Ncerebro

N.CER Co., Ltd. (주식회사 엔서), operating online as Ncerebro, is a South Korean medical device company that positions itself as a full-stack developer covering hardware, artificial intelligence models and medical device regulatory approval. Its stated focus is early diagnosis of dementia and related treatment solutions, alongside intraoperative physiological monitoring.

The product line consists of three items. N1 is a cerebral regional oximeter based on near-infrared spectroscopy that non-invasively and transcutaneously measures regional hemoglobin oxygen saturation (rSO2) in tissue, including cerebral tissue, in real time; it comprises a handheld main module, a thin, flexible disposable skin probe (model P01) that captures left and right channel signals simultaneously, and an application screen with single-channel, dual-channel and event views. Published specifications list an rSO2 display range of 40-80% with accuracy within 5%, a 10 Hz sampling frequency, IEC 60601-1 Class I BF-applied-part IPX2 classification, operating conditions of 5-35°C and 20-75% non-condensing humidity, and item identification number 7181. The device is certified by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, is indicated only for patients weighing at least 40 kg, must be used by qualified users, is not to be the sole basis for diagnosis or therapy, and is not available for sale in the United States. Alz Sniff is a screening solution for mild cognitive impairment intended to identify patients quickly and simply. Brain spa is a brain wellness device that combines near-infrared light and sound stimulation to support sleep improvement and stress relief.

The company describes in-house hardware and software development for bio-signal measurement, algorithm and data design, and an AI model for time-series classification that sorts near-infrared signals evoked by olfactory function according to dementia stage. Its website lists research collaborations with Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Gachon University Gil Hospital, as well as with GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology), the Gwangju dementia (GARD) cohort research center and Kolab.

Founding story

The company traces its origin to September 2019, when Ncerebro was founded, followed by incorporation of N.CER Co., Ltd. in November 2019. In the same period it won a startup competition among Korea's five science and technology specialized universities and the Welcome TIPS Jeonnam regional contest, and was selected for the second cohort of IBK Changgong Busan in December 2019.

Business model

N.CER develops and manufactures medical and wellness devices under its own brand and also offers OEM services, per the navigation of its corporate site. It holds Korean medical device manufacturing licenses and KGMP certification, and sells regulated products (N1/P01) into clinical settings while distributing the Brain spa consumer wellness device, including into overseas markets.

Product sales of medical and wellness devices, with an OEM offering listed alongside its own product lines; the site reports approximately KRW 200 million in sales as of December 2024.

Traction

Milestones listed by the company include seed funding in January 2020 and TIPS 2020 selection; venture company certification and establishment of an in-house research institute in March 2020; selection as a participating company in Asan Medical Center's research-driven hospital program for nine years (May 2020); MFDS registration of the P01 rSO2/dementia diagnostic probe and a medical device manufacturing license in January 2021; a Series A round in 2021; KGMP certification in April 2022 and MFDS approval of N1 in July 2022; Post-TIPS selection in 2023 and publication of two SCI papers on its AI algorithms in July 2023; Brain spa launch in 2024 with entry into overseas markets and roughly KRW 200 million in sales by December 2024; and in 2025, selection for a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy bio R&D project, the Startup Leap Package, a Korea University Guro Hospital open-lab operation project, N1E manufacturing certification, and Brain spa sell-outs in the United States and Japan.

Latest developments

In 2025 the company reported selection for a new bio-sector R&D project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (April), the Startup Leap Package program (May), an open-lab operation project at Guro Hospital (June), completion of N1E manufacturing certification (August) and sell-out of Brain spa batches in the United States and Japan (August). Its website also shows an in-progress product page for an N1E version.