On February 6th, in Hanoi, Dr. Vi Chi Thanh – a lecturer at the International University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) and CEO of Brain-Life Link Technology Joint Stock Company – officially announced that his startup had received a strategic investment of 10 billion VND from the international venture capital fund IDGX. This is considered a significant milestone, opening up opportunities to bring "make-in-Vietnam" neurotechnology to the global market.
Dr. Vi Chi Thanh (second from the right) and IDGX representatives at the signing ceremony.
According to a representative from Brain-Life Link, funding from IDGX will be focused on key areas to accelerate the commercialization of the product. First, the company will finalize and optimize the hardware and software versions of the Focus+ device. Simultaneously, they will standardize and register for international quality and safety standards. Brain-Life also plans to launch mass production and conduct large-scale testing with approximately 300 initial users in early April 2026, before officially releasing the product to the market in the summer of the same year.
Dr. Vi Chi Thanh wears the Focus+ device.
In the context of mental health becoming an increasing global concern, Brain-Life has chosen a neurotechnology-based approach. The Focus+ wearable device was developed to monitor users' mental state in real time and support improved mental health. What sets Focus+ apart is its integration of three types of physiological sensors in a single device: fNIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy), EEG (electroencephalography), and PPG (photovoltaic imaging), combined with artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, Brain-Life is one of only two companies in the world to successfully integrate this trio of sensors.
Dr. Vi Chi Thanh stated that independently designing biomedical signal processing microchips allows Focus+ to achieve accuracy approaching that of specialized medical devices, but at only about one-tenth the cost, equivalent to $200–250. Users can monitor their concentration, relaxation, or stress levels directly on the mobile application instead of relying solely on subjective feelings.
With a vision of "democratizing high technology," Focus+ is geared towards serving a diverse range of users, from students and office workers needing to optimize concentration, to specialized professions such as long-distance drivers and construction engineers – groups at high risk of burnout. The accompanying AI-integrated application provides brain training exercises, binaural music, and meditation, acting as a pre-intervention solution to prevent psychological problems early on.
Furthermore, the success of Focus+ has also served as a foundation for Brain-Life to expand its research on brain aging, support brain-related conditions such as stroke and Alzheimer's, and improve the quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
An IDGX representative stated that the fund decided to invest after a rigorous evaluation process of the technology and business model. The key factor that convinced the investor was Brain-Life's high-quality team of approximately 30 experts, including more than 10 PhDs trained at prestigious universities in the US, Europe, and Australia, along with a reputable scientific advisory board. This is considered a crucial foundation for the Vietnamese startup to realize its aspiration of putting Vietnamese neuroscience on the global technology map.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/giang-vien-dh-nhan-von-10-ti-dong-de-dua-cong-nghe-than-kinh-viet-ra-the-gioi-196260206132711058.htm
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