Synchron Stock, Valuation, and IPO Potential

Explore potential ways to buy Synchron stock — the brain-computer interface company — before the IPO. Get access to select pre-IPO startups like OpenAI, Databricks, Canva, and Anduril via the Fundrise Innovation Fund.

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Recent Synchron News

11/02/2024: A Better Brain Chip than Musk’s?
07/16/2024: Brain implant patient says OpenAI’s tech helps him
07/11/2024: Brain Startup Synchron Partners with OpenAI
05/09/2024: Synchron Aims to Expand to Treat Parkinson’s
Older news…

About Synchron

Synchron is a brain-computer interface (BCI) company working on the Stentrode brain implant that may eventually treat neurological disabilities (paralysis) and diseases like ALS.

Other potential brain and spine disabilities that could be in scope include blindness, deafness, memory loss, stroke, and more. 

Our mission is to create an endovascular implant that can transfer information from every corner of the brain at scale.

The Stentrode is a device that is implanted through the jugular vein in the neck and into the brain. It uses the blood vessels as a “natural highway” into the brain. 

Signals collected from the device are connected to a transmitter located on the upper chest which can communicate with an external computer. 

Implanting the device is less surgically intrusive than open-brain surgery techniques used by Neuralink and other BCI startups. 

The FDA has granted a Breakthrough Device designation to Synchron, and its COMMAND trial is the first investigational device exemption (IDE) awarded by the FDA for a permanent BCI device. 

The COMMAND trial is an early feasibility study (EFS) designed to assess the safety and explore the efficacy of the Synchron brain implant technology. 

Here’s a video showing how the device is inserted into the brain. 

Synchron was founded by University of Melbourne Associate Professors Thomas Oxley and Nicholas Opie in 2012. It has received early funding grants from the University of Melbourne, the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The company has offices in Melbourne, Australia, Silicon Valley, California, and Brooklyn, NY. 

Ownership

Synchron is a venture-backed startup. Equity ownership includes the founders, employees, venture capital firms, and educational and government organizations. 

The company has raised $145 million in venture capital funding and grants. The latest funding round was a Series C which raised $75 million and was completed in December 2022. 

Reuters reported in August 2022 that Neuralink’s Elon Musk reached out to Synchron CEO Thomas Oxley about a potential investment. The outcome of that overture is unclear. 

Prominent venture capital investors include ARCH Venture Partners, Alumni Ventures, Arani Bose, Bezos Expeditions, DARPA, Forepont Capital Partners, Gates Frontier, General Advance, Greenoaks, ID8 Investments, Khosla Ventures, Max Hodak, Project X, Shanda Group, Subversive Capital, Thomas Reardon, University of Melbourne, and re.Mind Capital. 

Funding Rounds

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Valuation

The press release during the $75 million Series C funding round in December 2022 did not disclose an internal Synchron valuation.

However, sources indicate the Synchron valuation is $385 million based on the Series C. Synchron is not a unicorn startup.

Pre-IPO marketplaces have limited data to estimate a more current valuation.

IPO Potential

The Synchron IPO date is currently unknown and likely years away. 

The company does not have a viable product in today’s marketplace. It will require many years of clinical trials before being a potential candidate for an IPO. 

Synchron will need to prove safety and efficacy before receiving FDA approval. Upon approval, Synchron can commercialize its product. But the road to becoming a revenue-generating company could last a decade or more, let alone becoming publicly traded. 

If the company eventually decides to pursue a public listing, watch for reporting about exploring a possible IPO with investment banks or a confidential S-1 filing with the SEC.

Bookmark this page for the latest developments.

How to Buy Synchron Stock

Since Synchron is a private company with a sub $1 billion valuation, it is challenging to become an equity owner today.

I have not seen any pre-IPO availability to date. But the December 2022 funding round is encouraging that the company will eventually have a viable commercial product.

It will need to raise additional capital to bring the product to market, which should increase the availability of shares. 

Retail investors cannot own Synchron stock today, but we can position ourselves to have a better opportunity to own the stock in the future.

1. Access Synchron stock via pre-IPO investing platforms

The author has not seen evidence of Synchron stock being available on pre-IPO platforms. However, retail investors can open an account with one or more leading pre-IPO investing platforms and monitor availability. 

Some of the most active platforms for mid-to-late-stage startups include Hiive, Equitybee, EquityZen, Forge Global, and Linqto.

Direct pre-IPO investors must be meet the SEC accreditation requirements. Minimum investments range from $5,000 to $50,000 or more for these different platforms.

Non-accredited retail investors can own pre-IPO companies by owning the Fundrise Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund.

However, investors cannot select individual pre-IPO companies, and Synchron stock is currently not present in either portfolio.

Please note: This is a testimonial in partnership with Fundrise. We earn a commission from partner links on AccessIPOs.com. All opinions are my own.

Check out our list of top pre-IPO investing platforms for current share availability across platforms. 

2. Participate in the Synchron IPO through a broker

The Synchron IPO is likely many years away.

Therefore, you’ll need to exercise patience and realistic expectations to become an owner via the IPO, which may never happen. 

IPO investors may find opportunities to invest during the IPO when it arrives — acquiring shares at the IPO price the day before the stock begins trading on the open market. 

Once a privilege of the affluent clientele of Wall Street, IPO access has become increasingly accessible to retail investors.

The following online brokers give customers free access to IPOs, even with low account balances:

• TradeStation 
• Robinhood

TradeStation has a longer track record of accessing more than 360 IPOs and secondary offerings via its partnership with Click Markets.

But Robinhood has the advantage of Silicon Valley networks and a history of getting allocations for high-profile IPOs.

Read the S-1 filings to find mentions of these online brokers to find opportunities. 

Check out this list of best brokers for IPO investing to learn more about IPO access for retail investors.

3. Buy the stock after the IPO

Most investors will not acquire pre-IPO shares or receive an allocation during the IPO. 

Waiting for stocks to become publicly traded before investing in them has its advantages. The IPO provides investors with access to several sets of financials after a few quarters of reporting, whereas pre-IPO investing has limited financials available for review.

IPO stock prices typically rise with high-demand companies. You can benefit if you’re in early and sell when the price overheats.

But without IPO access, post-IPO investors may be tempted to acquire shares at inflated prices. 

In 2021, for example, both Rivian and Robinhood became high-flying IPO stocks. But six months after the IPO, both stocks were more than 80% below their price peak. 

Stock price declines after IPOs can be excellent entry points.

Avoid purchasing overvalued shares immediately after the IPO, as they tend to experience a decline in value following lockup expirations and quarterly earnings disappointments.

In contrast, the most disruptive companies are likely to experience higher valuations a decade from now. Be selective and patient. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Synchron Publicly Traded?

No. Synchron is not publicly traded. 

What is the Synchron Stock Price?

A public Synchron stock price does not exist because the company is private. 

The December 2022 Series C funding round completed at $27.90 per share. 

What is the Synchron Stock Symbol?

There is no Synchron stock symbol yet because it is a private company.

Here are a few Synchron ticker suggestions that appear to be available in the U.S.: 

• SYNC
• SBCI
• SYCR
• SYCN

Where is the Synchron S-1 Filing?

Synchron has yet to release an S-1 filing to the public. There is no evidence of a confidential S-1 filing yet, and it is unlikely the company will pursue an IPO until it generates revenue. Revenue may be up to a decade away or may never commence. 

Sometimes unprofitable medical technology companies go public to raise additional capital through an IPO. However, Synchron has the necessary venture capital connections to wait until there is revenue before pursuing an IPO. 

News of a confidential or public S-1 filing would kick off the IPO process, suggesting the IPO could occur during the following two to six months. 

When the company releases the S-1 filing to investors, we’ll link to and embed the document on this web page.

In the meantime, you can check out the most recent S-1 filings in our S-1 filings feed. 

Synchron News Archive

02/01/2024: Synchron Acquires Equity Stake in ACQUANDAS
11/08/2023: The rise of brain-reading technology
09/22/2023: Synchron’s plan to beat Neuralink
03/20/2023: Synchron to Begin Enrollment for the COMMAND Trial
03/03/2023: The race to beat Elon to put chips in people’s brains
01/09/2023: Publication of BCI Clinical Trial in JAMA Neurology
12/15/2022: Bezos and Gates Back Synchron
12/15/2022: Synchron Raises $75M Series C
09/22/2022: Crossing the brain’s electrical frontier
06/08/2021: Synchron secures $52 million
04/04/2017: Synchron Secures $10 Million in Series A Round
02/06/2016: Minimally Invasive “Stentrode” Shows Potential

Conclusion

Investors become interested in buying companies riding extraordinary macroeconomic trends (BCI), especially when high-profile people are involved (e.g., Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos).

But this technology is still in its infancy. Much progress is needed before these products reach patients, and government approval, insurance coverage, and all the complications familiar to the medical device industry still lie ahead. 

Pre-IPO investing platforms have opened more opportunities for retail investors. But venture capital investing is still mostly reserved for accredited investors. 

Investors will face difficulties in obtaining pre-IPO shares before another significant funding round. 

Temper your expectations if you’re inclined to pursue pre-IPO equity in Synchron. You’ll likely need to wait for several years if you’ll ever get to own it.

Competition is increasing in the BCI neurology space — the leaders today may not be the winners tomorrow. 

Good luck if you wish to buy Synchron stock before the IPO. Invest in pre-IPO and IPO companies at your own risk.