A report out of South Korea indicates Samsung has secured an R&D contract to manufacture Neuralink's fourth-generation implant chip, with first test chips reportedly shipped and full production scheduled for 2027. Locking in a large-scale foundry partner signals preparation for higher-volume implantation, also seen through manufacturing moves in Austin, though not many details have been shared so far.

Neuralink recruited Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, a Washington health-lobbying firm, signaling a more active policy posture as the company moves toward higher-volume implantation. The move follows the December hire of David McMullen, who led the FDA's Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices, the unit that reviews neurological implants, as head of medical affairs. Neuralink is building formal regulatory and policy capacity alongside the clinical and manufacturing scale-up seen over the past year.

The Oman Investment Authority invested an undisclosed amount in Neuralink as part of a strategy to diversify into future medical technologies. The investment follows BCI capital deployment by Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. Sovereign capital from the Gulf is now present across multiple leading BCI companies. This is less a story about any single investment than about a regional strategy forming around the category.