Berlin neurotech startup Insellar has raised €400,000 in pre-seed funding to build a functional prototype of a brain‑computer interface (BCI) aimed at treating treatment‑resistant depression. IBB Ventures led the round alongside business angels and clinical experts, the company said.

Insellar was founded in July 2025. The company says its patent‑protected device will modulate brain activity to trigger endogenous protective mechanisms rather than acting systemically. A brain‑computer interface (BCI) is a device that records and influences neural signals; Insellar did not specify whether its design will be invasive or non‑invasive.

The funding will support development of a preclinical proof‑of‑concept and validation of a functional prototype. Insellar intends to use the prototype work to prepare for clinical development in Europe and the United States. The company also names potential future indications including post‑traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.

IBB Ventures, together with business angels and a group of advisors from neurosurgery, psychiatry and neurotechnology, are backing the programme. The company framed the round as seed capital to carry core engineering and preclinical experiments toward regulatory and clinical planning.

"We stand at the start of a new era of biologically precise neurostimulation. Our goal is a new therapeutic category for patients without sufficient treatment options," said Dr. Hamed Bahmani, Insellar.

Insellar said the new capital creates the foundation to move the technology toward clinical application, but did not provide timelines or preclinical data with this announcement.

Photo credit: cdn.startbase.com

Tags: brain–computer interface, treatment-resistant depression, pre-seed funding, neuromodulation

Topics: Neurotech industry & startups, Brain–computer interfaces, Neuromodulation