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A report published by Fierce Biotech on August 22, 2022, said Elon Musk had contacted Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley about a possible deal. The account, attributed to Reuters and based on four current and former Neuralink employees familiar with the matter, did not establish when the contact happened, what Musk proposed, or whether any agreement followed. It was a report of an alleged approach—not confirmation of an investment or partnership.
What was reported about Musk and Synchron?
Fierce Biotech’s August 22, 2022 report relayed Reuters’ account that Musk had contacted Thomas Oxley, Synchron’s founder and CEO, about a possible deal. The report cited four current and former Neuralink employees familiar with the matter. It did not specify the date of the conversation or whether the approach concerned collaboration, investment, or something else. Synchron declined to comment, and Neuralink did not respond to Fierce Biotech’s request.
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The same anonymous-source account said Musk had reportedly expressed frustration to Neuralink staff about the company’s progress. That characterization was not a public statement by Musk, and the report did not independently verify it. The headline’s “frustrated with slow progress” wording should be understood in that context.
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Was there an investment or partnership?
The 2022 report did not establish that Synchron accepted an offer, that Musk invested, or that the companies formed a partnership. It described a possible approach, with its timing and terms unknown. The fact that the report appeared is not evidence that a deal was completed.
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Why was Synchron a potential point of comparison?
Synchron had announced that it had begun implanting its Stentrode in a U.S. clinical trial after receiving FDA authorization. Neuralink, which had publicly introduced its brain-implant plans in 2019, had earlier targeted human implantation by the end of 2020; that target had slipped by the time of the 2022 report. These are milestones and plans described at that time, not a current comparison of the companies’ progress.
How do Synchron’s Stentrode and Neuralink’s approach differ?
The main distinction in the reported designs is how electrodes reach and interact with the brain:
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| Comparison | Synchron Stentrode | Neuralink approach described in reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Access route | Delivered through the jugular vein and positioned in a blood vessel near the brain. | Electrodes are placed directly in brain tissue through a surgical procedure. |
| Electrode position and signal | Its position farther from individual neurons can mean weaker signal capture, a trade-off discussed in later reporting. | Electrodes are placed in brain tissue; later reporting said comparative advantages had not yet been demonstrated. |
| Evidence of a clinical winner | No winner established by the cited reporting. | No winner established by the cited reporting. |
The access routes involve different trade-offs, not a proven ranking. A 2025 WIRED feature on Synchron discussed vascular risks for an endovascular implant and risks associated with more invasive implants. It also described weaker signal capture as a consequence of the Stentrode’s position farther from individual neurons. Those points do not by themselves establish which approach is safer or more effective overall.
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Later coverage underscores why a single milestone cannot settle the comparison. In a 2024 overview, the Associated Press described multiple BCI teams conducting human studies and quoted University of Washington neurotechnology co-director Rajesh Rao saying Neuralink’s advantages “have yet to be shown.” Marco Baptista, chief scientific officer of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, cautioned: “It’s a little early to know.”
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The 2025 WIRED feature also highlighted unresolved questions about meaningful clinical outcome measures. Leigh Hochberg, a BCI researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brown University, said: “There are no ‘validated outcome measures that can be easily applied.’” Later reporting also described broader hurdles for Synchron, including FDA approval beyond its study and insurance coverage. Progress in human studies is not the same as proof of comparative benefit or established commercial access.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after the 2022 report?
In January 2026, Fierce Biotech reported that Musk had stated plans for Neuralink to scale up production and use a more automated surgical procedure in 2026. Those were announced plans, not confirmation that the changes had been completed. The report did not verify the alleged 2022 contact with Synchron or show that it led to a deal.
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