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MindPortal
DefunctYC W21London, GB · Founded 2019 · 10 employees · 12 known investors
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An AI research organization that develops interface innovations and neural technologies, focusing on human-AI interaction breakthroughs including neural signal processing and thought decoding methods.
Also known as Aura-Labs Inc. · Aura-labs · Mind Portal
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W21)
MindPortal was founded in 2019 by Ekram Alam and Jack Baber.
Investors · 12
How we know: the Y Combinator directory · prnewswire.com · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
How we know: the company's own site · funding news · prnewswire.com · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Black Mountain Ventues's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
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How we know: Scrum Ventures's portfolio page · prnewswire.com · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us
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How we know: prnewswire.com · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us
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Also in the syndicate · 1
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$5M disclosed across 1 round · 2021
- $5Mseed roundMay 2021 · 3 sources
Learn Capital (lead), 7pc, Kleiner Perkins, Scrum Ventures, Y Combinator
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026MindPortal is a research-stage company working on thought-based interfaces for human-AI communication. It positions non-invasive neural decoding as an alternative to keyboards, screens and voice, and has developed three research models: MindSpeech, described as a non-invasive free-form thought-to-text decoder that requires no templates or memorisation and generalises to new users across hundreds of topics; MindGPT, a thought-based interface to a large language model that integrates directly with ChatGPT and lets a user transmit pre-memorised full sentences by thought alone; and MindClick, a thought-based selection mechanism for graphical user interfaces that works with computer screens as well as VR/AR hardware.
The company frames its target applications as AR glasses and virtual environments that respond to thought, silent hands-free control of AI assistants, private communication without an intermediary, and accessibility for people with disabilities and illness. It characterises its technologies as functioning research models that are ready to be scaled rather than commercial products, and states it reached this stage with less than $6M of capital and a team that never exceeded ten people. Company materials cite academic endorsements from Maysam Chamanzar (formerly lead scientist of the DARPA N3 neural interface program, Carnegie Mellon University), Gabriele Gratton (University of Illinois) and Hamid Dehghani (University of Birmingham), and note coverage in Forbes, The Times, The Telegraph and Business Insider.
Traction
MindPortal reports three functioning research models (MindSpeech, MindGPT, MindClick), including what it describes as the first telepathic human-AI exchange in 2024 in London via ChatGPT, achieved with less than $6M raised and a team of no more than ten people. Validation cited includes quotes from three academic researchers in neural interfaces and biomedical optics and press coverage in Forbes, The Times, The Telegraph and Business Insider.
Latest developments
The company's most recent stated milestones are the three research models and the 2024 thought-based exchange with ChatGPT, with the models described as ready to scale to millions of users given additional resources.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
The company describes itself as the first telepathic AI company and claims world-first results in three forms of thought-based communication. It situates its work against a stated $500B+ opportunity in interfaces, arguing that hardware and platform companies such as Apple (Vision Pro hands-free control), Meta (silent input for AR glasses), OpenAI (multimodal interaction) and Google (ambient computing) require the thought-based input layer it has prototyped.
Technology
MindPortal's stated approach is non-invasive neural signal decoding paired with AI models. MindSpeech decodes continuous, free-form imagined speech into text without relying on templates or memorised phrases and is said to generalise across users and topics; MindGPT converts thought into input for a large language model through direct integration with ChatGPT, using pre-memorised full sentences; MindClick maps thought to selection actions on graphical interfaces with what the company describes as rapid response times, compatible with both screens and VR/AR headsets. All three are presented as research models rather than deployed products.
Go-to-market
Company materials point to consumer and platform use cases — AR/VR and ambient computing users needing silent, hands-free interaction, users of AI assistants, and accessibility users with disabilities or illness — with technology positioned for adoption by large technology platforms.
Geography
Company materials reference an engineer in London in connection with its 2024 MindGPT demonstration.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 7
Companies working in the same space as MindPortal.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsMindSpeech is presented as a non-invasive decoder of free-form imagined speech into text, without templates or memorisation, that generalises to new users and works across hundreds of topics. Academic commentators including Maysam Chamanzar, Gabriele Gratton and Hamid Dehghani are quoted on the launch and results.
The company states that in 2024 an engineer in London imagined a question that was answered by ChatGPT, which it describes as the first instance of a human communicating telepathically with an AI. The capability is delivered by MindGPT, a thought-based interface integrated with ChatGPT that transmits pre-memorised full sentences.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 2
corporate structureCompanies House · registry record
View on Companies House ↗- Registered name
- MINDPORTAL LTD
- Company number
- 11868899
- Status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 8 Mar 2019
- Registered office
- 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
- Nature of business (SIC)
- 62090 — Other information technology service activities
- Previous names
- AURA-LABS LTD (2019–2021)MACHEVO LTD (2019–2019)
- Accounts
- last made up to 31 Dec 2025 · next due 31 Mar 2027
- Confirmation statement
- last made up to 28 Feb 2026 · next due 14 Mar 2027
Current officers · 2
- Ekram Alam — director, appointed 8 Mar 2019
- Jack Baber — director, appointed 8 Mar 2019
Source: Companies House public register · retrieved 24 Jul 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the news
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- MindPortalmindportal.com · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does MindPortal do?
- MindPortal builds non-invasive AI models that decode thought for hands-free communication with computers and LLMs.
- Who founded MindPortal?
- MindPortal was founded by Ekram Alam, Jack Baber in 2019.
- Who are MindPortal's investors?
- MindPortal's investors include Y Combinator, Learn Capital, Black Mountain Ventues, Flucas Ventures, Scrum Ventures, Asymmetry Ventures, Black Mountain Investment Group, Helium-3 Ventures and 3 more.
- How much funding has MindPortal raised?
- MindPortal has disclosed $5M raised across 1 round.
- Where is MindPortal headquartered?
- MindPortal is headquartered in London, GB.