Musk's Neuralink to test brain chips in clinical study in Great Britain
The company is partnering with the University College London Hospitals trust and Newcastle Hospitals to conduct the study, it said in a post on X.
Neuralink said patients living with paralysis due to conditions such as spinal cord injury and a nervous system disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) qualify to participate in the study.
The company raised $650 million in its latest funding round last month. It began human trials in 2024 on its brain implant after resolving safety concerns flagged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had initially rejected Neuralink's application in 2022.
According to the company, five patients with severe paralysis are currently using its device to control digital and physical tools with their thoughts.
Neuralink, founded in 2016, has raised about $1.3 billion from investors and is valued at roughly $9 billion, according to media reports, citing PitchBook.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Purespring Therapeutics receives UK CTA approval for Phase I/II clinical trial of PS-002 in patients with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN)
First patient in Phase I/II clinical trial expected to be enrolled in Q4 2025 UK Clinical Trial Application (CTA) approval shortly follows U.S. IND clearance and granting of European Medicine Agency (EMA) orphan drug designation, enabling readiness for initiation across sites in both the U.S. and Europe PS-002, Purespring's lead precision nephrology programme, targets the complement pathway known to be a driver of IgA nephropathy and is supported by a wealth of preclinical data London – 5 August 2025 - Purespring Therapeutics, a precision nephrology company focused on transforming the treatment of kidney diseases, today announces that its UK Clinical Trial Application (CTA) for a planned Phase I/II study of PS-002, Purespring's lead programme, in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) has been approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) and Research Ethics Committee (REC). 'The CTA approval for our Phase I/II clinical trial of PS-002 represents another key milestone as we complete our transition to a clinical-stage precision nephrology company,' said Haseeb Ahmad, Purespring's Chief Executive Officer. 'Building on the recent FDA IND clearance and EMA orphan drug designation, this further validates the potential of our podocyte-targeting approach to go beyond symptom management and directly target kidney disease at its source. Looking ahead, we are committed to working closely with regulators and sites across the U.S. and Europe with the view to expand the therapeutic options available for people living with IgAN.' PS-002 was developed to target the underlying cause of many kidney diseases by modulating complement activation in the kidney via precision targeting of podocytes. The programme is initially focused on the treatment of IgA nephropathy (IgAN), a rare and chronic autoimmune kidney disease that primarily affects young adults. In IgAN, aberrant immunoglobin A (IgA) protein becomes trapped in the kidney's filters, known as the glomeruli, causing complement activation, inflammation, damage and scarring. A significant proportion of affected patients will go on to develop kidney failure despite currently available therapies. The Phase I/II clinical trial, which is expected to enroll its first patient in Q4 2025, will evaluate local administration of PS-002 to treat IgAN. In the Phase 1 part of the Phase I/II study, the main read-outs will be safety parameters, which, together with efficacy biomarkers, will be leveraged to select a dose for the Phase 2 part of the study. This second phase will be used to further define the safety profile and provide early markers of efficacy. Enabled by this latest regulatory approval and the recent U.S. IND clearance, as announced in July 2025, the Phase I/II study will recruit patients across the U.S. and Europe. For further information, contact: Purespring: Peter Mulcahycontact@ (0)20 3855 6324LinkedIn ICR Healthcare Amber Fennell, Sarah Elton-Farrpurespring@ Notes to Editors About Purespring Purespring is developing therapies to halt or prevent kidney disease, one of humankind's most poorly treated disease areas. Founded on the work of Professor Moin Saleem, Professor of Paediatric Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol, Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease by targeting the podocyte, a specialised cell that is implicated in the majority of renal disease. Purespring's platform approach enables streamlined gene therapy development for both acquired and genetic renal diseases, offering the potential to halt, reverse and even cure both rare and common kidney diseases. The Company currently has a pipeline of programmes in development including the lead asset for treatment of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and other complement mediated kidney disease. The Company also has programmes for disease caused by mutations in the gene NPHS2, as well as other monogenic glomerular kidney diseases. Based in London, the Purespring team combines world-leading expertise in podocyte biology and kidney disease with a wealth of experience in gene therapies, anchored in a culture of diversity, creativity and delivery. Purespring is backed by leading biotech investors, including Syncona Limited, Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, and the British Business Bank and has raised £115m ($149m) to date. For more information please visit: and follow us on in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Debenhams to fast-track AI capability across business with new programme
This initiative from Debenhams, developed in partnership with workforce development platform Multiverse, aims to bridge the AI skills gap within its workforce The AI Skills Academy is fully funded through Debenhams Group's £1.35m ($1.79m) Apprenticeship Levy, a UK government-backed fund designed to support work-based learning initiatives. The programme is structured to offer on-the-job learning that contributes directly to the company's operations, said Debenhams. Employees participating in the academy will learn to use AI tools to enhance productivity and engage in more strategic work. Debenhams staff will also be trained to apply AI solutions for streamlining operations and reducing manual tasks. They will also learn building in-house AI systems to expedite the digital transition and decrease dependence on external providers. The new initiative aligns with Debenhams Group's digital transformation roadmap, which emphasises 'innovation and continuous learning'. The programme will be introduced to staff through a comprehensive internal communication campaign, featuring in-person sessions led by Multiverse professionals, said the company. Debenhams Group CEO Dan Finley said: 'Adopting AI is not just about investing in our systems – it's about investing in our people. With the launch of the AI Skills Academy, we're giving our teams the tools to think differently, work smarter and build for the future. This is about unlocking the potential of every colleague to drive real innovation across the Group.' The group offers fashion, home, and beauty products through its various retail brands, including Debenhams, Karen Millen, boohoo, boohooMAN, and PrettyLittleThing. Last month, the company entered into a multi-year partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to leverage AI-driven tools for optimising operations and facilitating the scaling of new brands. A recent research from Pusan National University highlighted the potential for generative AI models like ChatGPT and DALL-E 3 to revolutionise fashion design processes and trend identification within the industry. In June, Debenhams Group engaged Peak to overhaul its pricing and promotions approach, implementing an AI-powered system for setting prices on a vast array of products spanning numerous brands. "Debenhams to fast-track AI capability across business with new programme" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sticky by design: Why embedded finance is the SaaS retention strategy nobody talks about
Customer retention has become the defining challenge in SaaS. As the industry matures and product categories become saturated, differentiation is no longer about who can ship features fastest; it's about who can keep users coming back, and right now, many can't. Recent Weavr research found that 51% UK-based product managers cited retention as their primary business concern. This problem isn't exclusive to underperforming companies, since even well-funded platforms are struggling to maintain loyalty in categories like CRM, marketing automation, and procurement, where competition is fierce and switching costs are low. So, what's driving the churn? In 43% of cases, product managers say users leave not because they dislike the software, but because it forces them to jump between disconnected tools to get basic jobs done. This insight is critical as it means that business efficiency - in terms of delivering better outcomes (desired results, fewer errors, less fraud) with less effort now trumps functionality or pricing. This is where embedded finance (EF) offers SaaS platforms a powerful, under-utilised advantage. The friction no one wants to own We've all felt it. You're using a business platform to manage projects or suppliers or customers - and then you hit a wall. You need to pay a bill, issue an invoice, top up a card, or approve an expense. Suddenly you're in a different tab, logging into another system, rechecking data, and praying the sync holds. It's not just annoying, it's a risk for error, and dare we say it, for fraud too. For instance, the highly effective fraud attack known as CEO fraud relies on the human in the loop taking advantage of financial activities that are disconnected from SaaS workflows such as paying an invoice. Every time a user toggles between systems, there's an opportunity for dissatisfaction, inefficiency and poor outcomes. In other words, a reason for churn and competitors know this. Many have built their onboarding messages around the promise of 'fewer integrations' or 'one workspace to rule them all.' However, here's the irony: a lot of that fragmentation isn't due to bad product design. It's because finance - billing, payments, lending, card issuing, reconciliation - have traditionally sat outside the domain of software. Most SaaS teams either punt those workflows to third party platforms and, or leave them to their customers to handle manually. The result? A disjointed experience that feels less like a product and more like a toolkit. In a crowded SaaS marketplace, that's often the difference between growth and churn. Embedded finance as a retention lever Embedded finance changes that equation. It allows platforms to offer fully integrated financial capabilities inside their own user flows - without becoming banks or fintech companies themselves. Think of a SaaS platform for managing temporary staff. Instead of asking employers to manually process payments through external banking apps or payroll systems, the platform can embed a payment execution feature that disburses wages directly through pre-approved logic and connected accounts. These aren't just features; they're strategies for stickiness. By embedding finance, you remove points of friction, reduce context-switching, and eliminate operational dead ends. Users stay longer because their workflows are complete - not because they've been locked in, but because they're getting more done with less hassle. And nothing makes customers more reluctant to leave than having to go back to disjointed processes. Keeping users in the ecosystem One of the strongest predictors of retention is frequency of use. If your product becomes the default place where users handle their day-to-day tasks, it becomes much harder for competitors to win them over. This is where embedded finance excels as it doesn't just streamline a specific task, but it's also capable of expanding the scope of what your platform can be used for. A procurement platform that lets buyers not only manage suppliers but also approve budgets and issue virtual cards becomes a control centre, not just a reporting tool. An HR platform that handles not just employee data but also benefits disbursement and expense reimbursements becomes an essential workflow hub. The more users rely on your platform to operate, the more value they derive from it. That value compounds over time, reducing the likelihood that they'll defect to a newer or flashier competitor. Retention is the new growth In today's economic climate, retention isn't just a defensive metric - it's a growth strategy. Retention is recurring revenue without customer acquisition cost. According to Bain & Company, increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by up to 95% depending on the sector. For SaaS businesses under pressure to do more with less, it's an obvious place to invest. Yet while most product managers obsess over feature releases, roadmap alignment, and funnel optimisation, few look at the financial touchpoints in their product experience. Even fewer ask: what if we stopped outsourcing payments and made them part of the product? The resistance is understandable. Finance is complex, regulated, and historically hard to embed. However, that's changing. Modern embedded finance platforms offer ready-to-integrate infrastructure that abstracts the hard parts - from compliance to licensing - while giving product teams control over the user experience. As a result, financial functionality no longer has to be tacked on at the edges. It can be woven into the product flow, natively and securely, at the moments users expect it most. From fintech feature to product strategy Too often, embedded finance is dismissed as something for fintechs or marketplaces. But its real power lies in the broader SaaS world, where it can transform user value and switching costs, ultimately reducing churn, and deepening platform utility. It's time we stopped thinking about EF as just a payment button or a lending module. It's a design strategy for building products that keep users engaged, productive, and loyal. Especially in sectors where switching is easy and attention is scarce, that edge is not just useful, it's essential. Alex Mifsud is CEO and Co-founder, Weavr "Sticky by design: Why embedded finance is the SaaS retention strategy nobody talks about" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
