BrainCo
BrainCo is a brain-computer interface and neurotechnology company founded in 2015 by Bicheng Han while he was a PhD student at Harvard, and incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab. It began in Somerville, Massachusetts, set up its main headquarters in Hangzhou, China in 2018 and opened an Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong's Cyberport in September 2025. BrainCo reads brain and muscle signals through non-invasive wearables such as the FocusCalm EEG headband and sleep devices, and through BrainRobotics bionic prosthetic hands and legs. Its Revo line of dexterous robot hands serves humanoid makers and research labs, and Revo 3, released in April 2026, is a 21-degree-of-freedom direct-drive hand with full-palm tactile sensing and fingertip visuotactile sensors. In January 2026 BrainCo raised about 2 billion yuan, roughly $280 million, in a round co-led by IDG Capital and was reported to have filed confidentially for a Hong Kong IPO. It also presented a brain-to-robot AI platform at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
💡Notable Achievement: Its Revo 3 hand combines 21 direct-drive degrees of freedom with whole-hand tactile and fingertip visuotactile sensing.
What Does BrainCo Do?
BrainCo, a Harvard-born brain-computer interface company, makes EEG wearables, bionic prosthetics and the Revo line of dexterous hands for humanoid robots.
“Brain signals to robot hands.”
Revo Hands
Revo 3 has 21 direct-drive DOF and full-palm touch.
Brain Interface
Non-invasive EEG and muscle sensing.
Funding
About $280 million raised in January 2026.
What Can BrainCo Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Dexterous hands and neurotechnology.
Dexterous Hands
Direct-drive hand with full-palm tactile and fingertip visuotactile sensing.
BrainCo Robot Hands
Showing 1 of 1 total model
Revo 3 Dexterous Hand
Manufactured by BrainCo
Revo 3 is BrainCo's flagship dexterous hand, with 21 degrees of freedom driven entirely by direct-drive, back-drivable joints for fast, natural and safe motion. Each finger has four degrees of freedom and the thumb has five, enough to pass the Kapandji opposition test and perform 33 grasp patterns. Depending on the version, Revo 3 adds fingertip 3D force sensing, a whole-hand pressure-sensing skin or fingertip visuotactile cameras that see texture and slip. An open software stack with Python and C SDKs, ROS support and ready simulation models makes it a strong choice for humanoid robots, AI research and teleoperation.
BrainCo Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
Revo 3 ROS 2 packages
Robot integration
Open ROS 2 packages let humanoid and research teams drive Revo 3 hands.
BrainCo Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
BrainCo founded at Harvard Innovation Lab
Bicheng Han founds BrainCo in Somerville, Massachusetts, while a PhD student at Harvard, with incubation from the Harvard Innovation Lab.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
$5.5 million seed funding
BrainCo raises US$5.5 million in seed funding in its first full year as a Harvard spinout.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
$15 million funding round
BrainCo raises another US$15 million in a second funding round, bringing its total raised to about $20 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Hangzhou headquarters established
BrainCo establishes its headquarters in Hangzhou, China, while keeping its Somerville office.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
BrainRobotics prosthetic hand launched
BrainCo unveils the final model of its BrainRobotics bionic prosthetic hand at CES 2020 and launches it that year.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Asia-Pacific headquarters opens in Hong Kong
BrainCo opens an Asia-Pacific headquarters at Cyberport in Hong Kong.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
About 2 billion yuan raised
BrainCo raises about 2 billion yuan, roughly US$280 million, in a round co-led by IDG Capital.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Confidential Hong Kong IPO filing reported
BrainCo is reported to have filed confidentially for a Hong Kong IPO, working with CICC and UBS.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Revo 3 dexterous hand released
BrainCo releases Revo 3, a 21-DOF direct-drive robot hand with full-palm tactile sensing.
Source: robottoday.com
BrainCo Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes BrainCo Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Large funding round and IPO plans.
- ✓Hands already used by many Chinese humanoid makers.
- ✓Combines hands with brain-computer interface research.
Core Strategic Focus
Dexterous robot hands plus neurotechnology.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Revo 3 specs are mostly company claims.
- •Consumer wearables and robotics are different businesses.
- •IPO not yet confirmed.
BrainCo vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Revo 3
- Direct-drive dexterous hand
- Shadow Dexterous Hand
- Research dexterous hand
- DG-5F-S
- Dexterous humanoid hand
- Allegro Hand V5 Plus
- Research robot hand
Primary Use
- Revo 3
- Humanoid manipulation, teleoperation
- Shadow Dexterous Hand
- Teleoperation, research
- DG-5F-S
- Humanoid dexterous manipulation
- Allegro Hand V5 Plus
- Teleoperation, grasping research
Degrees of Freedom
- Revo 3
- 21
- Shadow Dexterous Hand
- 24
- DG-5F-S
- 20
- Allegro Hand V5 Plus
- 16
Weight
- Revo 3
- Not listed
- Shadow Dexterous Hand
- 4 kg with forearm
- DG-5F-S
- 880 g
- Allegro Hand V5 Plus
- 1,024 g
Release Year
- Revo 3
- 2026
- Shadow Dexterous Hand
- 2004
- DG-5F-S
- 2026
- Allegro Hand V5 Plus
- 2025
| Strategic Dimension | Revo 3 | Shadow Dexterous Hand | DG-5F-S | Allegro Hand V5 Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Direct-drive dexterous hand | Research dexterous hand | Dexterous humanoid hand | Research robot hand |
| Primary Use | Humanoid manipulation, teleoperation | Teleoperation, research | Humanoid dexterous manipulation | Teleoperation, grasping research |
| Degrees of Freedom | 21 | 24 | 20 | 16 |
| Weight | Not listed | 4 kg with forearm | 880 g | 1,024 g |
| Release Year | 2026 | 2004 | 2026 | 2025 |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
IDG Capital
Co-led the January 2026 round of about 2 billion yuan.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Co-led the January 2026 round of about 2 billion yuan.
Reported investor in the January 2026 round.
Founder and CEO; started BrainCo as a Harvard PhD student.
Incubated BrainCo at its founding in 2015.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
BrainCo Headquarters
HQHangzhou, Zhejiang, China
BrainCo Somerville Office
OfficeSomerville, Massachusetts, United States
Original office where the company began.
BrainCo Asia-Pacific Headquarters
OfficeHong Kong, Hong Kong
Opened at Cyberport in September 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about BrainCo
What is BrainCo?
BrainCo is a brain-computer interface and neurotechnology company founded in 2015 at Harvard. It makes EEG wearables, bionic prosthetics and the Revo line of dexterous robot hands for humanoids and research labs.
What is the BrainCo Revo 3 hand?
Revo 3 is BrainCo's third-generation dexterous robot hand, released in April 2026. It has 21 active degrees of freedom, direct-drive joints, full-palm tactile sensing and fingertip visuotactile sensing.
Who founded BrainCo?
Bicheng Han founded BrainCo in 2015 while a PhD student in Harvard's brain science program. It was incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab and still lists him as founder and CEO.
Where is BrainCo based?
BrainCo began in Somerville, Massachusetts, set up its headquarters in Hangzhou, China in 2018 and opened an Asia-Pacific headquarters at Cyberport in Hong Kong in September 2025.
How much has BrainCo raised?
BrainCo raised $5.5 million in seed funding in 2016, $15 million in 2017 and about 2 billion yuan, roughly $280 million, in January 2026 in a round co-led by IDG Capital.
Is BrainCo going public?
BrainCo was reported in January 2026 to have filed confidentially for a Hong Kong IPO, working with CICC and UBS. The company had not confirmed a listing date.
What else does BrainCo make besides robot hands?
BrainCo makes the FocusCalm EEG headband, sleep wearables, the OxyZen health monitor and BrainRobotics bionic prosthetic hands and legs, all built on its brain and muscle signal technology.
What is BrainCo's brain-to-robot platform?
At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference BrainCo presented an AI platform that lets a person control robots through brain and muscle signals, extending its brain-computer interface work beyond prosthetics.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official BrainCo datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Data is monitored and audited on an ongoing basis for accuracy. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.