Dutch Innovator Secures Funding to Restore Sight Using Direct Brain Stimulation

2026-11-14 bio

Amsterdam, Saturday, 14 November 2026.
Amsterdam startup Phosphoenix raised €1.3 million to prepare human trials for a brain implant that bypasses damaged eyes to restore functional sight through over 1,000 micro-electrodes.

A Novel Healthtech Solution for Irreversible Blindness

In the specialized landscape of healthtech and medical technology, restoring sensory perception via neuroprosthetic interfaces represents a profound clinical frontier [1][3]. Around 40 million individuals globally live with profound blindness, facing a total absence of effective medical treatments when optical structures such as the retina or optic nerve suffer permanent, irreparable damage [1]. Rather than attempting to repair biological pathways that can no longer transmit sensory input, Dutch medtech startup Phosphoenix addresses this unmet need by engineering an artificial visual pathway that bypasses the ocular system entirely [1].

Engineering Vision: How the Fountain Probe Operates

Under standard biological conditions, visual inputs journey from the eye to the retina before being relayed along the optic nerve pathway directly into the brain [1]. Phosphoenix completely circumvents defective visual pathways by targeting the brain directly using advanced neuroprosthetic hardware powered by artificial intelligence [1]. The core mechanism rests on the startup’s proprietary Fountain Probe™, a specialized implant engineered with more than 1,000 micro-electrodes that stimulate a visual relay hub known as the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) [1][5]. By transmitting tailored electrical impulses into this deep visual structure, the device induces phosphenes—distinct perceptual phenomena resembling flashes or patterns of light—which coalesce into an artificial form of functional vision for individuals who acquired blindness gradually later in life [1].

Corporate Roots, Strategic Backing, and Clinical Timelines

Phosphoenix traces its academic and scientific foundation to Amsterdam, where it emerged from foundational neuroscientific research conducted at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (Nederlands Instituut voor Neurowetenschappen) [1]. Led in public forums and operational growth by entrepreneur Hans Brons [2], the Amsterdam-based enterprise completed a €1.3 million funding round to accelerate operational preparations toward its inaugural First-in-Human (FIH) clinical trials scheduled for 2027 [1]. The capital injection draws support from a dedicated syndicate of regional deep-tech and life-sciences investors, including regional development agency ROM InWest, TTT Medtech Fund, FIRST Fund, and Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland [1][3].

Financial Scaling and the Path to Series A

Beyond the near-term €1.3 million allocation dedicated to advancing the neurostimulation platform alongside academic partner Amsterdam UMC [1][3], Phosphoenix is actively structuring a larger Series A financing round targeting approximately €20 million [1]. This planned expansion underscores an aggressive capital trajectory required to fund demanding multi-phase human clinical programs [1]. Sara Schaafsma, investment manager at ROM InWest, highlighted that the life-changing potential of the technology lies in returning independence to individuals with severe visual impairment, enabling greater autonomy and active societal participation [1]. If successful in its 2027 trials, Phosphoenix could transform the clinical standard of care for late-onset blindness worldwide [1].

Bronnen

neural implants visual prosthesis