In this episode of the Neural Implant Podcast, JB, founder and CEO of NextSense, discusses how his team is transforming ordinary-looking earbuds into wearable brain interfaces capable of recording EEG directly from the ear. Originally incubated inside Google X before spinning out as an independent company, NextSense combines consumer electronics with neuroscience to monitor sleep, enhance slow-wave activity through closed-loop audio stimulation, and explore future applications ranging from epilepsy forecasting to Alzheimer's disease monitoring. We also discuss the engineering challenges of ear EEG, wearable neuromodulation, vagus nerve stimulation, and what it takes to bring a neurotechnology product from the lab into consumers' hands.
Top 5 Takeaways 1. Ear EEG makes continuous brain monitoring practical
Rather than using traditional scalp electrodes, NextSense records EEG directly from the ear canal. While ear EEG doesn't provide the spatial resolution of clinical EEG systems, it offers a comfortable, easy-to-use solution for long-term brain monitoring that users can wear every night like standard wireless earbuds.
2. Closed-loop audio stimulation can enhance deep sleep
The earbuds detect when users enter deep sleep and deliver precisely timed bursts of pink noise synchronized to slow-wave oscillations. Clinical studies showed roughly a 10–15% improvement in next-day declarative memory, with some users experiencing over 20% increases in slow-wave activity, demonstrating the potential of closed-loop neuromodulation during sleep.
3. NextSense evolved from a Google X moonshot
The technology began inside Google X as a project exploring sleep enhancement before spinning out during Google's restructuring efforts in 2020. Building the company required licensing additional IP from UC San Diego before Google agreed to transfer its own intellectual property, creating one of Google's early external spin-outs.
4. Earbuds could become medical devices—not just consumer electronics
Beyond sleep tracking, NextSense is developing applications for epilepsy seizure forecasting, Alzheimer's disease monitoring, and future FDA-cleared neurological diagnostics. The long-term vision is to make medical-grade brain monitoring available through everyday consumer earbuds.
5. The future combines brain sensing with vagus nerve stimulation
Following the acquisition of Nēsos' transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) technology, NextSense plans to integrate electrical vagus nerve stimulation, EEG, heart rate variability, temperature sensing, and AI-powered analytics into a single wearable platform designed to both monitor and improve brain health.
Timestamps
0:18 Introduce yourself and NextSense
2:00 How did NextSense spin out of Google X?
6:10 Why leave Google and start an independent company?
8:05 How does EEG from the ear actually work?
11:05 Why focus on improving sleep?
13:55 How does the closed-loop sleep stimulation work?
16:25 Do you understand the mechanism behind the sleep improvements?
21:20 Tell us about the hardware.
25:00 How good is the EEG signal from earbuds?
29:45 What other neurological applications are you pursuing?
33:15 Where do you see this technology going next?
37:30 How is NextSense different from other wearable neurotechnology companies?
43:15 Where can listeners learn more?
