One in three people will face a neurological condition in their lifetime, with over 70% of cognitive decline happening silently before diagnosis.
While traditional cognitive tests like Cambridge Brain Sciences or Lumosity capture single moments, Connectome Health, a Zurich neurotech startup, tracks brain activity repeatedly over time. The platform then builds personalised baselines that reveal subtle shifts early on from burnout, ADHD, or early dementia.
Today, Connectome Health has raised a $2 million pre-seed round, led by Redstone, with Concept Ventures, Octopus, and transatlantic angels joining the round. The financing also includes $120k non-dilutive public funding.
Linking brain activity to everyday life
Lucas Scherdel and Dr Rufus Mitchell-Heggs, both neuroscientists with personal experience of brain disorders, founded Connectome in 2024. Scherdel’s career spans WHO global health programs and consumer R&D; Mitchell-Heggs brings computational neuroscience from memory/social cognition research.
Their tech stems from Imperial College London’s LUCID study, proving that everyday behaviours leave unique, measurable signatures in brain blood flow, enabling real-world cognitive tracking beyond lab constraints.
Unlike Kernel or Muse (hardware-focused) or Cognixion (AR neurotech), Connectome’s edge is contextual interpretation, linking neural signals to sleep, activity, and behavioural load. The platform shows why cognition changes, making brain health actionable for consumers and researchers without replacing clinical care by linking neural data to daily context (sleep, activity, behavioural load).
The funding fuels product rollout with select partners and R&D to expand beyond lifestyle/wearables into broader diagnostics.
“Cognitive capacity underpins how we think, work, relate, and age, yet it remains poorly understood. Evidence shows cognitive health is quietly deteriorating at scale, with rising burnout, brain fog, and attention and memory issues, especially among younger generations. Understanding the brain is no longer a niche concern – it is essential to human wellbeing and societal resilience,” says Scherdel.