Kernel Funding, Investors & Competitors

Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded in 2016 by Elon Musk and a group of scientists and engineers, focused on developing implantable brain–computer interface (BCI) devices. Its primary product, the N1 chip, is surgically implanted into the skull by a precision robotic system called R1, enabling direct communication between the human brain and external computers or devices. The company's stated mission is to address neurological conditions such as paralysis, blindness, and severe motor impairments, allowing patients to control digital devices using thought alone. In January 2024, Neuralink implanted its first BCI device in a human patient, with the individual subsequently demonstrating the ability to control a computer cursor through neural signals. Headquartered in Fremont, California, the company operates at the intersection of neuroscience, robotics, and semiconductor engineering, and has attracted significant attention for its long-term ambitions around human-AI symbiosis.

CMR Surgical is a Cambridge, United Kingdom-headquartered medical device company manufacturing the Versius robotic surgical system for minimally invasive procedures. Versius features modular arms, 3D HD vision, and haptic feedback, enabling surgeries in gynecology, urology, and general surgery. Deployed in over 40 countries with 250+ installations since 2019 FDA clearance, it integrates into hospital operating rooms for enhanced surgeon control.

Science is a clinical-stage medical technology company developing brain-computer interfaces for vision restoration, cognitive enhancement, and motor control. San Francisco-headquartered, it offers Axon neural probes, SciFi headstages, and Synapse protocols alongside implantable devices like PRIMA photovoltaic arrays for retinal diseases. The platform integrates neural recording, optogenetics, and software for modular neuroengineering applications.

Ubtech Robotics Corp Ltd is engaged in design, production, commercialization, sales and marketing and research and development (R&D) of smart service robotic products and services. It offers consumer-level robots and appliances, enterprise-level smart service robotic products and services tailored for education, logistics and other sectors, are equipped to different extent with smart features that sense, interact, analyze and process human instructions and external environment such as mapping, temperature measurement and facial recognition.

Stryker designs, manufactures, and markets an array of medical equipment, instruments, consumable supplies, and implantable devices. The product portfolio includes hip and knee replacements, extremities, endoscopy systems, operating room equipment, embolic coils, hospital beds and gurneys, and orthopedic robotics. Stryker remains one of the three largest competitors in reconstructive orthopedic implants and holds the leadership position in operating room equipment. Roughly one-fourth of Stryker's total revenue currently comes from outside the United States.

Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most diverse healthcare firm. It has two divisions: innovative medicine and medtech. These now represent all of the company's sales following the divestment of the consumer business, Kenvue, in 2023. After restructurings in 2023-24, the drug division focuses on three main therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, and neurology. Geographically, just over half of total revenue is generated in the United States.

Roche is a Swiss biopharmaceutical and diagnostic company. The firm's bestselling pharmaceutical products include a variety of oncology therapies from acquired partner Genentech, and its diagnostics group was bolstered by the acquisition of Ventana in 2008. Oncology products account for 50% of pharmaceutical sales, and centralized and point-of-care diagnostics for more than half of diagnostic-related sales.

Thermo Fisher Scientific sells scientific instruments and laboratory equipment, diagnostics consumables, and life science reagents. The firm operates through four segments as of year-end 2024 (revenue figures include some cross-segment revenue): analytical technologies (17% of sales); specialty diagnostic products (11%); life science solutions (23%); and lab products and services, which includes CRO services (the remainder).

In 1984, Danaher's founders transformed a real estate organization into an industrial-focused manufacturing company. Then, through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, Danaher now focuses primarily on manufacturing scientific instruments and consumables in the life sciences and diagnostic industries after the late 2023 divestiture of its environmental and applied solutions group, Veralto.

Originally spun out of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved into a leading life science and diagnostic firm. Today, Agilent's measurement technologies serve a broad base of customers with its three operating segments: life science and diagnostics, cross lab operations consisting of consumables and services, and applied end markets. Over half of its sales are generated from the biopharmaceutical, chemical, and advanced materials end markets, which we view as the stickiest end markets, but it also supports clinical lab, environmental, forensics, food, academic, and government-related organizations. The company is geographically diverse, with operations in the US and China representing the largest country concentrations.

Water sells liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis tools. These analytical instruments provide essential information on various products, such as their molecular structures and physical properties, to help clients enhance the health and well-being of end users. As a percentage of sales in 2024, Waters generated 58% from biopharmaceutical customers, 31% from industrial clients, and 11% from academic/government institutions. In early 2026, Waters plans to merge with BD's life science and diagnostics business, which will substantially change those concentrations. Waters will wind up with more concentration in diagnostics (versus none now) and discovery-related life science tools.

Idexx Laboratories primarily develops, manufactures, and distributes diagnostic products, equipment, and services for pets and livestock. Its key product lines include single-use canine and feline test kits that veterinarians can employ in the office, benchtop chemistry and hematology analyzers for test-panel analysis on-site, reference lab services, and tests to detect and manage disease in livestock. The firm also offers vet practice management software and consulting services to animal hospitals. Idexx derives roughly 35% of its revenue from outside the United States.

Figure is a robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid robots for industrial applications in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and retail. Sunnyvale-based and founded in 2022, it deploys the Figure 01 model equipped with AI-driven vision, manipulation, and mobility capabilities powered by OpenAI's large language models for natural interaction and task learning. The robots handle repetitive and hazardous tasks autonomously, integrating with existing warehouse management systems from partners like BMW for automotive production lines. Figure operates pilot programs in BMW's South Carolina facility to validate scalability across labor-intensive sectors.

Illumina provides tools and services to analyze genetic material with life science and clinical lab applications. The company generates over 90% of its revenue from sequencing instruments, consumables, and services. Illumina’s high-throughput technology enables whole genome sequencing in humans and other large organisms. Its lower throughput tools enable applications that require smaller data outputs, such as viral and cancer tumor screening. Illumina also sells microarrays (9% of 2024 sales) that enable lower-cost, focused genetic screening with primarily consumer and agricultural applications.

Mettler-Toledo supplies weighing and precision instruments to customers in the life sciences (around 55% of sales), industrial (around 40%), and food retail (around 5%) industries. Its products include laboratory and retail scales, pipettes, pH meters, thermal analysis equipment, titrators, metal detectors, and X-ray analyzers. Mettler leads the market for weighing instrumentation and controls more than 50% of the market for lab balances. The business is geographically diversified, with the Americas accounting for about 37% of sales, Europe about 27%, China about 16% and the rest of the world about 20%.

Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading provider of bioprocessing solutions. Its sells equipment and consumables for fermentation, filtration, fluid management, purification, and cell culture media for manufacturing biologic drugs and has a focus on single-use technology. It is a subsidiary of Sartorius AG, which has 71.5% ownership and 83% voting control. The business is geographically diverse, with 35% of sales from the Americas, 42% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, 15% from Asia excluding China, and 8% from China.

Skild AI is a San Francisco-headquartered startup building foundation models for robotics that enable spatial intelligence and adaptive manipulation in unstructured environments. The company trains multimodal AI on real-world data from humanoid robots to handle tasks like grasping and navigation without task-specific programming. Skild AI raised funding from investors including Benchmark and focuses on warehouse automation and manufacturing applications.

Shield AI is a San Diego-headquartered defense technology company that develops autonomous systems including V-BAT vertical takeoff aircraft, X-BAT unmanned systems, Hivemind Enterprise autonomy software, and Hivemind Vision sensors. Founded in 2015, Shield AI maintains nine offices across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, supporting military operations with AI-driven drones and swarm intelligence.