Applications

How many people have a Neuralink N1? The registry, Reuters and trade press give different counts, from 15 planned to 28. A sourced comparison of what each figure measures, as of mid-2026.

Application — Intracortical

Neuralink PRIME study enrollment (2026)

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Neuralink · N1 · PRIME · enrollment · clinical trial · tracking · human

Device

Lab or organization

Neuralink PRIME study enrollment (2026)

One-line verdict: Every public count of Neuralink participants measures something different, and none of the sources read here agree.

Quick tags: Tracking · Intracortical · Human · Figures from January to July 2026

Overview

What it is: A comparison of published participant counts for Neuralink’s N1 implant. For the device itself, see the Neuralink N1 entry.

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov lists the US PRIME study, NCT06429735, as “PRIME: An Early Feasibility Study of a Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface for the Control of External Devices.” Lead sponsor is Neuralink Corp. Start date is 9 January 2024. Status is recruiting, verified January 2026. Estimated enrollment is 15. Primary completion is estimated for June 2026 and study completion for January 2031.

Reuters, 28 January 2026: Neuralink said it had 21 participants enrolled in trials worldwide, up from 12 that the company reported in September 2025. Reuters notes human trials began in 2024 after the FDA, which had rejected the application in 2022, was satisfied on safety concerns.

Trade press: These are secondary sources and are listed as reported.

  • Inside BCI, 10 April 2026: twenty people implanted worldwide, including seven at University College London Hospitals under GB-PRIME.
  • All Things Elon, 25 June 2026: a 26th implant recipient.
  • Inside BCI, 4 July 2026: a Canadian participant implanted on 20 May 2026 at Toronto Western Hospital, called the 26th person worldwide per MobiHealthNews.
  • Tesorb, 16 June 2026: 28 patients, attributed to a tracker called BCI Intel as of May 2026.

Why the numbers differ: The sources do not say. The registry figure is an estimated enrollment for the US study alone. Reuters says “enrolled in trials worldwide.” Inside BCI says “implanted.” The 20 reported in April is lower than the 21 reported by Reuters in January. This entry does not pick one figure.

Limits: No peer-reviewed participant count was found. The first participant implant date of January 2024 is given by Reuters (trials began in 2024) and by the registry start date, not by a clinical paper.

Spec Card Grid

Reported counts

  • Registry (US PRIME), estimated enrollment: 15
  • Reuters, 28 Jan 2026, enrolled worldwide: 21
  • Inside BCI, April 2026, implanted worldwide: 20
  • Inside BCI, July 2026 (citing MobiHealthNews): 26th person
  • Tesorb, June 2026 (citing BCI Intel): 28

Trials named in sources

  • PRIME (US): NCT06429735
  • GB-PRIME (UCLH): NCT07127172, per Inside BCI
  • UAE-PRIME (Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi): NCT06992596, per Inside BCI
  • CAN-PRIME (Toronto Western): named in Inside BCI

References