Dutch Startup Secures Funding for Brain Implant to Restore Vision

2026-10-01 bio

Amsterdam, Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Amsterdam-based Phosphoenix raised €1.3 million to prepare for human trials of an AI-powered brain implant that bypasses damaged eyes to restore functional vision.

A Milestone in MedTech Innovation

The medical technology (MedTech) sector is witnessing a profound shift as neurotechnology moves closer to clinical reality [1][2]. On September 18, 2026, Amsterdam-based startup Phosphoenix announced that it secured €1.3 million in a new funding round to accelerate preparations for its first-in-human clinical trials [4][6]. Founded in 2019, the company operates as a spin-off from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), which is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) [2]. The scientific foundation of this venture was established by Prof. Pieter Roelfsema, Prof. Xing Chen, and Dr. Bert Monna, while the company’s clinical and business operations are currently led by Chief Executive Officer Hans Brons [2].

Local Roots and Global Ambitions

Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Phosphoenix is deeply integrated into the regional healthtech ecosystem [1][2]. Its latest funding round attracted key regional support, with ROM InWest joining as a new investor alongside continued participation from existing backers [1][2]. These existing investors include the TTT Medtech Fund (managed by 819 Capital Partners), the FIRST Fund (managed by BioGeneration Ventures), and the Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland [2][5]. This collaborative financial backing underscores the local and international confidence in the startup’s potential to address a massive global challenge, given that approximately 40 million people worldwide currently live with profound blindness [1][2].

Bypassing the Eyes with Advanced AI

The core of the innovation lies in how the technology completely bypasses damaged ocular pathways [1][2]. In a healthy visual system, light information travels from the eye to the retina, and then through the optic nerve to the brain [1]. However, for patients who have suffered irreparable damage to their retina or optic nerve, this pathway is permanently blocked [1][4]. Phosphoenix’s system overcomes this by utilizing custom glasses equipped with a camera [2]. The camera captures visual feeds and transmits them to a pocket-sized processor, where advanced artificial intelligence algorithms convert the video footage into electrical stimulation instructions in real time [2].

The Fountain Probe and Phosphenes

These real-time electrical instructions are sent directly to the brain via the company’s proprietary implant, known as the Fountain Probe™ [1][2]. Implanted in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)—a key visual region of the brain—using stereotactic neurosurgical techniques similar to deep brain stimulation, the probe features a high-density interface containing more than 1,000 microelectrodes [2][3]. By delivering tiny electrical pulses directly to the LGN, the implant induces artificially generated visual percepts called ‘phosphenes,’ which appear to the patient as dots of light [1][2]. When multiple phosphenes are generated simultaneously, they form an interpretable image, which the company describes as akin to viewing a constellation of stars in the night sky [2].

Restoring Autonomy and Enhancing Quality of Life

The primary benefit of this neuroprosthetic system is its potential to restore meaningful functional vision to individuals who lost their sight later in life [1][2]. Currently, there are no effective treatment options available to recover functional sight for patients with completely damaged retinas or optic nerves [1]. By generating artificial vision, the technology aims to provide these individuals with significantly greater self-reliance [1]. According to Sara Schaafsma, Senior Investment Manager at ROM InWest, this innovation could dramatically improve daily independence, allowing users to participate more actively in society with far less external support [1][2].

The Roadmap to First-in-Human Trials

With the newly acquired €1.3 million in capital, Phosphoenix is actively preparing for its first-in-human clinical study, which is planned for 2027 in collaboration with Amsterdam UMC [1][2]. This upcoming study represents a critical milestone in proving the safety and efficacy of the Fountain Probe™ in human subjects [1][2]. In parallel, the Amsterdam-based startup is laying the groundwork to raise a Series A funding round of approximately €20 million [1][2]. This larger capital injection will be dedicated to fully financing the company’s extensive clinical development program, bringing this life-changing neurotechnology closer to commercial availability [1][2].

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healthtech brain implant