NextSense

What it is

NextSense is a Mountain View neurotechnology company founded by Jonathan Berent, who came out of Google and X. Its Smartbuds put EEG sensors in earbuds to read brainwaves directly, then go past tracking with closed-loop acoustic stimulation: timed sounds during deep sleep that strengthen slow waves. NextSense raised a $16M Series A in 2025, led by Ascension Ventures.

Who it's for

Founders and high performers who want deeper, more restorative sleep without obsessing over sleep scores, and anyone curious about consumer brain-computer interfaces.

Why it's better

• •Reads brainwaves directly with EEG instead of using the heart as a proxy, like rings and watches do.
• •Goes past tracking: plays sound timed to your brainwaves during deep sleep to strengthen slow waves.
• •Targets the slow waves research links to memory consolidation, so six hours can feel like seven.
• •Built around changing sleep rather than grading it, to avoid orthosomnia, the anxious fixation on sleep data.
• •Comes from a founder with Google and X experience who has spent a decade studying sleep and the brain.