About Cognixion
Cognixion makes wearable communication systems for people whose disabilities limit speech and movement. Its headset reads brain activity without surgery and lets users choose digital options without their hands or voices. Cognixion ONE places these choices on a display in the user's view. Its language software learns each person's communication style, while Alexa connectivity can control smart devices and provide information.
Based in Santa Barbara, Cognixion is led by founder and CEO Andreas Forsland. Chris Ullrich is chief technology officer and principal investigator of the CHOICE Study. Cognixion ONE Axon received Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company also operates Cognixion Inc., its Canadian subsidiary.
Funding Rounds (SEC Form D)
| First sale | Filed with SEC | Amount sold | Investors | Avg. check | Terms | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2025 | Oct 21, 2026 | $900,000of $10.0M target | 2 | $450K | Options, SAFE investmentRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Feb 3, 2026 | $4,050,000fully sold | 4 | $1.0M | DebtRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
| May 31, 2024 | Jun 5, 2024amended Jan 10, 2025 | $6,038,517fully sold | 19 | $317K | Equity, Securities on exerciseRule 506(b) | Form D/A ↗2 earlier filings |
| Oct 2, 2023 | Oct 4, 2023amended Dec 20, 2023 | $1,939,097of $5.0M target | 13 | $149K | DebtRule 506(b) | Form D/A ↗3 earlier filings |
| Nov 12, 2021 | Nov 15, 2021 | $12,989,289fully sold | 22 | $590K | Equity, Options, Securities on exercise, Series Seed-2A Preferred and Series Seed-2B PreferredRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
| Mar 22, 2021 | Apr 15, 2021amended Jun 14, 2021 | $885,300of $1.0M target | 3 | $295K | Options, SAFE instrumentRule 506(b) | Form D/A ↗1 earlier filing |
| Nov 19, 2019 | Nov 20, 2019amended Oct 1, 2020 | $4,120,139of $4.1M target | 3 | $1.3M | Equity, Options, Series Seed PreferredRule 506(b) | Form D/A ↗6 earlier filings |
| Jul 30, 2018 | Aug 3, 2018amended Jul 12, 2019 | $1,766,000fully sold | 6 | $294K | Debt, Unsecured Promissory NotesRule 506(b) | Form D/A ↗1 earlier filing |
| Total, eight offerings | $32,688,342 | |||||
First sale is the date the first investor in the offering committed to invest. Companies must file Form D within 15 days of that date, so filing dates run later.
Rounds announced by Cognixion
What the company said publicly about its funding. Announced amounts can differ from Form D figures: an announcement can combine several closings, and some money is raised without a Form D.
| Announced | Round | Amount | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2021 | Seed | $12 million | Prime Movers Lab (lead), Northwell Health, Amazon Alexa Fund and Volta Circle | Cognixion announcement ↗ |
Why Investors Backed Cognixion
Cognixion develops wearable systems that turn brain activity into computer commands without surgery. Axon-R gives clinical teams tools to study attention, cognition and assistive technology. Its interface can use brain signals alone or combine them with eye tracking. Axon-R is for research only and lacks clearance from U.S. and Canadian regulators.
The problem it targets
People with ALS can lose speech and movement as the disease advances, making daily communication harder. Assistive tools then become an important link to family and caregivers. Reduced eye-gaze ability can affect some patients as their disease progresses. Travel to research sites can also burden participants, so at-home studies can capture use in familiar surroundings.
What the product does
Axon-R pairs electroencephalography, which records brain signals without implants, with an augmented-reality display and researcher software. A planned Pupil Labs integration would synchronize eye movements and neural signals through one developer interface. The partners intended this setup for rapid study prototypes and applications that respond to either signal. Cognixion ONE can also make selections from brain signals alone.
Progress so far
The NIH-backed CHOICE Study plans to enroll 30 adults with ALS across the United States. Participants will compare three communication options at home for about 12 weeks. Researchers will track which option each participant chooses voluntarily. The first budget year has $1,258,551 in federal funding. Cognixion was named a 2025 Tech for Global Good Laureate and MedTech World's 2026 wearable and implantable technology of the year.
Who backs it
Prime Movers Lab led Cognixion's 2021 seed financing, joined by Northwell Health, Amazon Alexa Fund and Volta Circle. Prime Movers Lab also helped with hiring, marketing, government relations and prospective customers. Northwell said its health-care expertise could support Cognixion's expansion into provider markets. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders funds the CHOICE Study.
How the market is moving
Pupil Labs CEO Moritz Kassner reported growing demand from research partners for combined eye-tracking and brain-sensing systems. Pupil Labs serves more than 10,000 professional users. Researchers have published nearly 1,000 papers using its tools. Those figures reflect Pupil Labs' reach, not the size of the broader brain-interface market.
We wrote this summary from public statements by Cognixion and its investors. It is not investment advice.
Cognixion in the News
Leadership Team
Executive officers and directors listed on Cognixion's Form D filed Oct 21, 2026.

Earlier filings also listed Thomas Washing (director, last listed Jan 2025), Diana Pereira (chief financial officer, last listed Jun 2021), Leonard Zerman (director, last listed Oct 2020) and Thomas Ladd (director, last listed Jul 2019).
Sources
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Dec 30, 2024
- SECCognixion Corp Form D, filed Jun 5, 2024
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Nov 14, 2023
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Oct 23, 2023
- SECCognixion Corp Form D, filed Oct 4, 2023
- SECCognixion Corp Form D, filed Apr 15, 2021
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Aug 12, 2020
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed May 11, 2020
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Jan 29, 2020
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Dec 23, 2019
- SECCognixion Corp Form D/A, filed Dec 18, 2019
- SECCognixion Corp Form D, filed Nov 20, 2019
- SECCognixion Corp filing history
- CompanyCognixion News
- CompanyCHOICE Study announcement
- CompanyPupil Labs partnership announcement
- CompanyChris Ullrich appointment
- CompanyCognixion privacy policy
- CompanyCognixion financial conflict policy
- PressACCESS Newswire partnership release
