Draft:NextSense
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Neurotechnology, consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Jonathan Berent |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California , U.S. |
Key people | Jonathan Berent (CEO) |
| Products | Smartbuds (in-ear EEG earbuds) |
| Website | nextsense |
NextSense, Inc. is an American neurotechnology company based in Mountain View, California that develops in-ear electroencephalography (EEG) wearables for sleep and brain-health monitoring. The company was founded in 2020 and spun out of X, the research and development division of Alphabet Inc.[1][2][3] Its primary product, Smartbuds, is a pair of wireless earbuds containing EEG sensors that record brain activity during sleep and deliver timed audio intended to enhance slow-wave sleep.[4][5]
History
[edit]NextSense was founded in 2020 by Jonathan Berent, a former director at Alphabet's X, together with members of a sleep-research team associated with Google.[2][6] The company's technology originated in research conducted within X and was further studied in collaboration with academic institutions.[7]
In November 2023, NextSense raised a seed round, and in November 2025 it closed a $16 million Series A round led by Ascension Ventures, with participation from Satori Neuro and the Corundum Neuroscience Fund.[1][2] The company has stated that the funding was intended to support the commercial launch of its Smartbuds product and to expand research partnerships.[1]
The Smartbuds were commercially launched in February 2026.[4][8]
Technology and products
[edit]NextSense's Smartbuds use multiple in-ear EEG electrodes to record the wearer's brain activity, in contrast to consumer sleep trackers that infer sleep stages from movement or heart rate.[5][4] The device is designed to detect sleep stages in real time and to play timed acoustic stimulation—reported as pink-noise pulses—intended to strengthen slow-wave (deep) sleep.[5][6] Reviewers have noted the earbud form factor as more comfortable for overnight wear than head-worn EEG devices, while also noting the requirement of a paid subscription and iOS-only app support.[9][10]
Research
[edit]NextSense's in-ear EEG technology has been evaluated in peer-reviewed studies. A 2024 study in Bioelectronic Medicine compared the device against intracranial EEG for focal-onset seizure detection.[7] A 2026 study in the same journal evaluated the technology for assessing sleep and daytime sleepiness.[11] The research has involved collaborators from institutions including Emory University.[7]
Recognition
[edit]NextSense was recognized in Fast Company's 2023 "Next Big Things in Tech" in the health category.[12] In 2024, the company was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "NextSense scoops $16M to launch the world's first EEG-smartbuds". Tech Funding News. 11 November 2025.
- ^ a b c "NextSense Raises $16M to Bring EEG Sleep Tracking Into Earbuds". Neurofounders.
- ^ "NextSense Wants to Get in Your Ears and Watch Your Brain". Wired. 2022.
- ^ a b c "NextSense Smartbuds bring EEG brain sensors to wireless earbuds for the first time". SoundGuys. 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "Smart Earbuds Use EEG Technology to Improve Sleep". Sleep Review. 9 January 2025.
- ^ a b "NextSense is waging war on 3 a.m. wake ups with new sleep tracking earbuds". Tom's Guide. 12 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Joyner, Mcgregor; Hsu, Sheng-Hsiou; Martin, Stephanie; Dwyer, Jennifer; Chen, Denise Fay; Sameni, Reza; Waters, Samuel H.; Borodin, Konstantin; Clifford, Gari D.; Levey, Allan I.; Hixson, John; Winkel, Daniel; Berent, Jonathan (2024). "Using a standalone ear-EEG device for focal-onset seizure detection". Bioelectronic Medicine. 10 (1) 4. doi:10.1186/s42234-023-00135-0. PMC 10848360. PMID 38321561.
- ^ "NextSense debuts 'world's first' wireless EEG sleep earbuds that measure brain activity to help you sleep". T3. 9 February 2026.
- ^ "I Tried the NextSense SmartBuds for Better Sleep — My Review". Apartment Therapy.
- ^ "These sleep earbuds monitor brain waves, and have a most unusual subscription plan". Android Police. 9 February 2026.
- ^ Berent, Jonathan; Saini, Prabhjyot; Stewart, Andrew X.; Bheda, Devansh; Borodin, Konstantin; Paul, Akshay; Tracey, Brian; Dong, Caroline; Volfson, Dmitri; Buhl, Derek L.; Rye, David B. (2026). "A novel, wearable, in-ear EEG technology to assess sleep and daytime sleepiness". Bioelectronic Medicine. 12 (1) 13. doi:10.1186/s42234-026-00207-x. PMC 13195905. PMID 42169202.
- ^ "The 6 next big things in healthtech for 2023". Fast Company. 2023.
- ^ "NextSense". World Economic Forum.