Sam Altman is reportedly co-founding a brain–computer interface startup called Merge Labs and raising funds for it, with much of the capital potentially coming from OpenAI’s ventures arm, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. A source told TechCrunch that talks are still in the early stages, and OpenAI hasn’t committed yet, so the terms might change — even though the company expects a valuation of $850 million.
Merge Labs is reportedly collaborating with Alex Blania, who heads Tools for Humanity (formerly World), Altman’s eye-scanning digital ID venture that verifies “humanness.”
Altman’s Merge Labs to Rival Musk’s $9B Neuralink
The startup would directly compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which develops brain-implant chips to enable people — particularly those with severe paralysis — to control devices using only their thoughts. Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016 and revealed publicly in 2017, is already in human trials and raised $600 million in a Series E round in June, reaching a $9 billion valuation.
Neuralink — and potentially Merge Labs — could transform the way humans interact with technology, with some suggesting their innovations might even push humanity closer to “the singularity.”
Before Silicon Valley fixated on artificial general intelligence (AGI), the singularity fascinated it — a concept Musk describes as the moment AI surpasses human intelligence.The term’s older meaning, inspired by a 1960s novella by Dino Buzzati, refers to the fusion of humans and technology.
Altman discussed this idea, which he called “The Merge,” in a 2017 blog post. “Although the merge has already begun, it’s going to get a lot weirder. We will be the first species ever to design our own descendants,” he wrote, referencing research he’d seen at OpenAI while Musk was still a co-founder.
Musk and Altman’s Feud Escalates with Public Spat on X
Musk parted ways with OpenAI in 2018, and his relationship with Altman has deteriorated ever since. Just this week, the two traded barbs on X, with Altman accusing Musk of manipulating the platform and Musk calling Altman a liar.
Whether or not Merge Labs will be officially unveiled remains to be seen, but Altman likely wasn’t about to let Musk pursue something as significant as the singularity without competition.
OpenAI declined to comment.
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