Startups

Kernel Neurotech

Culver City, California, United States

Private neurotechnology company founded by Bryan Johnson, developing noninvasive optical brain measurement, Flow and BrainAge/Cognition Trackers. Distinct from eatkernel.com and crypto KernelDAO. Ryan Field departed August 28, 2026; successor CEO is unverified.

Founded 2016

Team

Bryan JohnsonFounder

Investments

$53M2020-07-09

General Catalyst, Vinod Khosla, Quentin Clark, Bryan Johnson, Khosla Ventures, Eldridge, Accel, Y Combinator, Cintrifuse, Manta Ray Ventures, Tiny Blue Dot

team@apexlogos.ai3 hours ago
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team@apexlogos.ai3 hours ago
BCI research snapshot, reviewed 2026-10-06. Company identity: KernelNeurotech. This is the pre-import evidence dossier; historical statements about database absence or review are archival. Unverified claims remain research leads, not validated facts. Part 1/1 # Kernel (neurotechnology) Accessed: 2026-10-06. Research report for human review; no database changes made. Direct image URLs are extracted source assets, not invented filenames. Funding ledger is verified events found, not a complete lifetime total. ## Identity and pasted claims Private neurotechnology company operating at [kernel.com](https://www.kernel.com/), founded by Bryan Johnson in 2016. The official [about page](https://www.kernel.com/about) confirms noninvasive brain measurement; exact legal registered name needs registry confirmation. Current company-authored [LinkedIn profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kernel) gives Culver City, Los Angeles, California90232 headquarters; legal address remains unverified. Pasted Los Angeles passes at city/region level. Paste “Bryan Johnson CEO” is stale. The [2025 official newsletter](https://www.kernel.com/newsletter/2025fall.html) names Ryan Field CEO; Ryan's [self-authored departure announcement](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ryanmfield_ive-decided-to-leave-kernel-this-was-a-activity-7499143626552299520-oAV0) has JSON-LD datePublished 2026-08-28T16:39:27.881Z. He is therefore former CEO/CTO as of that date. Bryan's personal site still says founder/CEO, creating a stale-source conflict. **Current successor CEO unverified; do not import either man as current CEO.** Flow is a real optical brain-measurement platform. Current company-authored [LinkedIn profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kernel) describes BrainAge and Cognition Trackers; these are real company-described offerings, although the exact pasted shorthand “Kernel Trackers” should be replaced by the names actually used. Active operating website is verified; this does not establish every historical product remains marketed. Pasted $161M lifetime funding is unverified. ## Images and leadership Company logo: https://www.kernel.com/static/3b8dcdc2c30493c7f20543dfa1e4a23d/d6548/mark.png — `img src` from [about page](https://www.kernel.com/about). | Person | Role / currency | Profile and evidence | Direct pfp URL | |---|---|---|---| | Bryan Johnson | Founder (2016); former CEO; current executive role unresolved | [Official about](https://www.kernel.com/about); [personal biography, stale CEO title](https://www.bryanjohnson.com/about) | https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5603AQHvuxvFeVZQxw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1719601839846?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=qlNotBSqBxSduW6DjaUgOChtMU0J18mXeQVoOvYFOKc — named image from [self-profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanrjohnson); signed URL may expire. Existing adex Person `BryanJohnson` local `/static/bryan-johnson.jpg` is a fallback asset, not a new remote URL. | | Ryan Field | Former CEO/CTO; departed 2026-08-28 | [Self-authored departure](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ryanmfield_ive-decided-to-leave-kernel-this-was-a-activity-7499143626552299520-oAV0) | https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D5603AQGMLgOXYfcLPw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1718161405703?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=Um5zNK7FR-TFSf8ND6AH1QfoTAcncVcwJ-tPKE_oWSs (author JSON-LD; signed URL may expire) | ## Financing and investors | Announced | Amount | Type | Named investors / treatment | Evidence | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2020-07-09 | USD53M | SeriesC equity | General Catalyst lead; Khosla Ventures, Eldridge, Manta Ray Ventures, Tiny Blue Dot and Bryan Johnson; Quentin Clark joins board | [Issuer announcement](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200709005291/en/Kernel-Raises-%2453M-from-General-Catalyst-Khosla-Ventures-Eldridge) | | Before2020-07-09 | USD54M invested to date | Founder funding; round dates unspecified | Bryan Johnson; separate from subsequent53M round | [Same issuer announcement](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200709005291/en/Kernel-Raises-%2453M-from-General-Catalyst-Khosla-Ventures-Eldridge) | Founder investment and pledges are often mixed into reported totals. No primary-backed full ledger establishing USD161M was found; leave lifetime funding blank rather than adding a pledge to a financing round. No company IPO/acquisition/grant was established in this review. ## Dated team associations and current-role uncertainty Ryan’s [August28 2026 departure post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ryanmfield_ive-decided-to-leave-kernel-this-was-a-activity-7499143626552299520-oAV0) explicitly identifies the following as then-current team. This is dated primary testimony, not proof every person remained employed on October6. | Person | Evidence / role scope | Direct pfp | |---|---|---| | Katherine Perdue | [Self-profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-perdue) now titles Alumni Ventures: probable change; do not import as current Kernel leader | https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4D03AQEdRORHwVPFYg/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1718304089708?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=8WfUaYi8UsUUYmFov5tH-MoJTDKp7sJJP_pINlxVu_8 | | Dakota Decker | [Self-profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakotadecker) confirms Kernel experience; exact current title not established | https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/C4E03AQHsF2TgtnOO9Q/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/profile-displayphoto-shrink_200_200/0/1560793998712?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=oEcbTOKjNyqzAziZqP03KenRV3J-0btmZRY_1SVDO8k | | Andrew Gundran | [Self-profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgundran) corroborates Kernel experience; exact current title not established | Unavailable: profile OGimage is placeholder, not portrait | | Julien Dubois | [Linked profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcrdubois); role only dated team association from Ryan’s post | Unavailable: self-profile returned999 | | Gabriel Lerner | [Linked profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabelerner); role only dated team association from Ryan’s post | Unavailable: self-profile returned999 | | Josh Schmidt | Named then-current team in Ryan’s post; exact role unverified | Unavailable from consulted primary post | LinkedIn pfp URLs were extracted from named author/profile HTML by root reviewer and may expire. ## Review / import decision Create a separate identity such as `KernelNeurotech` after review. Existing `Kernel` points to eatkernel.com; another Kernel record points to kelpdao.xyz. Their mixed sector/investor labels do not validate them as kernel.com. Do not overwrite those entities or attach neurotech investments to them without cleaning the conflation. Current CEO and legal HQ remain import holds.