Coherence Neuro

Coherence’s co-founders, Ben Woodington and Elise Jenkins, met in 2018 while doing research in neuroengineering and neuro-oncology at the University of Cambridge. Both earned PhDs under Professor George Malliaras in Cambridge’s Bioelectronics Laboratory: Woodington’s research focused on flexible spinal cord and brain interfaces, after earlier work developing intelligent drug delivery systems at Philips and Vectura; Jenkins, an electrical engineer, studied the electrical characteristics of cancer, having previously designed sensors for Formula 1 cars and led technical teams at Siemens.⁠[1][2]

Coherence was founded in 2022, with Woodington as chief executive and Jenkins as chief technology officer. Blackbird was its first institutional investor; Nicole Marino, who had backed the company as an investor at Blackbird, later joined as director of finance and strategy.⁠[1]

In its own timeline, the company lists that in 2023 it developed its first implants to measure and modulate brain tumors in real time, identified its first neural biomarkers of cancer progression and aggressiveness, and ran a first safety study of SOMA-1; in 2024 it launched its first pipeline indication, in pancreatic cancer; and in 2025 it expanded to the United States, opening a San Francisco office and an in vivo facility.⁠[1]

On June 23, 2026 Coherence announced the start of its first human study at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, led by neurosurgeon Andrew Morokoff. The study uses the CIPHER System, a highly flexible, electrode-dense thin-film cortical probe designed both to record brain activity and to deliver electrical stimulation; it is first being investigated for neurophysiological mapping and stimulation during brain tumor resection, evaluating safety, basic performance and handling during short intraoperative use. The company said it had obtained Human Research Ethics (HREC) approval in under 15 months from project start and had implanted three patients.⁠[3]

Woodington said the transition to a clinical-stage company was only the beginning and that the team was on a mission to “transform the lives of people with cancer, starting with the brain.” Matthew MacDougallMatthew MacDougallMatthew MacDougall is an American neurosurgeon who has worked with Neuralink since 2017 as its head of neurosurgery, led the company’s first human brain–computer interface implant, and keeps a clinical practice in San Francisco.Open the full entry, head neurosurgeon at Neuralink, is an advisor and investor and, with fellow Neuralink neurosurgeon Rory Murphy, is slated to be involved in U.S. clinical trials planned over the following years. The company states that its devices are investigational and not approved by Australia’s TGA or the U.S. FDA.⁠[3]

In October 2026 Coherence announced a $45 million Series A co-led by Founders Fund and the OpenAI Startup Fund; new investors included Lux CapitalLux CapitalLux Capital is a U.S. venture capital firm founded in 2000 by Peter Hébert, Josh Wolfe and Robert Paull, with offices in New York and Silicon Valley. Focused on emerging science and technology, the firm backs companies in fields including life sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, manufacturing, aerospace and defense through fund investments and by helping to found companies.Open the full entry, 8VC, Timeless, Olive Capital and Ahren, angels included Matthew MacDougall, Rory Murphy, Romina Nejad, Chad Byers and Maor Shlomo, and existing backers Blackbird, Possible, Topology, Artesian, XEIA, Xtal and Divergent invested again.⁠[4][5]

The company said the money would fund its first chronic human trial in glioblastoma, an application for FDA breakthrough device designation and expansion of its preclinical pipeline into pancreatic cancer and beyond. In earlier mouse studies it implanted tiny recording devices alongside growing brain tumors and used the recordings to train a model that predicts a tumor’s growth trajectory from neural activity.⁠[4]

Coherence describes its work as combining neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, neurobiology, and AI and machine learning: building implantable electronics that sense and stimulate, studying the electrical communication between cancer and the nervous system, and using AI to decode electrical signals and personalize therapy for each patient. It works with partners at Cambridge, Monash and StanfordStanford UniversityStanford University is a research university in California founded by Leland and Jane Stanford in 1885 and opened in 1891.Open the full entry on what it calls electro-oncology.⁠[6][4]

The company’s flagship product, SOMA, is still in development for people with glioblastoma; it consists of a wireless, coin-sized brain implant, an over-ear wearable that provides all-day power and memory, and a phone app, and is designed to monitor disease continuously and deliver therapeutic stimulation, with clinicians planned to adjust therapy remotely. The company notes that electric field therapies already FDA-approved for cancers such as glioblastoma are static and do not record data.⁠[6][7][4]

As of November 2026 Coherence’s leadership included CEO Ben Woodington, CTO Elise Jenkins, Chief Science Officer Jason Miranda (who previously led translation at Galvani Bioelectronics, the Google–GlaxoSmithKline joint venture) and José Lepe, vice president of product engineering and manufacturing (formerly head of product development at Iota Biosciences); its clinical advisors included Matthew MacDougall, Andrew Morokoff, Rory Murphy and Ryan Mathew. The company has offices in San Francisco and Cambridge, United Kingdom.⁠[1][4]

Coherence Neuro: Official website: https://www.coherenceneuro.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[6]

X: Public account: https://x.com/coherenceneuro (opens in a new window).⁠[8]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coherenceneuro/ (opens in a new window).⁠[8]