BURLINGTON, Mass. & NEW YORK, September 1, 2026
Butterfly Network, Inc. and Merge Labs have entered a multi-year licensing agreement to advance the development of ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), combining Butterfly’s semiconductor-based Ultrasound-on-Chip™ technology with Merge Labs’ work on neural interface systems. Under the agreement, Merge Labs will gain access to Butterfly’s Poseidon Family of Ultrasound-on-Chip technology through Butterfly Embedded™, providing the technology foundation for the development of new ultrasound-enabled neural interfaces. The collaboration represents a significant expansion of ultrasound technology beyond conventional medical imaging and highlights the potential of semiconductor-based ultrasound as an emerging platform for brain-computer interface research.
Butterfly Network Expands Ultrasound Technology Into BCI
The central focus of the collaboration is the use of Butterfly’s CMOS-MEMS chip-based ultrasound technology in the development of less-invasive brain-computer interfaces. Butterfly will serve as Merge Labs’ exclusive CMOS-MEMS chip-based ultrasound partner, supporting the company as it develops custom neural interface technologies and systems. The arrangement gives Merge Labs access to Butterfly’s ultrasound technology while enabling Butterfly to participate in the development pathway from research toward potential commercialization. The agreement includes upfront and milestone-based license payments, hardware purchase commitments and technology access fees, with ongoing royalties expected on future commercial sales. Butterfly also retains the right to license its technology to other companies operating in the field, while the agreement establishes Merge Labs as a key downstream application partner for the company’s ultrasound platform.
Licensing Agreement Creates New Ultrasound Application Opportunity
The partnership demonstrates how Ultrasound-on-Chip technology can be adapted for applications beyond traditional point-of-care imaging. Butterfly’s semiconductor approach integrates ultrasound hardware with software capabilities, creating a flexible technology platform that can be incorporated into specialized systems. Through Butterfly Embedded™, the company licenses its ultrasound chip and software technologies to partners developing new applications in healthcare and other markets. For Merge Labs, access to the Poseidon Family is intended to provide a technological foundation for advancing its ultrasound-based BCI research, potentially supporting the development of neural interface systems designed to interact with biological and artificial intelligence systems. The collaboration therefore creates a direct connection between medical ultrasound semiconductor technology and emerging BCI development, an area receiving increasing attention across research and technology sectors.
Advertisement
Merge Labs and Butterfly Network Target Future BCI Development
The agreement comes as brain-computer interface technology continues to develop as an emerging field, with researchers and technology companies exploring different approaches for interfacing with the human brain. Merge Labs, founded in 2026, is focused on bridging biological systems and artificial intelligence, while Butterfly brings established expertise in semiconductor-based ultrasound, cloud software and AI-enabled imaging. The companies intend to use the collaboration to accelerate research into ultrasound neural interfaces, with the longer-term objective of developing technologies that could provide new approaches to interacting with the brain. Butterfly’s inaugural BCI Innovation Summit, scheduled for September 2, 2026, further underscores the company’s growing involvement in the BCI ecosystem. The partnership positions Butterfly’s Ultrasound-on-Chip platform as an enabling technology for an emerging class of neural interface applications while giving Merge Labs access to a semiconductor ultrasound architecture for its ongoing development efforts..
Source : Butterfly Network ,,press relese
