulation