
The filing submitted on April 24 to the US Small Business Administration (SBA) shows that Neuralink has applied to be recognized as a "ust-owned enterprise" (SDB). This title is often given to companies with owners who are disadvantaged socio-economically, giving them priority in accessing federal government contracts.
This information was first published by MuskWatch. At the time of filing, Elon Musk was leading the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he pursued a policy of cutting the size of the federal administration and reviewing priority policies for DEI (form, fairness and integration).
The fact that a company backed by the richest people in the world has asked for incentives for "weak businesses" has sparked controversy. The US Department of Justice has previously fined a number of businesses for defrauding them of claiming to be SDBs for policy profiteering.
Neuralink is developing a brain-to-computing (BCI) interface that allows humans to control machines through thinking. The initial goal was to help patients with mobility paralysis communicate and control the device independently.
In early June, the company raised $650 million from major investors such as ARK Invest, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund. With this capital, Neuralink aims to expand clinical trials and promote the connection between biotechnology and artificial intelligence.