Hemispheric Eyes FDA Approval for AI Brain Diagnostics

Hemispheric, a startup co-founded by former Apple engineer Gidi Littwin and Hagai Lalazar, has raised $52 million to develop an AI model capable of diagnosing cognitive disorders through non-invasive brain scans. According to reporting from Wired, the company utilized a dataset of 250,000 hours of brain data from 100,000 paid volunteers across Boston, Tel Aviv, and Asia to train its deep-learning models.

The technology utilizes a lightweight EEG headset that records electrical activity for approximately 15 minutes while a patient interacts with a tablet app. Hemispheric claims the AI can decode these signals to help clinicians diagnose conditions, predict treatment efficacy, and monitor patient progress. While the company says the model has already made accurate deductions regarding individuals with depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD, it is currently conducting a clinical study to determine if the tool can predict and diagnose Alzheimer’s.

Littwin, who previously worked on Apple's FaceID and Vision Pro, noted that the company is developing proprietary brain scanners because traditional EEGs were not designed for deep learning. Hemispheric intends to submit its first product, focused on PTSD, for FDA approval early next year with a goal of a public rollout later in 2027.

Funding for the venture came from individual investors, including early Uber backer Howard Morgan, as well as Israeli and American venture capital firms. The company plans to use the capital to expand its U.S. workforce, pursue partnerships with pharmaceutical firms and governments, and collect data from millions more people to refine the model.