Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This Startup Fused Human Brain Cells with Silicon Chips | E2295
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel deel.com/twist
Quo quo.com/TWiST
LinkedIn Jobs LinkedIn.com/twist
Today’s show:
Cortical Labs is the world’s first company selling biological computers. Their CL1 fuses lab-grown human neurons (derived from stem cells, not actual folks) with silicon hardware to create Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI).
Founder Dr. Hon Weng Chong walks us through how the system works and why neurons are more efficient than GPUs at reinforcement learning. (Also… is this computer alive?)
PLUS Pyka co-founder and CEO Michael Norcia explains the various uses for his autonomous aircraft, from crop-spraying drones in Brazil to a hybrid-electric defense UAV for the military.
Guests:
Cortical Labs: corticallabs.com
Dr. Hon Weng Chong on X: https://x.com/dr1337
Pyka: flypyka.com
Pyka on Instagram: instagram.com/flypyka/?hl=en
Further Reading:
2022 Pong paper in Neuron: cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(22)00806-6
2017 Paper: “Attention is All You Need”; arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762
The “Barista Test” for Artificial Intelligence: Chris Rourk: medium.com/predict/the-turing-test-is-so-last-century-the-barista-test-for-artificial-general-intelligence-faf91034fa8c
Notable Links:
Playing “DOOM” on CL1: youtube.com/watch?v=yRV8fSw6HaE
DayOne Data Center: dayonedc.com
NeurIPS 2026 Conference: neurips.cc
Neuralink: neuralink.com
CliniCloud Digital Stethoscope and Thermometer: https://www.design-industry.com.au/clinicloud
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFWERX): afwerx.com
Joby Aviation: jobyaviation.com
Prime Movers Lab: primemoverslab.com
Timestamps:
0:00 What is "biological computing"?
2:12 Cortical's new $30 million raise
3:38 The world's first biological data center
9:11 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit deel.com/twist to learn more.
10:14 Biological computers have a learning advantage
19:06 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) - Quo gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at quo.com/TWiST
28:38 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at LinkedIn.com/twist
38:09 From paper airplanes to Group 4 UAVs
51:43 Introducing the DropShip defense drone
57:51 How regulations block US drones
1:00:03 Why Pyka builds everything in-house
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
X: twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Check out all our partner offers: partners.launch.co
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: twistartups.substack.com
This Startup Fused Human Brain Cells with Silicon Chips | E2295
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel deel.com/twist
Quo quo.com/TWiST
LinkedIn Jobs LinkedIn.com/twist
Today’s show:
Cortical Labs is the world’s first company selling biological computers. Their CL1 fuses lab-grown human neurons (derived from stem cells, not actual folks) with silicon hardware to create Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI).
Founder Dr. Hon Weng Chong walks us through how the system works and why neurons are more efficient than GPUs at reinforcement learning. (Also… is this computer alive?)
PLUS Pyka co-founder and CEO Michael Norcia explains the various uses for his autonomous aircraft, from crop-spraying drones in Brazil to a hybrid-electric defense UAV for the military.
Guests:
Cortical Labs: corticallabs.com
Dr. Hon Weng Chong on X: https://x.com/dr1337
Pyka: flypyka.com
Pyka on Instagram: instagram.com/flypyka/?hl=en
Further Reading:
2022 Pong paper in Neuron: cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(22)00806-6
2017 Paper: “Attention is All You Need”; arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762
The “Barista Test” for Artificial Intelligence: Chris Rourk: medium.com/predict/the-turing-test-is-so-last-century-the-barista-test-for-artificial-general-intelligence-faf91034fa8c
Notable Links:
Playing “DOOM” on CL1: youtube.com/watch?v=yRV8fSw6HaE
DayOne Data Center: dayonedc.com
NeurIPS 2026 Conference: neurips.cc
Neuralink: neuralink.com
CliniCloud Digital Stethoscope and Thermometer: https://www.design-industry.com.au/clinicloud
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFWERX): afwerx.com
Joby Aviation: jobyaviation.com
Prime Movers Lab: primemoverslab.com
Timestamps:
0:00 What is "biological computing"?
2:12 Cortical's new $30 million raise
3:38 The world's first biological data center
9:11 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit deel.com/twist to learn more.
10:14 Biological computers have a learning advantage
19:06 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) - Quo gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at quo.com/TWiST
28:38 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at LinkedIn.com/twist
38:09 From paper airplanes to Group 4 UAVs
51:43 Introducing the DropShip defense drone
57:51 How regulations block US drones
1:00:03 Why Pyka builds everything in-house
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
X: twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Check out all our partner offers: partners.launch.co
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: twistartups.substack.com
