Restoring functional vision could help people with profound blindness navigate their surroundings and interact more independently with the world around them. Phosphoenix is developing a neuroprosthetic system that uses a brain implant to generate visual perceptions, offering an alternative approach to vision restoration for people whose eyes can no longer provide useful sight.

Bert Monna, CTO of Phosphoenix, presented the company's technology at the Health~Holland Global Investor Forum 2026. Watch his pitch to learn more about the company's approach to restoring functional vision through a brain interface.

A different approach to vision restoration

Many existing approaches to vision restoration focus on the eyes or the optic nerve. Phosphoenix takes a different route by targeting the brain's visual pathway, with the aim of helping people with profound blindness regain some functional sight.

The company's approach focuses on the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a structure in the brain that relays visual information and retains an organised representation of the visual field. By targeting this region, Phosphoenix aims to use the brain's existing visual processing architecture to generate meaningful visual perceptions.

The technology builds on scientific research into electrically induced visual perceptions, known as phosphenes. These are perceived as points of light generated by stimulating parts of the visual system, rather than by receiving light through the eyes.

From points of light to functional vision

At the core of Phosphoenix's technology is the Fountain Probe™, a high-density, ultra-flexible neural interface designed to deliver precise electrical stimulation to the brain.

The proposed system combines a camera integrated into a pair of glasses with a pocket-sized processor. Video captured by the camera is processed using advanced computational techniques to generate instructions for the brain implant. The implant then delivers small electrical pulses to stimulate the visual pathway and produce phosphenes.

By coordinating stimulation across multiple electrodes, the system aims to generate structured patterns of visual perceptions. Over time, these patterns could help users recognise elements of their surroundings and develop basic visual functions, including navigation and obstacle detection.

The goal is not to reproduce natural sight, but to provide functional vision that could make everyday activities more accessible and support greater independence.

Building on neuroscience research

Phosphoenix was founded in 2019, following advances in research on brain stimulation and visual perception. Earlier work by researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience demonstrated that high-resolution implants stimulating the visual cortex could generate patterns that participants were able to recognise. The findings were published in Science in 2020.

Building on this broader scientific progress, Phosphoenix is developing its own neuroprosthetic approach, centred on stimulation of the LGN. The company aims to translate advances in neuroscience and neural interface technology into a device that could eventually help people with profound blindness recognise objects, navigate unfamiliar environments and interact more easily with others.

As with other emerging neuroprosthetic technologies, further development and clinical evaluation will be essential to establish the system's safety, performance and potential benefits for patients.

Pitch at Global Investor Forum

Phosphoenix presented its vision restoration technology at the Health~Holland Global Investor Forum 2026, which connects innovative life sciences and healthcare companies with investors and industry stakeholders.

The next edition of Health~Holland Global Investor Forum takes place on 10 March 2027 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, alongside Innovation for Health on 11 March.

Are you developing an innovative biotech, medtech, healthcare or life sciences company and looking to connect with investors? The Global Investor Forum offers selected start-ups and scale-ups the opportunity to pitch their innovations to an audience of investors, industry representatives and other stakeholders.

Interested in pitching your company? Book your pitching slot via the Global Investor Forum website.